Managing Water and Hazards

Overview

In this lesson students investigate how water is a valuable resource and how it can be managed, including the role of Aboriginal Peoples’ Custodianship. Students also examine weather and hydrologic hazards using simplified data and hazard-mapping tasks, building their ability to explain the connections between water, people, and place.

Learning intentions

• Students will explain Aboriginal Peoples’ custodianship, care and management of Country in relation to water.
• Students will describe how water resources and their value differ across places.
• Students will analyse weather and hydrologic data to identify patterns of risk.
• Students will create a simple hazard map and propose management strategies to reduce harm.

Success criteria

• I can explain what Aboriginal Peoples’ custodianship and caring practices involve and how they support healthy Country and water.
• I can interpret weather/hydrologic data and describe what it suggests about risk.
• I can locate and describe features of different water-related places/environments.
• I can produce a clear hazard map and justify management actions to protect people and the environment.

Curriculum links

• GE4-APC-01 — Students explain Aboriginal Peoples’ Custodianship, care and management of Country.
• GE4-DFC-01 — Students locate diverse features and describe characteristics of places and environments (water in the world).
• GELS-MAN-01 — Students demonstrate ways to manage and protect a place or environment.
• GELS-APC-02 — Students identify ways Aboriginal Peoples care for and manage Country.
• (Skills integrated) Students practise thinking and working geographically and using geographical information to make claims.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (thinking question). Teacher writes: “What makes water ‘safe’ or ‘unsafe’ in different places?” and shows two quick scenario cards (drought vs flood). Students do a silent think and then share one idea with a partner.

2. 5–15 min · Explicit teaching + reading (Water resources). Teacher delivers a short overview: water resources vary, are valued differently, and management choices depend on place. Then students receive a short reading assignment (adapted text) on water resources and management (Cambridge Stage 4 focus). Students read using a dyslexia-friendly format (larger font, shorter chunks, teacher reads aloud once), then complete 3 “stop and check” questions:

• What is the resource?
• Who needs it?
• What management is mentioned?

3. 15–20 min · Presentation slides (Warragamba Dam and Water Management in Sydney).

• Slide 1: Photo of Warragamba Dam. Description: Warragamba Dam is a key water reservoir providing about 80% of Sydney's drinking water. It plays a vital role in water storage, flood mitigation, and supporting the city's population.
• Slide 2: Water management stages in Sydney. Description: This slide illustrates how water is collected (rainfall catchments), stored (dams like Warragamba), treated (water treatment plants), distributed (pipelines and reservoirs), and conserved (community water-saving initiatives). Relevant images accompany each stage to enhance understanding.

4. 20–30 min · Group discussion (Aboriginal custodianship). Teacher prompts discussion norms: listen, add, and justify with evidence from the reading. Groups of 4 answer:

• How does custodianship connect to caring for water and Country?
• List one practice that supports water health and one possible benefit to people/community. Teacher circulates, modelling sentence starters as needed (e.g., “This shows care because…”).

5. 30–45 min · Data analysis task (Weather and hydrologic hazards). Teacher explains what the data represents (rainfall totals, river levels, or “risk categories”) and models how to read a simple graph/table. Students work in pairs with a data worksheet:

• Identify one pattern (e.g., sustained heavy rainfall, rising levels).
• Decide the likely hazard type (flash flood vs flooding or drought risk) using a colour-coded key.
• Write a claim: “Based on the data, this place is at higher risk of ___ because ___.” Teacher checks understanding with quick oral questioning.

6. 45–57 min · Hazard mapping exercise (protecting places). Teacher hands out a blank outline map and a legend. Students choose a scenario place (assigned card) and plot:

• hazard locations/areas (from data key),
• vulnerable features (homes, roads, waterways),
• one management response (e.g., early warning, catchment protection, water restrictions, improved infrastructure, community planning). Students label their hazard map clearly and include a 2–3 sentence justification.

7. 57–60 min · Exit ticket (quick formative assessment). Teacher collects exit tickets with two parts:

• 1 short explanation: Aboriginal Peoples’ custodianship helps manage water because…
• 1 risk statement: The data suggests higher risk of ___; I know because ___.

Resources

• Short reading assignment (water resources and management) in large-print chunks
• Dyslexia-friendly reading option: teacher audio/paired read + simplified glossary sheet
• Scenario cards (drought/flood/other water risks)
• Data worksheets (simple graph/table with risk categories)
• Hazard mapping templates with legend and blank outline map
• Coloured pencils/markers
• Group discussion prompts and sentence starters
• Exit ticket slips and pens

Assessment

• Teacher observation during group discussion (accuracy of claims about custodianship and water management).
• Data analysis checks: teacher listens for correct interpretation and use of evidence.
• Exit ticket: assesses both GE4-APC-01 understanding and hazard-risk reasoning.

Differentiation

• Support for reading: chunked text, teacher read-aloud, and pre-taught key words (e.g., resource, management, risk, hazard) on a word bank.
• Support for writing: sentence starters for explanations (“This suggests… because…”; “One management strategy is…”).
• Support for data analysis: provide a partially completed example model for the first question, then reduce scaffolding.
• Extension for advanced learners: require a “cause–effect–action” paragraph linking data patterns to impacts on people and ecosystems, and compare two management options (one short-term, one long-term) with a reasoned choice.
• EAL learners: allow oral rehearsal with a partner before writing; use visual risk keys and consistent map symbols.
• SEN/dyslexia: provide extra time, reduce worksheet wording, and allow verbal answers for one mapping justification sentence if needed.