CONTRUCTING A VALUES SEQUENCE EDSS279 ASSIGNMENT 1

ASHLEY TAYLOR 220106985 1

EDSS279

ASSIGNMENT 1

CONSTRUCTING A

VALUES SEQUENCE

Ashley Taylor

220106985

CONTRUCTING A VALUES SEQUENCE EDSS279 ASSIGNMENT 1

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“Sustainability addresses the ongoing capacity of Earth to maintain all life” (ACARA,

2013). The chosen article named “Failing duty to protect treasure” (Cubby, B. 2013)

identifies the responsibility of Australians to protect the Great Barrier Reef. It discusses

three particular endangerments to the reef including water runoff, industrialisation and

climate change which resulted in the chosen issue to be sustainability and conservation of

coastal coral reefs and oceans. Being part of the Mid North Coast NSW coastal community

allows this topic to be of great relevance whilst also capturing the interest of students as

this is an issue they are able to directly relate to their everyday life. Australia is home to

over “four thousand reefs” as well as “thirty five thousand kilometres of coastline” (Reef

Check Foundation Ltd Australia). With our students becoming the next generation to take

over the care and protection of the coastline that surrounds Australia it is felt that

sustainability and conservation are valid issues to be addressed. The chosen year group for this task is year four with the chosen key inquiry question:

“How do different views about the environment influence approaches to sustainability”

(ACARA, 2013).

In the article, Cubby outlines the different views between government and scientists in the

necessity for conservation of the Great Barrier Reef as well as what actions can be

recognised as protection attempts. This directly relates to one of the content descriptors for

the chosen age group as it outlines:

“The importance of environments to animals and people, and different views on how they

can be protected” (ACHGK022, ACARA, 2013).

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Cubby also goes on to use language such as “Australians have a responsibility for looking

after the reef. And we are letting it slip away” as well as “the reef as we know it will be

gone” and “repairing it should go beyond politics” (Cubby, 2013) which all suggest to the

readers that personal action needs to be made. The use of such emotive language allows for

a relevant link to the content descriptions for year four as it enables the students to:

“Reflect on their learning to propose individual action in response to a contemporary

geographical challenge and identify the expected effects of the proposal” (ACHGS032,

ACARA, 2013).

“Develop geographical questions to investigate” (ACHGS026, ACARA, 2013).

“Present findings in a range of communication forms, for example, written, oral, digital,

graphic, tabular and visual, and use geographical terminology” (ACHGS031, ACARA, 2013).

Although the article discusses an issue concerning the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, I

feel that due to the fact my local community resides on the Mid North Coast of NSW, the

values and threats represented in this article are beyond valid and are able to be directly

linked to the local community.

It is known that teachers are required to teach values to their students in order to

prepare them to be active citizens of their community (Gilbert, 2004, p. 8). The chosen

values teaching approach for this assignment is Action learning (problem solving) and

service learning. Firstly this approach involves the student “seeking solutions to value-

related problems” (EDSS279 Topic notes, 2013). This is extremely appropriate as Cubby

(2013) has expressed his article in such a way that he leaves the reader eager to gain further

information on the topic and find possible solutions for the issue. This reaction from the

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students is one that is represented through the value “responsibility” outlined by the NSW

Department of Education and Training where it states that students will show traits of

“being accountable for (their) individual and community’s actions towards (themselves),

others and environment” (Gilbert, 2011, p. 82). Another property of the action learning

value approach is that it involves analysing problems and taking action to implement the

solutions (EDSS279, Topic Notes, 2013). This is an element that is present in the “Elements

of the valuing process” mind map where it states that “democratic decision making and

participation” are core elements of values (Gilbert, 2004, p. 11; Gilbert, 2011, p. 85).

Analysing problems and taking action are both factors that Cubby (2013) attempts to

persuade his readers to feel. He does this by using language such as “there are several

overlapping threats” and “the reef as we know it will be gone”. The use of such powerful

words force the students to “exercise ethical judgement and social responsibility” as

outlined by the National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools (Reynolds,

2012, p. 119). Lastly, the chosen values approach outlines that it is “designed to assist

development of citizenship skills” by problem solving or actively engaging in community

activities (EDSS279, Topic Notes, 2013). By using this approach teachers are allowing their

students to actively identify, in this case sustainability, issues and work both individually and

in groups to discover possible solutions for these problems. This is one that is also

supported by the NSW Department of Education and Training as it includes “participation”

and “cooperation” as specific values necessary to teach as they involve working both

individually and in groups to complete a common goal within the community (Gilbert, 2011,

p. 82).

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This can be taken further by providing students with opportunities and activities

both in the classroom and within the community to put their ideas into practice. Firstly the

article must be analysed by the class. Before reading the newspaper article the students are

asked to read the title and look at the picture and predict what the article may be about.

This allows the students to interpret visually before gaining any further information. After

this has been discussed the article will then be read as a class, highlighting key words and

areas of focus. To finish the analysis of the article, in small groups students are to discuss

the questions: “Who was the article written for?” “What point of view is being put

forward?” And “how does this point of view compare to those of your own families?” (NSW

DET, 2013). This activity initially allows the students to gain an understanding of the views of

different people as well as different values. It also directly relates to the content descriptor

“the importance of environments to animals and people, and different views on how they

can be protected” (ACARA, 2013).

The article looks at three particular threats to the reef: polluted water runoff,

industrialisation and climate change. After the article has been read and interpreted by the

class the activities will then address the discussed threats to the environment. Although the

article uses the Great Barrier Reef as the example, living in a coastal community allows for

the above issues all the same. Firstly to introduce polluted water runoff, a suggested activity

is to discuss with the class what runoff is and where it comes from. From here an individual

fieldwork project can be done at home with the documentation of how often the taps are

used around the house, how long people have showers for etc. Ways of reducing runoff can

also be discussed with the examples of washing car with a bucket instead of hose. By

introducing this topic through the use of the above activity the students are able to use

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hands on activities and be responsible for their own learning. This will enable a personal

attachment to begin to form with the sustainability for the environment. The second

identified threat in the article is industrialisation. Comparing images of the local community

before the formation of highways and urbanisation to the present community will allow for

the students to see the dramatic changes overtime. They will begin to realise the impact this

has had on the environment and will be given opportunities to discuss their views on what

can be done to support a healthy environment. The third discussed threat is climate change.

By leaving this topic until the end it allows for the children to reflect on their learning from

the previous activities and use this knowledge to identify strategies to reduce the effects of

climate change. This is where the class is able to explore possible plans for both the

individuals to participate in to contribute to protecting the environment around them as

well as what can be done as a class and a community.

The activities above are using the suggested skill areas including fieldwork, mapping

skills and images by Gilbert and Hoepper as cited in EDSS279 Topic Notes (2013). By also

choosing an article that discusses an issue in which the students on the coast are able to

relate, this will result in an engaging and meaningful topic.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2013) outline that

their aim for the Geography curriculum is for student to develop “as informed, responsible

and active citizens who can contribute to the development of an environmentally and

economically sustainable, and socially just world” (p.2). By using this as a guide as well as

using the key inquiry question “The importance of environments to animals and people, and

different views on how they can be protected” (ACHGK022, ACARA, 2013) I feel the selected

newspaper article was an appropriate one. It provided many opportunities for the learning

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of new topics including polluted water runoff, industrialisation and climate change. To

conclude, through sustainability there is maintenance of life therefore through education

and passion there is ample possibilities for success.

Ashley Taylor

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Reference List

Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority (2013) Geography F-10, ACARA. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Geography/Rationale

Cubby, B. (July 15th 2013). Failing duty to protect treasure. The Daily Telegraph, p. 7.

Department of Education and Training NSW. (2010). Geography for those new to teaching the subject. Retrieved from

http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/hsie/assets/new_teach

ers/teach_geography.pdf

EDSS279 (2013): Teaching HSIE/SOSE in the Primary School [Module 2 Notes].

Armidale, Australia: University of New England, School of Education.

Gilbert, R. (2004). Elements of Values Education, The Social Educator, Vol. 22, No.3 eReserve.

Gilbert, R. (2011). Working with values and controversial issues. In R. Gilbert & B. Hoepper (Eds) Teaching society and environment (pp. 79-98). South Melbourne, Victoria: Cengage Learning.

Kivunja, C., Reitano, P., Porter, K. (2011). Promoting global citizenship: Using controversial issues in social science lessons, The Social Educator Vol. 29, No. 1, pp.5‐15 eReserve.

Reef Check Foundation Ltd Australia. (n.d) Retrieved from http://www.reefcheckaustralia.org/

Reynolds, R. (2012). Teaching history, geography & SOSE in the primary school, 2nd ed. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.

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