The Great Artesian Basin: Water in the dry interior Teacher guide and lesson plans – Lower secondary ISBN: 978-1-74200-126-5 SCIS order number: 1523380 Full bibliographic details are available from Education Services Australia. Published by Education Services Australia PO Box 177 Carlton South Vic 3053 Australia Tel: (03) 9207 9600 Fax: (03) 9910 9800 Email: sales@esa.edu.au Website: www.esa.edu.au This resource is copyright Commonwealth of Australia, except where otherwise indicated. You may use this resource for non-commercial educational purposes, provided you retain all acknowledgements associated with the resource. In relation to material that is owned by third parties and which has been licensed for inclusion in this resource, you are permitted until 30 December 2016 to use this material for non-commercial educational purposes, provided you retain all acknowledgements associated with the material. Apart from any use specified above or under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. Project director: David Brown Production manager: Louise Poultney Production coordinator: Melissa Kaulfuss Copyright and permissions officers: Susan Trompenaars and Kelly Williams Editor: Zoe Naughten Layout: Deanna Vener and Suzie Pilcher Acknowledgments: Front- and back-cover, and banner photographs, and page 4 background photograph © Commonwealth of Australia. Front cover: photograph by Angus Emmott, above (left), below (centre left); photograph by Cameron Slatyer, above (right); photograph by Gunther E Schmida, below (far left); photograph by Allan Fox, below (centre right); photograph by Neil Eigeland, below (far right). Back cover: photograph by Angus Emmott, above, below (far right); courtesy Basin Authority, photograph by John Kruger, below (centre left); photograph by Yvonne Webster, below (centre). Background (page 4): photograph by Yvonne Webster.
At a glance Guiding investigations Lessons Outcomes 1 How important is artesian water in Australia? 1.1 The importance of springs Students recognise the environmental significance of artesian springs and identify their cultural significance to Indigenous Australians. 1.2 Mapping the Great Artesian Basin Students identify the extent of the Great Artesian Basin and recognise its significance in settlement patterns. 1.3 The value of artesian water – a local study Students carry out research and produce a poster or presentation to communicate the importance of artesian water to a community in arid Australia. 2 How does the Great Artesian Basin work? 2.1 How the Great Artesian Basin works Students describe the structure and functioning of the Great Artesian Basin and explain how it can operate as a sustainable water resource. 2.2 Investigating artesian pressure Students identify the source of artesian pressure and explain its relationship to well-drilling by operating a model. 3 What impacts have humans had on the Great Artesian Basin? 3.1 What’s happened to the Great Artesian Basin? Students investigate human impacts on the Great Artesian Basin and identify issues affecting sustainability of land and water use. 3.2 Case study – Elizabeth Springs Students recognise the threats to groundwater dependent ecosystems associated with a mound spring. 4 What can be done to address the current issues facing the Great Artesian Basin? 4.1 The race to cap and pipe Students analyse strategies used to tackle the issues confronting the Great Artesian Basin and identify how they contribute to sustainability. 5 What can I do to ensure our water is used more sustainably? 5.1 Groundwater and my household Students investigate the extent and nature of groundwater resources in the local area and make recommendations about drilling a well to extract water. 5.2 Does water divining work? Students perform a double-blind investigation to test whether water divining works
Australian Curriculum Links Science – Year 7 Science Understanding Science as a Human Endeavour Science Inquiry Skills Biological sciences There are differences within and between groups of organisms; classification helps organise this diversity Interactions between organisms can be described in terms of food chains and food webs; human activity can affect these interactions Chemical sciences Mixtures, including solutions, contain a combination of pure substances that can be separated using a range of techniques Earth and space sciences Some of Earth’s resources are renewable, but others are Water is an important resource that cycles through the environment Nature and development of science Scientific knowledge changes as new evidence becomes available, and some scientific discoveries have significantly changed people’s understanding of the world Science knowledge can develop through collaboration and connecting ideas across the disciplines of science Use and influence of science Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations Science understanding influences the development of practices in areas of human activity such as industry, agriculture and marine and terrestrial resource management Planning and conducting Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork and experiments, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed In fair tests, measure and control variables, and select equipment to collect data with accuracy appropriate to the task Processing and analysing data and information Construct and use a range of representations, including graphs, keys and models to represent and analyse patterns or relationships, including using digital technologies as appropriate Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions Evaluating Reflect on the method used to investigate a question or solve a problem, including evaluating the quality of the data collected, and identify improvements to the method Use scientific knowledge and findings from investigations to evaluate claims Communicating Communicate ideas, findings and solutions to problems using scientific language and representations using digital technologies as appropriate
Australian Curriculum links Science – Year 7 Science Understanding Science as a Human Endeavour Science Inquiry Skills Biological sciences There are differences within and between groups of organisms, classification helps organise the diversity Interactions between organisms, can be described in terms of food chains and food webs, human activity can affect these interactions Earth and space sciences Water is an important resource that cycles through the environment Nature and development of science Scientific knowledge changes as new evidence becomes available, and some scientific discoveries have significantly changed people’s understanding of the world Science knowledge can develop through collaboration and connecting ideas across the disciplines of science Processing and analysing data and information Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions Communicating Communicate ideas, findings and solutions to problems using scientific language and representations using digital technologies as appropriate
Show students Figures 1.3–1.8 of organisms from artesian springs. Figure 1.3 Phragmites australis (the common reed) Courtesy Murray-Darling Basin Authority Photograph by John Kruger Figure 1.4 Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis blue-eye) © Commonwealth of Australia Photograph by Gunther E Schmida Figure 1.5 Chlamydogobius squamigenus (Edgbaston goby) © Commonwealth of Australia. Photograph by Gunther E Schmida Figure 1.6 Eriocaulon carsonii (salt pipewort) © Commonwealth of Australia. Photograph by Cameron Slatyer Figure 1.7 Eryngium fontanum (blue devil) © Commonwealth of Australia. Photograph by John Baker Figure 1.8 Sporobolus pamelae (spring dropseed) Photograph © Dr J Travis Columbus
Provide Map 1.6. Using Map 1.4 and Map 1.6, discuss the importance of the Overland Telegraph line, and how its construction in 1870–1872 was helped by the existence of springs. Locate those sections of the line which were obviously dependent on artesian springs and ask students to suggest how water might have been obtained in the other sections. Map 1.6 Australia showing the overland telegraph network
Student worksheet 2.3 Flow of water in the Great Artesian Basin – three scenarios Early 21st-century conditions Conditions 250 years ago (before wells): assuming spring discharge was 200,000 ML/yr Sustainable future conditions; assuming sustainable flow from bores is 450,000 megalitres per year What steps must be taken to move from the conditions in the top diagram to those in the bottom? What difference would this make to the environment in the Great Artesian Basin
Australian Curriculum Links Science – Year 7 Science Understanding Science as a Human Endeavour Science Inquiry Skills Biological sciences Interactions between organisms can be described in terms of food chains and food webs; human activity can affect these interactions Earth and space sciences Water is an important resource that cycles through the environment Nature and development of science Scientific knowledge changes as new evidence becomes available, and some scientific discoveries have significantly changed people’s understanding of the world Use and influence of science Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations Science understanding influences the development of practices in areas of human activity such as industry, agriculture and marine and terrestrial resource management Processing and analysing data and information Construct and use a range of representations, including graphs, keys and models to represent and analyse patterns or relationships, including using digital technologies as appropriate Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions Evaluating Use scientific knowledge and findings from investigations to evaluate claims Communicating Communicate ideas, findings and solutions to problems using scientific language and representations using digital technologies as appropriate
INVESTIGATION 4 What can be done to address the current issues facing the Great Artesian Basin? Introduction The Great Artesian Basin extends across four states but needs to be managed in a sustainable manner as a single system. Stakeholders need to appreciate the economic, social, cultural and environmental value of the Basin and its water, and the threats from unsustainable water use. Wastage and environmental damage from open drains must be reduced, and entitlements to the water resource must be rationalised. Endangered spring ecosystems and communities must be protected. Although problems with the sustainable use of the Great Australian Basin were evident from the early 20th century, no structure existed to explore solutions on a Basin-wide scale until 1997 when the Great Australian Basin Consultative Council was formed to develop a management plan. The Australian Government also introduced the Great Australian Basin Sustainability Initiative to provide subsidies to enable landholders to rehabilitate and cap wells and install piping. In 2004, the Great Australian Basin Consultative Council was succeeded by the Great Australian Basin Coordinating Committee .
Australian Curriculum links Science – Year 7 Science Understanding Science as a Human Endeavour Science Inquiry Skills Biological sciences Interactions between organisms can be described in terms of food chains and food webs; human activity can affect these interactions Chemical sciences Mixtures, including solutions, contain a combination of pure substances that can be separated using a range of techniques Earth and space sciences Water is an important resource that cycles through the environment Nature and development of science Scientific knowledge changes as new evidence becomes available, and some scientific discoveries have significantly changed people’s understanding of the world Use and influence of science Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations Science understanding influences the development of practices in areas of human activity such as industry, agriculture and marine and terrestrial resource management People use understanding and skills from across the disciplines of science in their occupations Questioning and predicting Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge Planning and conducting Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork and experiments, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed In fair tests, measure and control variables, and select equipment to collect data with accuracy appropriate to the task Processing and analysing data and information Construct and use a range of representations, including graphs, keys and models to represent and analyse patterns or relationships, including using digital technologies as appropriate Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions Evaluating Reflect on the method used to investigate a question or solve a problem, including evaluating the quality of the data collected, and identify improvements to the method Use scientific knowledge and findings from investigations to evaluate claims Communicating Communicate ideas, findings and solutions to problems using scientific language and representations using digital technologies as appropriate