Welcome to this Year 6 biological science unit.

“Why does the forest need fire to survive?”

In this unit we will be challenging the possible misconception that all bush fires are bad – and that in fact forest flora and fauna need fire to regenerate and flourish.

To demonstrate this concept we will learn about First Nations methods and connection with the forest and how they have traditionally managed the land for thousands of years.

The following content description from the Australian Curriculum V9 and cross-curriculum priority organising ideas from the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander History and Cultures strand are as follows:

AC9S6U01 Investigate the physical conditions of a habitat and analyse how the growth and survival of living things is affected by changing physical conditions

A_TSICP1 First Nations communities of Australia maintain a deep connection to, and responsibility for, Country/Place and have holistic values and belief systems that are connected to the land, sea, sky and waterways.

A_TSIC2 First Nations Australians’ ways of life reflect unique ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing.

This unit includes a practical experiment in the classroom and a field trip to a local forest on Kuku-Yalanji country where students will interact with the natural world and First Nations Elders.