Australian children are growing up in a context of escalating bushfire risk, with climate change exacerbating the frequency and intensity of bushfire events. Contemporary research evidence recommends place-based, action-oriented bushfire education to ensure optimal outcomes for children and their communities.
This is an evidence-informed, curriculum-aligned approach to bushfire education. It gives students the opportunity to learn potentially life-saving knowledge while developing teamwork, problem solving and communication skills. In addition to developing students’ knowledge of bushfire, it leads students to examine local issues and take action, with a focus on the environment and traditional land management. Student voice and empowerment is enhanced with this action-oriented and participatory approach.
The learning is divided into three phases: Discover, Investigate and Take Action. Click the links below to learn more.
Students develop their knowledge of bushfire through an exploration of key topics including fire ecology, Aboriginal Cultural Burning, bushfire behaviour, bushfire hazards and bushfire risk. Students also develop skills for assessing local bushfire risks and reflect on their capacities for reducing risk in their own community.
Students apply their knowledge of bushfire to identify an authentic problem in their local community and generate ideas for possible solutions. Through focused inquiry, website research and engagement with their school community, students deepen their understanding of the problem.
Students brainstorm creative solutions for their chosen problem. They develop a rough prototype of their solution, and consult with subject matter experts to help test and refine it. They continue to engage in an iterative process of prototyping, testing and refining to design their final product. Students then share their final products with their school community and target users at a showcase event.