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Project Six: Introduction To WildScaping

Purpose: This project is designed to help students become more aware of their school's environment and determine how wildscaping can be applied to it. By using simple tags, students classify the school's flora into basic groups of trees, bushes,shrubs,ground covers, grasses, native or introduced. This will prepare them for future activities where information will be added to each tag as they research further the flora groups within the school grounds.

Key Ideas: Develop working in groups, analysis of environmental areas, exploration of the Australian environment, problem solving and reasoning.

Outcome: Understand how to analyse the natural environment using maths and graphics to communicate the results. Understand how to create educational software programs that can teach users about a concept.

Additional Requirements: Graph paper, tape measure, cardboard and string.

Download: All Project 6 Assignments | Project.txt |

Assignment 6.1 - Mapping The School Environment

Purpose: To map school grounds native flora and determine what fauna would be attracted to it in the area. Determine which plants could be used to attract the local native fauna to school grounds and where wildscaping can be applied to existing areas of the grounds. Publish a multi-level game about wildscaping to promote the idea to the broader community.

Key Ideas: Develop students skills in information gathering, analysis of subject, exploration of the natural and artificial environments, problem solving and reasoning.

Outcome: A better understanding of the schools environment through mapping, graphs and critical analysis of the environment. Connecting Maths and Science through the use of graphs, maps and statistical information about the school's environment.

Additional Requirements: Graph paper, tape measure, cardboard and string.

Working in small groups, divide the school grounds into enough zones for each group.
Using graph paper, map out the zone as a rectantgle and determine the number of square meters.
Collect small flora samples from each species in the zone. Collect leaves, flowers, seeds and pods.
Using a tape measure, or feet, measure the width of each bush by measuring the circumference. Students can also use their arms to measure. By linking hands and forming a circle, students can determine the circumference by measuring each others stretched arm width, adding up the total.
Document on the zone map, as overlapping circular shapes, the location of each flora sample and it's circumference.
Classify each sample as either a tree, bush, shrub, ground cover , grass.
Classify each sample as either a native species or introduced.
Allocate each sample an identifying code, for example: Z1Tr01 would be Zone 1-Tree 01, Z3Bu04 would be Zone 3-Bush 04 and so on.
Write the identification code and classification for each flora sample in each shape on the zone map.
Measure cardboard 10 cm x 10 cm, make enough tags for one zone. Punch hole in one corner and loop string through the hole to secure to flora sample. Use the tag to write the identification code, height and circumference of the sample. Wrap in plastic bag to protect from water.
To measure the height of tree you will need: garden stake, hammer, tape measure, pen, paper.
Measure length of the tree's shadow form base of the tree to the tip of the shadow.
Hammer in stake or have someone hold upright nearby in the sun.
Measure height of stake from ground level.
Measure the length of stake's shadow.
Multiply the trees shadow length by the height of the stake and divide this number by the length of the stake's shadow, this will give you a very close estimate of the trees height.

Assignment 6.2 - Analysing Environmental Data

Purpose: To understand alternative ways of analysising collected data and determine how wildscaping can be applied to a zone to make it more attractive to local fauna.

Key Ideas: Develop students skills in information gathering, analysis of subject, exploration of the natural world, problem solving and reasoning.

Additional Requirements: Ruler, 2 x A4 paper, colour pens.

Prepare 2 graphs for each zone from assignment 5.1.
Using the x axis for width and y axis for height, draw a landscape rectangle on two A4 pieces of paper.
Title the first graph as Zone Population
Using the first graph divide the x axis with the number of sample classifications.
Label the x axis with each sample' s classification, tree, bush, shrub, ground cover.
Numerically increment a range of population numbers on the y axis, for example 0 - 25.
Label the y axis as Population.
Using rectangles, create a population bar chart for each flora sample's population.
Title the second graph as Zone Native Flora.
Using the second graph divide the x axis with the number of sample classifications x 2.
Label the x axis with each sample' s native classification, native tree, introduced tree, native bush, introduced bush,native shrub, introduced shrub, native ground cover, introduced ground cover.
Numerically increment a range of population numbers on the y axis, for example 0 - 25.
Label the y axis as Population.
Using rectangles, create a native and introduced population bar chart for each flora sample.
Write your conclusions about the zone and suggest how you could wildscape the zone based on the results of your research. How could you attract more fauna in this zone and should some plants be replaced and the zone landscaped in way that provides food, water and shelter for native fauna.
Discuss how the schools native flora helps our native fauna by providing shelter and nest building material?
Discuss does the zone provide food and water sources?
How can we improve the above?
How many native to non natives occupy our school grounds and does any fauna use it for habitat.
How can we replace the non natives with local native flora.
Why would we replace these plants if they provide shelter and sometimes food sources already.
Should we replace native flora if it is not endemic to our area.
What is endemic and why is it important.
if some natives are sickly looking, than discuss what can be done and how.

Other Classifications

Assignment 6.3 - Publish An Educational Game About Wildscaping

Purpose: To publish a two level game that teaches users to about the concept of wildscaping an environment.

Key Ideas: Develop students skills in communicating ideas through means of publishing an interactive software game using a before and after theme for a two level game.

Outcome: A better understanding of how to communicate concepts using audio visual media and evaluating if their product is communicating ideas effectively. Understand how ideas can be shared by publishing and distributing their software games to different markets.

Download: Assignment 6.3 WildScaper .wld

Develop a character for a two level game by saving a template file of the character.
Open the template file and save as level1.wld.
Save another copy as level2.wld.
Open level1.wld and create a story about a character in an environment that has not been wildscaped but needs to be and why.
Open level2 and finish the story, where the environment has been wildscaped and the effects for both the character and environment.
Source or create 2 MP3 sound tracks for both levels.
Save your levels and compile a game folder for both Windows and MacOSX.
Save your files as level1 and level2.wld to the levels folder inside.
Open the compile panel and copy and save your MP3 file to the levels folder as level1.mp3 and level2.mp3.
Test your game, scoring and MP3 audio
Analyse the effectiveness of your game to communicate the concept of wildscaping.
Distribute your game on CD-ROM, USB or via the internet.

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