Rewild Your World
Week 7 - Getting Organised
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Introduction – Habitats in Action
Begin the week by revisiting the work students completed in the previous week. Invite them to reflect briefly on what they were doing in their teams, such as planning, organising, communicating and preparing for habitat action. Use simple prompts like:
What did your team work on last week?
What was challenging?
What are you proud of?
This reflection helps students anchor new learning in familiar experiences and recognise their progress.
Explain that this week builds directly on that work. Emphasise that students are moving from learning about habitats to understanding how habitats function in real life through connection, balance and organisation. Reinforce that this week is about thinking carefully, working together and making informed decisions, not rushing into action.
Introduce the idea of connection as a key theme. Support students to recall earlier learning about food chains, seasonal behaviour, animal movement and climate impacts. Help them see that all of these ideas link to how habitats stay healthy.
Before starting, let’s take a moment to think about what you already know about habitats. What connections between plants, animals, seasons or climate can you remember from previous weeks? Be ready to share one example of how living things are connected in a habitat and explain why that connection matters.
This week, your Rewild Your World journey moves into a new and exciting phase. You have learned a lot about habitats, animals, seasons and how living things depend on one another. Now it is time to use that knowledge to get organised and think carefully about how habitats work in real life.
This week is all about understanding connection. You will explore how plants and animals rely on each other to survive, how seasons and climate affect behaviour, and why healthy habitats need balance. You will also practise working together, sharing ideas, listening carefully and planning thoughtfully, just like real environmental teams do.
You will read about real projects where people have helped nature by working together, learn new words that explain how living things interact, and think deeply about how small changes can make a big difference. Through discussions, games, writing and reflection, you will strengthen your understanding of how habitats support life and why every plant and animal matters.
By the end of the week, you will not only know more about how ecosystems work, but you will also be more confident in your ability to think, plan and work with others to care for the natural world.
Your Weekly Keywords
Support students as they explore this week’s vocabulary by explicitly linking each word to real examples they already know. Encourage them to draw on their prior knowledge and learning of habitats, food chains and their Champion Animals to make sense of each term.
Guide students to collaboratively work together as they sort through the vocabulary, discussing ideas and explaining their choices. Model a think-aloud—how to think aloud when matching a word to a definition—showing that careful reasoning is more important than speed.
When introducing relationship words such as mutualism, commensalism and parasitism, keep explanations simple and concrete. Focus on who is helped, who is unaffected and who may be harmed; use concrete examples and visuals rather than using complex scientific language.
This week, your new set of keywords will help you understand how living things survive, grow, and depend on one another in a habitat.
These words help explain how plants and animals live together, how long they can survive, and how each species has a special role in its environment. Some of the words may feel unfamiliar at first, but each one will help you think more carefully about survival and balance in nature.
Your task is to match each keyword to its correct definition. First, read all the words. Then read all the definitions. Take your time and think carefully about which definition best fits each word.
As you work, talk with a partner about your thinking. Share examples you already know from your Champion Animal, the school grounds, or habitats you have studied. Ask yourself which words describe plants, which describe animals, and which explain how living things interact.
By the end of this task, you will have a clearer understanding of how living things rely on one another and why every plant and animal has an important role in a healthy habitat.
Quote of the Week Black Elk
Invite students to slow down and reflect on the meaning of Black Elk’s words, encouraging them to look beyond the surface of the quote. Guide students to understand that the quote is not about animals speaking with words, but about listening through observation, respect and attention.
Support discussion by helping students connect the idea of listening to their own experiences in nature. This might include watching birds, noticing insects, caring for plants or observing changes in habitats. Emphasise that understanding grows when we take time to notice patterns, behaviours and needs.
Link the quote to earlier learning about habitats and Champion Animals. Help students recognise that careful observation leads to deeper understanding, and that understanding helps us make better decisions when caring for living things.
When students write their own quotes, model how a short sentence can carry a strong message. Encourage them to focus on clarity, meaning and feeling rather than length or decoration. Provide feedback that values empathy, thoughtful reflection and the ability to turn learning into a message that encourages care and responsibility for the natural world.
“If you talk to the animals, they will talk with you, and you will know each other. If you do not, you will only know your own kind.” — Black Elk
This week’s quote reminds us that understanding nature begins with listening and paying attention. When we take time to observe animals and their habitats, we start to see how they live, what they need, and how they are connected to the world around them. Black Elk believed that learning from nature helps us feel respect, connection and responsibility rather than separation.
As a class, take time to talk about what Black Elk might have meant by truly knowing animals. Think about what it means to listen, to observe closely, and to understand life beyond our own experiences. Consider how this way of thinking changes how we care for habitats and the living things within them.
After your discussion, use the template to write your own meaningful quote about listening to nature or caring for living things. Think about what you believe, what you have learned so far, and how your words might encourage others to respect and protect the natural world. Make your message clear, thoughtful and hopeful.
Rewilding the World – Story of the Week – Melbourne Pollinator Corridor
Introduce this case study as a real-world example of rewilding in an urban environment. Support students to identify the problem clearly by discussing how disconnected green spaces affect pollinators and reduce biodiversity in cities.
Guide students to notice the structure of the case study, moving from the situation to the action and then to the result. Reinforce that rewilding is a process that begins with understanding a problem and taking thoughtful action based on evidence.
Support students to connect the listed animals to habitat features they already know, such as flowering plants, shelter and safe pathways. Encourage them to notice that many different species benefit from the same habitat improvements.
This week, you will explore a real rewilding project from Melbourne that is helping bees and other pollinators survive in the city.
Read the case study carefully and look closely at the images. Notice the problem that pollinators were facing and why it was hard for them to find food and shelter in urban streets and parks. Think about what was missing from the environment and how that affected biodiversity.
As you read, pay attention to the action that was taken by Emma. Notice who was involved, what was planted, and how gardens were used to connect habitats across the city. Look at the results and the list of animals that are now being supported by these new spaces.
After reading, think about how this project connects to your own Champion Animal and the habitat planning you are doing at school. Ask yourself what made this project successful and how small actions helped create big change.
Be ready to share one thing you learned and one idea that could inspire habitat action in your own community.
Comprehension Creating Healthy Ecosystems
This comprehension supports students to understand how seasonal behaviour and climate change affect animals and ecosystems. Revisit key ideas such as weather, seasons, climate and migration before reading to help students access the text.
As students read, guide them to notice cause and effect. Encourage them to identify what is changing in the environment and how animals respond, such as moving, changing behaviour or adjusting breeding times.
Explain that the questions move from recalling facts to explaining ideas and applying understanding. Support students to link examples from the text to their Champion Animal and to think about how habitat planning can help animals adapt.
Listen for clear reasoning and accurate vocabulary. Address misconceptions gently and provide feedback that values thoughtful thinking and connections to real-world environmental challenges.
This week, you will read an information text about how animals and plants respond to the seasons and how climate change is affecting ecosystems. You will explore migration, seasonal behaviour, habitat movement and the ways animals cope with changing temperatures, rainfall and food availability.
As you read, look closely at how weather, seasons and climate influence animal behaviour. Notice why some animals migrate, why others become active for longer periods, and how changes in temperature can affect breeding, feeding and survival. Think about how animals depend on plants, insects and other animals at different times of the year.
This text will help you understand why animals are moving into new areas and how this can change ecosystems. It will also show how humans can help by protecting habitats, connecting green spaces and reducing the causes of climate change. Read each question carefully. The comprehension will move from simple recall to deeper thinking. Questions will begin with finding facts in the text, then move to explaining ideas, and finally applying what you have learned to real-world situations.
As you work, take notes on important examples that show how animals respond to seasonal changes and climate impacts. Think about how these ideas connect to your Champion Animal and what it might need as conditions change. Consider how your own habitat planning could support animals that are on the move or struggling to adapt.
Record Your Answers – How Far Can You Go
Explain to students that the questions are organised into levels and that each level asks for a deeper kind of thinking. Reinforce that moving through the levels is about thinking more carefully, not about speed.
Model how to answer a question using a full sentence and evidence from the text. Show students how to reread a section to find information when needed.
Encourage students to take their time and pause when a question feels challenging. Remind them that this is part of learning and shows their understanding is developing.
As students work, listen for clear explanations and use of information from the text. Provide reassurance and prompts where needed, focusing on helping students explain their thinking rather than rushing to finish.
After reading the information, you will answer twelve comprehension questions. The questions are organised into levels, and each level becomes a little more challenging.
You will start with Level 1 questions. These ask you to remember and find simple facts from the text. As you move through the levels, the questions will ask you to explain ideas, make connections, and use what you have learned to think about real animals, habitats and environments.
Write your answers in full sentences. Try to use information from the text to support your ideas. Read each question carefully before you begin and take your time to think about what it is really asking.
If a question feels tricky, pause and think. That is a good sign. It means your thinking is growing and you are ready to explore deeper ideas about how habitats work, how living things survive, and how these systems connect to the world around you.
Reading Nature’s Seasons
This activity introduces students to the concept of seasonal calendars and the important role they play in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) held by First Nations peoples. For tens of thousands of years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have carefully observed the patterns of plants, animals and weather to understand seasonal changes and guide how people live with and care for Country.
For many thousands of years, First Nations Australians have carefully watched nature to understand how the seasons change. By noticing signs such as when plants start to flower, when animals have babies, or when certain weather arrives, they created special seasonal calendars. These calendars help people understand what is happening in nature and how to care for the land throughout the year.
These calendars are part of something called Traditional Ecological Knowledge. This means knowledge about nature that has been learned by observing the land for a very long time and shared from one generation to the next.
Some seasonal calendars show how many plants, animals and weather patterns work together in an ecosystem. Others focus on the yearly patterns of one particular plant or animal.
Your task is to explore a seasonal calendar from your local area. Look closely at the natural signs that show different times of the year.
After that, you will create your own seasonal calendar for your Champion Animal. You will think about when it might be most active, when it finds food, when it has babies, and when it raises its young.
This activity will help you slow down, observe nature more carefully, and begin to notice the patterns that happen in the environment around you.
Persuasive Writing - Writing an Article
This task focuses on persuasive writing while building empathy, ecological understanding, and ethical thinking.
Begin by revisiting the modelled example and discussing how the writer uses facts, clear explanations, and gentle persuasion rather than emotion or fear.
Guide students to consider:
Why some animals are protected while others are harmed
How small creatures contribute to ecosystems
How language can influence the way people think and act
Encourage students to plan before writing, using the template to organise ideas logically.
Remind students that their writing has a real audience. Articles may be shared in the school newsletter or submitted to a local magazine, which supports authenticity and care in writing.
Support students to:
Stay factual
Explain connections between living things
Use persuasive language respectfully
End with a message of responsibility and care
This task links literacy with science, ethics, and global citizenship, and supports student voice and purposeful writing.
Are Some Creatures More Important Than Others?
In this activity, you will write a persuasive article that asks an important question: Are some creatures more important than others?
You will explore what happens when small creatures like spiders or ants are harmed, and whether this is really different from hurting larger animals. You will think about why some animals are cared for, while others are ignored or disliked.
You know that all living things are connected. Plants, insects, animals, and humans all play a role in keeping nature in balance.
Your task is to write a persuasive article that encourages readers to think differently about small or misunderstood creatures and why they matter.
Strong pieces may be featured in the school newsletter or shared with a local magazine, so write clearly and carefully.
As you write, remember to:
Use facts
Explain connections
Give strong reasons and examples
Encourage care and responsibility
Use the template to organise your ideas, and include a clear headline and subtitle to grab attention.
Habitat Help Quiz
Explain the purpose of the quiz as a learning activity rather than a test. Emphasise that the goal is discussion, thinking and learning from the feedback after each question.
Encourage students to work calmly with their partner during the countdown. Remind them to listen to each other’s ideas and make a shared decision before choosing an answer.
Allow time for students to read the information that appears after each question. This is where much of the learning happens, so reinforce that it is just as important as selecting an answer. Teachers may wish to pause the video once an answer has been disclosed.
As the quiz progresses, listen for thoughtful discussion and respectful collaboration. Reinforce positive behaviours such as turn-taking, explaining reasoning and staying focused under time pressure.
After learning all about habitats and the different needs of animals, you will now take part in a fun quiz.
The quiz has 12 questions. Each question has three possible answers: A, B or C. You will have 20 seconds to decide which answer you think is correct.
You may work with a partner during the quiz. While the timer is counting down, talk together about the question and agree on your answer before the time runs out.
After each question, read the information that appears. This will help you learn more, even if your answer was not correct. The quiz is not just about getting the right answer. It is also about learning how people can work together and come up with creative ideas that help humans and animals live side by side without causing harm.
Take your time, enjoy the discussion, and do your best.
Have fun and good luck!
Biodiversity Cloze Passage - Fill in the Blanks
This activity supports students to visualise and explain how living things are connected within an ecosystem. It reinforces earlier learning about food chains, food webs, habitat roles and interdependence.
Begin by directing students’ attention to the biodiversity web image. Explicitly explain that a biodiversity web shows many connections at the same time, not just one food chain. Model how to read the web slowly, tracing one connection at a time and explaining what each arrow means. Model how to read the arrows, explaining that they show relationships such as feeding, helping plants grow, or controlling populations. Clarify the difference between red and white arrows if needed.
Before students complete the fill-in-the-blanks section, encourage them to discuss the picture using simple prompts such as:
Who depends on plants?
Which animals are predators?
What jobs do insects do in this ecosystem?
As students work, listen for accurate use of vocabulary like predator, pollinate, nutrients, habitat and connected. If students are unsure, prompt them to return to the image rather than guessing.
In this activity, you will explore how plants and animals are connected in a biodiversity web.
First, look closely at the picture of the Australian biodiversity web. Notice how arrows show connections between plants and animals. These arrows help explain who eats who, who helps plants grow, and how animals keep the ecosystem balanced.
Next, read each sentence in the Fill in the Blanks section. Use the word list to help you choose the correct word for each space. Think carefully about the role each plant or animal plays in the web before you decide.
As you work, ask yourself questions like:
Who depends on plants?
Which animals are predators?
Which animals help control pests or return nutrients to the soil?
You can work quietly on your own or talk with a partner about your ideas. Be ready to explain why you chose each word.
By the end of this activity, you should be able to explain how living things are connected and why changing one part of the web can affect everything else.
Animal Connection Flash Card Game
This activity helps students understand that living things are connected through food, shelter, reproduction and survival. It supports systems thinking and reinforces the idea that changes to one species can affect many others.
Begin by letting students play the flash card matching game in small groups. Encourage them to explain their thinking as they match animals. Listen for accurate use of language such as predator, prey, pollinator, food source and habitat. Prompt students to justify connections rather than guess.
Outdoor extension option
Teachers may also choose to run this activity outside using a ball of string to create a living web.
Stand students in a circle and give each child an animal card to attach to their shirt with the picture facing out. Explain that the goal is to show how species are connected.
Start simply. Ask one question such as:
What does your species eat?
Choose one student to begin and give them the ball of string. They hold one end, name a species they are connected to, and gently throw the string to that student. For example, a frog might pass the string to a beetle.
As the web grows, deepen the thinking by adding more questions, such as:
What eats your animal?
Do the young have different predators?
What shelter does your species need?
Which species does your animal depend on to survive?
Allow the web to become more complex. This visual and physical experience helps students see how ecosystems are interconnected.
You will make a set of animal flash cards and use them to help other students learn how animals are connected in nature.
First, play the example game your teacher shows you so you understand how the matching works. Notice how animals connect through food chains, pollination, or shared habitats.
Next, use the task card to help you design your own flash cards. Choose animals that are connected in real life. Draw or write the animal on the front of each card and add a few facts on the back.
Once your cards are ready, practise the game with your group. Then take your game to another class and teach them how to find the matching animal connections.
Your goal is to help others see that animals and plants are part of one connected system.
Team Check In – Finishing Strong Together
This session supports students to communicate clearly and plan realistically as a team.
Begin by gathering students in a circle to encourage equal voice. Invite each child to share one word or short sentence about how they are feeling. Model calm listening and remind students that listening is as important as speaking.
When checking progress, guide teams to speak clearly about what has been achieved and what still needs to be done. Encourage simple language and respectful discussion. If ideas differ, support students to explain their thinking rather than argue.
Help teams focus on realistic planning. Ask what can be completed this week and what matters most right now. When roles are assigned, ensure each task has one clear name next to it so responsibility is shared fairly and clearly.
Your role is to facilitate, not direct. Support clear communication, thoughtful planning, and teamwork. Celebrate clarity, cooperation, and responsibility rather than speed.
This week, you will meet with your team for a final check-in to see how far you have come and what still needs to be done. You have already been working in your teams, so now it is time to pause, reflect, and make a clear plan for your last week.
Sit together in a circle and take a moment to notice what you have already achieved. Look at your success checklist and talk about which goals you can tick off with pride. Every box ticked shows teamwork, effort, and care for your habitat.
Next, think carefully about what is still needed. Ask yourselves what tasks are unfinished, which jobs matter most right now, and what can realistically be completed in the time you have left. This is not about rushing. It is about making smart choices together.
Finally, decide who will do what. Share the work fairly and write one name next to each task so everyone knows their responsibility. When everyone has a role, the team works more calmly and confidently.
Remember, this project is not just about getting jobs done. It is about listening to each other, taking responsibility, and working together to turn your habitat plans into something real. Your teamwork matters, and together you are creating something meaningful for your school and your Champion Animals.
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Weekly Mindfulness – Nature Diary
This mindfulness activity supports students to slow down and observe seasonal change through direct contact with nature. Explain that the goal is not to find something exciting, but to notice small, quiet details that show how plants and animals respond to the seasons.
Before going outside, set clear expectations for calm movement, quiet voices and respectful behaviour. Remind students that they are observers, not collectors, and that living things should not be touched or disturbed.
Model careful observation by pointing out a simple example such as a new bud, a seed pod opening, or signs of animal activity. Use gentle language to describe what you notice and why it might be happening at this time of year.
As students work, circulate and listen for thoughtful observations rather than perfect drawings. Encourage students who pause, crouch down or look twice, as this shows deep attention. Prompt simple reflection with questions such as:
What is changing?" or "What does this tell us about the season?"
Use this activity to strengthen students’ understanding of seasonal behaviour, interconnection and care for living things. Provide feedback that values stillness, curiosity and respectful noticing rather than speed or detail.
This week, you will spend quiet time outdoors noticing signs that the seasons are changing around your school.
Find a calm spot and slow down. Look carefully at the plants and animals nearby. You might notice seed pods opening, new leaves unfurling, flower buds forming, insects appearing, or birds collecting materials for nests. These small changes are clues that nature is getting ready for a new season.
Walk slowly and look closely at details such as leaves, stems, bark, flowers, buds or seeds. Some details are tiny, so you may need to crouch down or look twice. If you have a magnifying glass, you can use it to help you see more clearly.
Use your nature diary or task card to record what you notice. You can draw what you see and label it, or write a short description of what is happening. Try to capture what makes this moment special, such as colours, shapes, sounds or movement.
If you would like, you can also write a short sentence or rhyme about your observation to show how the plant or animal is changing with the season.
This activity is about slowing down, breathing calmly and learning to notice the quiet signs of nature. By paying attention, you are learning how plants and animals respond to the seasons and how everything is connected in a healthy habitat.
Your Digital Résumé – Experience 7
Use this task to support students to reflect on learning rather than describe activities. Remind them that a strong résumé entry explains how their thinking has changed, not just what they did.
Before students begin, briefly revisit key ideas from the week, including connection between living things, seasonal behaviour, animal movement, climate impacts and the importance of planning together. Model a short example reflection that focuses on learning, teamwork and decision making.
Encourage students to choose one or two moments from the week that mattered to them, such as working in a team, solving a problem, changing their thinking, or understanding why habitats need to be connected. Support them to explain why this moment was important.
As students write, prompt deeper reflection with questions such as: "What did you understand better by the end of the week?" or "How did working with others help you think differently?"
Provide feedback that values insight, clarity and honesty. Emphasise that reflections do not need to be long, but they should clearly show growth in understanding, collaboration and responsibility.
This week, you will add your seventh experience to your digital résumé by reflecting on how you worked with others to plan healthy habitats in action. Think about how you learned that plants, animals and humans are all connected and how this understanding helped you design habitats where living things can survive safely together.
You might reflect on working in your team, matching ideas, sharing responsibilities and listening to different viewpoints. Think about the activities you completed this week, such as learning about seasonal behaviour, climate, animal movement and connected habitats, and how these ideas helped you think more carefully about planning.
You could write about how your thinking changed as you learned why animals move, how seasons affect behaviour, or why habitats need to be connected. You might also reflect on how teamwork helped you solve problems, organise ideas or plan for the future rather than rushing into action.
Each reflection shows how you are growing as a collaborator, a planner and a young environmental thinker. By adding this experience to your digital résumé, you are showing how your understanding of connection, responsibility and teamwork continues to grow as you move further through your Rewild Your World journey.
Share Your Thoughts on Dear World
Position this task as a reflective sharing activity rather than a recount. Encourage students to focus on how their thinking, skills and confidence have developed through teamwork and community involvement.
Before students begin, revisit the idea that Dear World stories are written to inspire others. Remind students that their audience includes children and teachers from around the world.
Support students to choose one or two meaningful moments from the past two weeks, such as negotiating with the garden centre, raising funds, or working together to prepare for installation. Prompt them to explain why these moments mattered.
Encourage the use of simple, clear language that shows growth in teamwork, communication and responsibility. Reinforce that stories do not need to be long, but should clearly show learning and reflection.
As students share or upload their work, celebrate effort, collaboration and courage. Highlight how sharing learning helps others and strengthens the sense of global connection.
This week, you will write a Dear World story to reflect on the skills you have learned while working in your team over the past two weeks.
Think about what it felt like to work together, share ideas, solve problems and plan carefully for your habitat. You might write about raising money, speaking with people in the community, negotiating for resources, or organising what your team needed to be ready for installation.
Reflect on the skills and values you used, such as teamwork, communication, responsibility and confidence, and explain how these helped your group work towards a shared goal.
When you are ready, log in to the Dear World Library and upload your story. You may add photos or drawings to show what your team worked on and how your ideas grew.
Your story will be shared with students and teachers around the world. Use your words to show how working together can help people and nature live safely side by side, and inspire others to take action in their own communities.
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Week 7 Quiz and Certificate
Frame the quiz as a reflection tool rather than an assessment. Remind students that the purpose is to look back on their learning and notice how their understanding, confidence, and ability to collaborate have grown.
Before the quiz, revisit the key focus of Week 7, including collaboration, teamwork, community engagement, planning ahead, and responsibility. Help students connect the questions to real experiences they have had, such as working together, fundraising, speaking with others, and organising resources as a group.
Encourage students to work calmly and independently, drawing on what they remember from discussions, planning tasks, and shared team experiences. Reassure them that mistakes are part of learning and that this is a moment for reflection, not perfection.
After the quiz, celebrate effort and growth before awarding certificates. Use this opportunity to highlight how students have developed strong collaboration skills, including listening to others, sharing ideas, supporting their team, and working together towards a common goal, and how these skills help turn environmental ideas into real action.
At the end of this week, you will complete a short quiz to reflect on everything you have learned about working together to prepare your habitat for installation. The quiz will help you think about how your team planned ahead, worked with the community, raised money, and made thoughtful decisions to support animals.
The questions will connect to your learning about habitats, seasons, animal movement, climate impacts, and why collaboration and clear planning are so important when turning ideas into real action.
Once you have finished the quiz, you will receive your Week 7 certificate. This certificate celebrates your ability to collaborate, listen to others, share ideas, and work together towards a common goal.
There are ten certificates to collect across the Rewild Your World journey. By the end of the course, your full set will show how you have grown as a team member, a problem solver, and a young person who cares deeply about the natural world we all share.
