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Learning intention: To understand the reasons and impact of deforestation in Borneo.
Learning intention: To understand the reasons and impact of deforestation in Borneo.
Success criteria:
I can identify why deforestation in Borneo has occurred
I can describe the use of palm oil in terms of sustainability
Lesson content
Lesson content
Management strategies
Inquiry question: How does the environment support the lives of people and other living things?
Earth's Environment
GE2-1 Examines features and characteristics of places and environments
GE2-2 Describes the ways people, places and environments interact
GE2-3 Examines differing perceptions about the management of places and environments
GE2-4 Acquires and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry
Lesson description
Lesson description
People's perspectives of rainforests
People's perspectives of rainforests
In lesson six, students are introduced to the concept of valuing the environment and that people may value the environment differently, depending on their needs. The lesson outlines 'users's needs' in two scenarios:
- Illawarra (from early settlement to current day)
- Borneo
In each scenario consider the view point of Indigenous people, farmers, commercial industry and tourists) based on what is most important to them.
This lesson also aims to show us how we can learn about protecting environments from the perspectives of indigenous people such as the Dayak in Borneo and the Dharawal in the Illawarra. Students watch a powerful video featuring a Dayak tribe member who explains his connection with the land and how the tribe manages the environment in a sustainable way so that it is protected for future generations. Students also discover sustainable practices from Australian Aboriginal peoples. After reading 'Oola Boola Woo', a Dharawal Dreaming story on the creation of the Five Islands from Mt Keira, students appreciate that Dreaming stories are a cultural feature that help people to respect and protect the environment.
Outdoor learning component: Students sit in a forested area and identify how they value and feel connection to that space. After the sit spot, students draw themselves feeling 'connected' to the environment. This exercise aims to help students understand the deep and spiritual connection Aboriginal and other indigenous peoples have with the land.
Outdoor learning opportunity: Extracting oil from seeds or fruit
Estimated time
Estimated time
60 minutes
Supporting materials required
Supporting materials required
Resources needed:
Internet/computer
Mortar and pestles for oil extraction activity
Fruit / seeds for oil extraction activity (you could use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts (probably best avoided due to allergies), avocado seeds, or even grape seeds!)
Vegetable oil
Vegetable oil
Vegetable oil is fat extracted from seeds, nuts, cereals grains and fruits. It is used for cooking and baking pastries and breads frying. They are used as an ingredient or component for soaps, skin products, candles, perfumes and other personal care and cosmetic products. It is used in 40-50% of Australian supermarket products!
Palm oil
Palm oil
Palm oil comes from the fruit of the oil palm.
It's the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet and half of all packaged products contain it – including pizza, doughnuts and chocolate, to deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and lipstick.
It is such a popular product as it can:
Hold its colour well
Stay solid at room temperature (to help baked goods last longer)
Remove oil and dirt
Moisturise hair and skin
Make soaps and detergents bubbly
Have you heard anything about palm oil? What have you heard? (Think, pair, share)
Deforestation in Borneo
Deforestation in Borneo
The graphic beside shows how much forest covered Borneo in 1950 (shown in green). What has happened to the forest cover in the last 70 years?
Borneo has been significantly affected by deforestation - forests being cut down.
A lot of the deforestation has happened to make way for palm oil plantations because of the huge demand for it.
When clearing for palm oil, often areas of forest would be burnt, which would lead to releasing a lot of gasses into the atmosphere. It also impacts on wildlife such as orangutans.
What's wrong with Palm Oil?
What's wrong with Palm Oil?
There is nothing wrong with palm oil as a product. In fact, it's a really good oil when you compare it with other oil alternatives.
Look at the infographic below and then click on it to take a quiz. Which oil is the best?
Infographic taken from GAR Agribusiness and Food
The Problem with Palm Oil
The Problem with Palm Oil
It's not the oil that causes the problem. As you have seen from the activity above, palm oil is actually the best alternative compared to other oil crops. The problem with Palm Oil in places like Borneo is the unsustainable illegal rainforest clearing and burning that goes on to make way for more plantations.
Click picture to play video
Click picture to play video
Palm Oil Problem - Behind the News (4.03min)
Palm Oil Problem - Behind the news
Palm Oil Problem - Behind the news
This video clip was recorded in 2017. Palm oil products still don't need to be labelled in supermarkets.
We know that palm oil is a comparatively 'good' oil when we think about how much land is needed to grow it compared to other oils. However, do new forests need to be cut down, or can the current plantations be managed more sustainably?
Think pair, share.
How can we be more sustainable in our approach to using palm oil?
How can we be more sustainable in our approach to using palm oil?
With a partner, create a poster, show an understanding that boycotting palm oil is not a sustainable solution. Palm oil is ok, as long as it is sourced sustainably.
Remember that palm oil plants produce more oil per hectare of plantation, while also needing less fertiliser and less pesticides than other oil crops like rapeseed or soybean.
In your poster, show that palm oil is ok, as long as it is sourced sustainably. Illustrate and label how palm oil can be sustainable. Watch the video clip below to help you consider how palm oil can be sustainable.
If you need more information or ideas, in pairs, examine the WWF website for advice on sustainable use of palm oil.
What can you do?
What can you do?
Making sustainable choices as a consumer (shopper). Look for the RSPO symbol of the Palm leaf to show that the brand is aiming to source sustainable palm oil. Not all palm oil is labelled and it has many, many different names (there are over 400 different ways of representing palm oil as a product!!!), so it can be hard to be sustainable if the product does not have this logo on it. Some brands don't want to use this label as it shows that they are using some palm oil.
Ask your family to download the PalmOil scan app to scan barcodes and see how the brand rates on their sustainable palm oil journey.
On the app, you can tell the companies that make your favourite products that you want to see them use CSPO rather than conventional palm oil.
These two symbols indicate that the brand is on the journey towards sustainable sourcing of Palm Oil with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). If 'mixed' they are sourcing some sustainable palm oil. If 'certified' they use sustainable palm oil.
This app can be used to scan or search products to check whether they have a rating of poor / good / excellent in their use of sustainable palm oil.
Persuasive argument: Boycott palm oil vs sustainably sourced palm oil conscience alley
Persuasive argument: Boycott palm oil vs sustainably sourced palm oil conscience alley
Conscience alley is an adaptation of the classic class debate that engages students in argument development, persuasive communication and critical thinking.
1. Teacher gives learners a topic to debate.
2. Teacher selects one learner to serve as debate adjudicator – this student will hear each side of the debate and select the most compelling argument
3. Remaining learners are divided into two equal groups, and one side of the debate assigned to each group
· Allowing learners to choose their ‘side’ can engage student voice and build purpose.
· Alternatively, designating ‘sides’ for each learner can encourage the consideration of different perspectives and the control of biases.
4. Each team prepares an argument that can be communicated verbally. Each learner should take responsibility for developing one point that will support their team’s argument. They should consider carefully what they will say and how they will say it to grab the adjudicator’s attention. They should also consider the order in which points will be presented.
5. Learners form an alley with one team lined up on each side, facing one another. This step is best facilitated outside.
6. The adjudicator walks slowly down the alley while learners from both teams present their arguments. As the adjudicator walks past each learner, they should present their point. Encourage the adjudicator to move slowly to enable each learner to present their point.
7. As the adjudicator reaches the end of the alley, they consider both sides of the argument and select the more compelling side.
8. The adjudicator presents their decision to their peers and justifies their choice.
9. Teacher debriefs with both teams, discussing strengths and weaknesses of their arguments and techniques. Source - teaching strategies DoE
Extracting oil from seeds or fruits
Extracting oil from seeds or fruits
Many fruits and seeds contain oil, but it is hard to work to extract oil from them! Have a go at using a mortar and pestle to extract oil from olives or any other seed or fruit that you can access.
You could use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts (probably best avoided due to allergies), avocado seeds, or even grape seeds! It takes about 5kg of olives to extract a litre so don't expect to get too much! Squash and grind the fruit or seed in a mortar and pestle. Squeeze the paste through a cloth. Let the liquid settle. The oil will separate from any water, and should float on top. Your should then be able to skim it off.
Monocultures vs diverse ecosystems
Monocultures vs diverse ecosystems
What does 'mono' mean?
Monoculture means there is a single vegetation in one area.
Palm oil plantations are a monoculture.
On the other hand, natural environments have lots of species interacting within the space. They support diverse ecosystems.
Think back to lesson 3, where you considered which animals were mostly found in the school playground.
What did you find?
Comparing invertebrate hunts in 2 locations
Comparing invertebrate hunts in 2 locations
As a class, decide on 2 spaces to conduct a comparison experiment between a monoculture environment (just grass) and a more diverse / natural ecosystem featuring trees, shrubs, leaf litter.
Start with the more diverse environment.
1. Show how to collect inverts
- tree shake
- nets
- dig in dirt
Use Australian Museum leaf litter dichotomous key (click the image) to classify common leaf litter bugs.
What do you notice about the diversity (range) and frequency (number) of invertebrates found across two different locations?
Record your findings on your graph for each location.
Sustainability Reflection Tree
Sustainability Reflection Tree
Find a large branch that resembles a small tree (or a small tree itself). Students write on a leaf shaped piece of paper and identify why it is important to be sustainable when using rainforest resources, and ways to ensure that they are being sustainable.
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