Human Impact Insights

Lesson Overview

Unit: Energizing Survival: Nature’s Resources
Lesson: 12 of 20
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 8 students
Year Level: Year 11 Life Skills
Subject: Physical Education (PE)
Focus: Analyze how human activities impact natural resources and express understanding through creative poster-making.

---

Learning Intentions

WALT: We Are Learning To analyse how humans affect natural resources.

---

Success Criteria

• Identify key ways human activity impacts natural resources.
• Demonstrate understanding by creating a poster that communicates human environmental impacts.
• Use graphic organisers to organise ideas before poster creation.
• Engage creatively with visual arts to express learning.

---

NSW Curriculum Links

Content Descriptions (Life Skills / HPE aligned with broader New South Wales emphasis on environment):

• Investigate how human actions affect natural and built environments relevant to their community.
• Explore strategies to care for and sustain natural resources.
• Communicate understanding through multimodal presentations and art to build awareness of environmental impacts.

Outcomes:

• Students demonstrate an understanding of personal and community responsibilities towards natural resources and environments.
• Students engage safely and cooperatively in practical activities related to exploring human-environment interactions (adapted for Life Skills).
• Students express ideas and information through accessible, multimodal formats to suit their abilities (including graphic organisers and artistic expression).

Note: The unit theme links cross-curricularly with Geography and Science outcomes related to human impact on environments, adapted here for Life Skills PE format and skills.

---

Differentiation & Accessibility Strategies

• Provide graphic organisers (e.g., mind maps, flow charts) for planning poster content visually and textually.
• Use simple, clear language and dyslexia-friendly fonts and print materials.
• Allow choice of creative media (drawing, colouring, collage) for poster creation to support self-expression and engagement.
• Provide one-on-one support as needed during activities for students with low reading ability or fine motor difficulties.
• Scaffold key vocabulary with visual symbols and short explanations for environmental terms.

---

Lesson Structure

Time	Activity	Details	Resources / Support
0-10 min	Introduction & WALT	- Teacher explains the topic: How human activity impacts natural resources.

• Present a simple example (e.g. pollution of water, deforestation).
• Establish lesson success criteria. | Whiteboard, pictures illustrating examples of human impact, simple language handout | | 10-20 min | Group Discussion & Brainstorm | - Guided class discussion on types of human activities that affect nature (e.g. littering, land clearing, water use).
• Record ideas on graphic organiser projected or on paper. | Graphic organiser templates, visual prompts | | 20-30 min | Explain Poster Task | - Show examples of environmental impact posters (clear, simple, colourful).
• Discuss key info to include: What the impact is, why it’s harmful, how to reduce it.
• Students plan their posters using graphic organisers individually or in pairs. | Examples of posters, planning templates | | 30-55 min | Poster Creation | - Students create their posters expressing key messages about human impact on natural resources.
• Encourage use of images, symbols, colours.
• Teacher circulates to support, provide vocabulary help, and scaffold ideas. | Paper, art supplies (coloured pencils, markers, collage materials), graphic organisers | | 55-60 min | Sharing & Reflection | - Each student briefly shares one key impact from their poster.
• Teacher reinforces WALT and success criteria.
• Reflect on how learning can help protect natural resources daily. | Display posters, simple reflection prompts |

---

Assessment

• Ongoing formative observation during discussion and poster-making about understanding of human impacts.
• Poster evaluated against success criteria: clear depiction of impact, use of graphic organiser plan, creativity, effort.
• Oral sharing to assess ability to verbalise main idea using simple terms.

---

Additional Notes

• Keep activities engaging and sensory-friendly, vital for low reading ability students.
• Use concrete examples related to students' local environment in NSW to foster relevance and connection.
• Reinforce positive actions they can take personally as part of the reflection.

---

This lesson plan aligns with NSW Life Skills principles and broad education goals by combining knowledge, skills, and creative expression. It supports differentiated learning and accessibility needs while fostering environmental awareness within a PE setting by focusing on movement, interaction, and practical outcomes related to natural resource sustainability.

If you need, I can suggest specific graphic organiser templates or provide dyslexia-friendly text handouts for this lesson!