Me and my backyard ... can I make a difference?

Willis, Linda-Dianne

One of my most treasured memories as a teacher was my work with colleagues in teaching upper primary students about local creeks and catchments. Because this work often involved taking our classes into the field, the language and literacy learning environment extended beyond the classroom and was strongly connected to other learning areas such as science and sustainability. I was fortunate enough to teach in schools in a catchment on Brisbane's southeast where the actual source of a major creek could be located and it was possible to walk the length of the creek to where it entered Moreton Bay. These walks meandered through a variety of natural and built environments, including open native forests, mangrove boardwalks, parklands, sporting fields, residential areas and beachfront and mudflat spaces. I often interspersed these walks with planned meetings with 'human experts'. Such experts included: representatives of bush preservation societies, local historians or residents with stories to tell about the creek's past, members of bird-watching groups, scientists and Aboriginal elders who could share local Indigenous knowledge. This work increased student knowledge, understandings and insights about the creek and catchment's flora, fauna and history, strengthening their sense of connection and ownership to the place in which they lived and learnt. At the same time, this approach facilitated student agency as they took on more active, caring roles as young citizens seeking to preserve, rehabilitate and improve their unique local environment. I now invite readers to take a walk with me to my creek and catchment to gain a sense of the language and literacy learning possibilities through the following snapshots.

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BIG questions

* What is a catchment?

* Where is my school in the catchment?

* What is the history of the creek and its catchment?

* What are invisible streams? Where/when have you seen them?

* What flora and fauna share the catchment with me?

* Are there any introduced species in the creek and catchment and how have these affected the environment?

* Are there any tributaries? How were these named?

* How is the catchment being managed?

* What can be done to revegetate and rehabilitate the catchment?

* What is the impact of development on the catchment?

* What other issues are affecting the catchment?

* What does it mean to be stormwater wise?

* What can I do?

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Using similes and metaphors to aid description

The catchment is like a giant bath tub. The 'sides' are the catchment's high areas (hills) and the 'drain hole' is the lowest point (the creek).

The roots of grey mangroves are called pneumatophores. Pneumatophores are like snorkels, helping the mangroves to breathe in air.

Mangrove seeds are called propagules. Their outer covering floats like a life jacket when they drop in the creek.

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Catchment vocabulary

Amenity:          The quality of being pleasant
Culvert:          Water pipe crossing under a road
                    or walkway
Estuary:          An area where fresh and salt water
                    mix
Eutrophication:   An imbalance of nutrients in the
                    waterway from land run-off or
                    dense plant growth
Riparian:         Along the bank of a waterway
Rural:            An area of acreage houses and
                    bush
Tributary:        A smaller part of a bigger
                    waterway
Turbidity:        Measure of cloudiness in the water
Urban:            Area of city houses, shops and
                    close living

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Playing with noun groups

Low lying plants such as samphires are insect-resting places.

Far from being mosquito breeding grounds, mangrove mudflats are a valuable source of food for hungry fish hatchlings at high tide.

Termite mounds are nesting sites for Australian coastal kingfishers.

Open forest areas are home to many tree top dwelling bird species.

Thick sediment flowing into the creek from new housing developments is increasing water turbidity.

Focusing on processes

Grass clippings choke the waterways.

When people disturb the natural environment, weeds can infest riparian bush areas.

Fishing lines entangle animals.

Illegally dumped car batteries chemically pollute the water.

Glass bottles endanger people's safety. Propagules germinate in favourable conditions.

Ideas for speaking and writing activities

* Recount the creek and catchment fieldtrip.

* Take others on a guided tour of the creek.

* Develop a website of creek stories from interviews of local residents and Indigenous elders on its history.

* Write an autobiography of a creek or catchment animal.

* Write a dialogue between two catchment creatures.

* Write a play about a catchment issue for the class to perform.

* Create a creek or catchment poster.

* Write and perform a catchment rap.

* Create a creek and catchment board game.

* Conduct research into unnamed tributaries of the creek and find out how these could be suitably named.

* Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper to raise awareness about an issue affecting the creek or catchment.

* Prepare a report on the effects of pollution or illegal dumping on the creek.

* Talk to local council members about issues affecting the catchment and creek.

* Research an endangered species and write a scientific report.