Aerial photograph - Wallagoot Lake 1981, NPWS
Target Audience: Preliminary Biology students
Estimated time: 80 minutes
Syllabus focus:
2. Each local aquatic or terrestrial ecosystem is unique
Examine trends in population estimates for some plant and animal species within an ecosystem.
Identify some adaptions of living things to factors in their environment
Identify and describe in detail adaptations of a plant and an animal from the local ecosystem
Identify the impact of humans in the ecosystem studied
P7 Describes the range of organisms in terms of specialisation for a habitat
P8 Analyses the interrelationships of organisms within the ecosystem
P12 Discusses the validity and reliability of data gathered from first-hand investigations and secondary sources
P13 Identifies appropriate terminology and reporting styles to communicate information and understanding in biology.
P14 Draws valid conclusions from gathered data and information
GIS Skills and Tools
Basic tools - zoom in, identify, zoom to layer
Working with layers
Using the Table of Contents
Changing theme properties including classifying by unique values
Labelling features
Adding image data
Using the Query Builder
Printing maps
Materials
Download the Student Fieldwork booklet
Additional information booklet is under construction and will be available in hard copy in 2007.
Lesson overview
In this activity students will be building a GIS of the Local Ecosystem being studied. The session will give them an overview of some of the features of the Wallagoot Lake catchment and surrounding areas relevant to the ecology of the lake.
Important Questions:
Are there any endangered ecological communities or species found at Wallagoot Lake?
What possible impacts are human activities having on the lake ecosystem?
What is happening over time to plant and animal populations at Wallagoot Lake?
What adaptations do plants and animals have to survive here?
Lesson introduction:
Bournda EEC staff are available to run this GIS activity and to introduce the fieldwork component with Powerpoint materials, lot of photographs and a range of other stimulus materials.
A typical sequence of lessons might include:
-Bournda EEC staff presentation including fieldwork outline
GIS activity (ideally this would be a part of a double period and a computer room would have to be booked)
-School preparation on fieldwork techniques
-Fieldwork Day
-Follow-up lessons at school including downloading of additional data
Report writing and presentation
Student activity:
Students will be expected to work in pairs on the computer activity and in small groups (e.g 4) for the fieldwork activities.
Conclusion:
A map generated by the GIS could be included as part of the fieldwork report.
Data collected on the fieldwork day will be included in a data file available for downloading and including in the GIS for use in the results section of the report.
Wallagoot Lake - image from 1970s
Extension:
Load data on the location of the Little Tern breeding areas into your GIS
Use the topographical map to map the catchment boundaries
Identify land use in the catchment and annotate a printed copy of the map
Download additional information here