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Designing urban carbon sinks lesson

In this lesson, students learn about the role of vegetation as carbon sinks, conduct field work to evaluate local carbon sinks and explore urban design issues. Students asses their own carbon footprints using the carbon footprint calculator, learn about carbon offset, carbon farming and carbon storage programs. Students ...

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Objects through timeline: 50,000 years before present

This is a 26-page fact sheet that provides a comprehensive overview of migration to Australia from the first arrival of humans to 2006. It includes details about the major waves of international and internal migration, key events and policies, and individuals and groups that have made significant contributions to the development ...

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Climate science analysis from The Conversation

This is a collection of articles about climate science. It includes articles about modelling, explanations about heat trends, predictions about sea level rise, and why the science about climate change is clear. The articles are written in plain language and are authored by experts from universities in Australia and around ...

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The Conversation: Biodiversity

This resource contains a series of explanatory articles about biodiversity, its role in ecological conservation, key issues, and new research. It can be used to develop a broad understanding of biodiversity, its importance and impact.

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The Globalising World: Changing policies and Australian identity

This is a unit of work about migration to Australia from 1945. It has a particular focus on how migration has shaped Australia as a nation over time. It has four teaching and learning sequences that explore: changes to Australia’s immigration policies including the dismantling of the White Australia Policy; reasons for ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Sustainable tourism

The Yucatán Peninsula in south-eastern Mexico is a popular tourist destination. This clip focuses on examples of sustainable tourism - tourism that aims to have a low environmental impact. View Tulum, a town under threat of being developed similarly to Cancún, a major tourist resort destination.

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ABC News: Generational change for Italian migrants, 1958

What would it be like to start life in a new country without much knowledge of the language or culture? The clip shows the strength of the cultural traditions that Onsonato Galluzzo and his wife brought with them from Italy. See how the older family members maintain their Italian heritage and the younger generation adapt ...

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Pocket Compass, Ep 5: An immigration nation

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull once described Australia as an 'immigration nation'. What do you think he meant by that? Do you agree? |Watch four very different people speak about their experiences as first- and second-generation migrants. What were some reasons they or their parents migrated to Australia?

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Four Corners: Prince Philip and the conservation debate, 1973

Public figures have a high public profile and should act responsibly when commenting on important issues. This clip, taken from a 1973 Four Corners program, highlights the Duke of Edinburgh's apparent change in attitude towards environmental issues. While he suggests that Australia should relax its conservation efforts, ...

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Why Australia wanted a White Australia policy

The Immigration Restriction Act of 1901 was designed to limit non-British immigration to Australia. It came to be known as the White Australia policy. In some quarters, people of non-British (and especially non-European) heritage were regarded as being inferior, greedy or unable to fit in with dominant Australian society. ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Dams and dolphins on the Mekong?

If the Lao Government's plans are realised, nine hydropower dams will be built across the Mekong River in Laos, and more across its tributaries. The government wants the country to become the 'battery of Asia'. With this dream comes a host of issues. Listen to reasons why the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) suggests hydro-dam ...

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What Greenland's ice tells us about climate change

Why is it so important to keep our eyes on Greenland's ice and what does it have to do with climate change science? Watch this short animation from NASA to find out!

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Catalyst: How will fire change the climate?

Considering the impact of a changing climate on the severity and frequency of fires is one thing, but how about the impact of fires on climate? Why does Professor David Bowman describe this scenario as a 'fire spiral'? What are the consequences of a world with fewer forests? As Professor Craig Allen explains, drought and ...

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This Day Tonight: Chinese Australians and the Moon Festival, 1978

How have the cultural traditions of people from Asia enriched Australian society? The Moon Festival is one such tradition. In this clip from 1978, an ABC reporter visits Dixon Street in Sydney's Chinatown to discover what this celebration means to Chinese Australians and the wider community.

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Catalyst: E-waste, recycling, and sustainability

What happens to electronic waste (e-waste)? Watch this clip about the physics of recycling to find out the way that useful materials are captured from waste at a local materials recovery facility. Presenter Tanya Ha investigates e-waste, the products it comes from, and the sustainability challenges it poses.

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Climate change and the rising sea level

What is the correlation between global warming and the rising sea level? This animation explains the link between the two and the consequences of a continual sea level rise. How are some communities combating this problem? Can you think of some other ways we could address this problem?

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Nationwide: Franklin River campaign

How important is the environment in an election campaign? In this clip, explore the issue that changed Australia's conservation landscape forever: the fight to save the Franklin River. Watch how the Tasmanian Wilderness Society used political and media strategies to influence the outcome of the 1983 federal election in ...

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Magical Land of Oz: Join the Numbat Taskforce!

Numbats are native Australian marsupials that can be found in Western Australia and South Australia. Unfortunately, their numbers are declining rapidly. What are the causes? What can we do to combat this and protect these unique Australian animals? Find out what one community group, the Numbat Taskforce, is doing to help ...

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ABC News: Sydney's Moon Festival, 1979

Discover the activities that take place during the Moon Festival and why it is considered to be one of the most important festivals in the Chinese calendar. In this clip from 1979, ABC reporter Neil Ross attends the Moon Festival in and around Dixon Street and Hay Street, in the heart of Sydney's Chinatown.

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Belief: Sikhs in contemporary Australia

Did you know that Sikhs in Australia belong to the fifth most popular religion in the world? Sikhism began in the Punjab region of India and today has over 30 million followers. Find out more about the life and beliefs of people of this faith through the eyes of a Sikh. Watch a 'langar', a community meal, in process at ...