Live Export: Lesson 4 Geography, Yr 9

Live Export and Geographical Issues

In this lesson, students will investigate the economics of the Australian live animal export trade. They will delve into the impact this trade has on the environment, and have opportunities to evaluate the trade’s contribution to the country’s economy, including critical thinking and discussion about its viability. Students will use a range of resources to create an infographic on a geographical issue of their choice.

Time Allocation

50-100 minutes.

Voiceless Resources

Other Resources

Inquiry Questions

  • What impacts does the live export trade have on both the environment and the welfare of exported animals?
  • Which countries are Australia’s live export trading partners and how viable is the Australian live export trade?

Suggested Learning Activities

1. STARTER

What is Live Export?

Students watch the short Voiceless film: Live Animal Export Explained, as a quick introduction to the topic.

2. EXPLORE

a. Students read the Voiceless Fact Sheet, Across Land and Sea: Live Export Explained.

Questions For Understanding 

  • To which countries does Australia send live animals?
  • What are some of the reasons some countries import live animals?
  • Why do some Australians have concerns about animal welfare in the live export industry?
  • In what ways does the live export trade impact the environment?
  • What alternatives to the live export trade exist?

b. Using the Fact Sheet as a resource, students then complete the Voiceless Worksheet – Live Export and Geographical Issues.

Teacher Tip Icon

  • Reading could be done as a whole class, or in small reading circles. Attention should be paid to pages 4-6 and 26-33.

3. DISCUSS

The viability of the live export trade plays an integral part in the debate on whether the trade should be allowed to continue. Direct students to pages 26-31 of the Fact Sheet for a closer look at the debate for and against live export in Australia.

In pairs or small groups, students are to read and discuss the following two resources:

Following the discussion, ask students to write or record a short response which sums up their own views surrounding this issue.

4. SHARE

Research Task and Infographic

Students are to choose a geographical issue of their choice (related to the live export trade) and conduct independent research in order to use their findings to create an infographic on the issue. Environmental, economic and social factors should be taken into consideration.

Suggested issues to explore:

Environmental:

  • The environmental impact of the live export trade. Tip: Students could also consider factory farming in their research.
  • Refer to the Voiceless Hot Topics page on factory farming for more information.

Economic:

  • The viability of the Australian live export trade.
  • How might alternatives to the trade impact the Australian economy? (Extension)

Social:

  • The reasons why there is a growing number of Australians who are trying to put a stop to live export.
  • The social factors of the live export trade such as investigating the associated ethical issues. (Extension)

Useful Resources

5. REFLECT

Students spend 5 minutes discussing their infographic with someone who looked at a different issue. Students provide their partner with some feedback using:

  • WWW – What Went Well…
  • EBI – Even Better If…

6. TAKING IT FURTHER / EXTENSION

Voiceless would be delighted to receive any completed student work to feature on the Voiceless website (student and parental consent required). Please email any work or feedback to education@voiceless.org.au.

Voiceless is the home of animal protection education in Australia: click here to explore more Live Export resources banner

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Australian Curriculum alignment

Learning Area: Geography
Year Level: Year 9
General Capabilities:

  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Ethical Understanding
  • Information and Communication Technology
  • Numeracy
  • Literacy
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • Personal and Social Capability
Strands:

Geographical Knowledge and Understanding – Unit 2: Geographies of Interconnections.

Geographical Inquiry and Skills – Communicating / Reflecting and Responding
Content Descriptions: 

The ways that places and people are interconnected with other places through trade in goods and services, at all scales (ACHGK067)

The effects of the production and consumption of goods on places and environments throughout the world and including a country from North-East Asia (ACHGK068)

Present findings, arguments and explanations in a range of appropriate communication forms, selected for their effectiveness and to suit audience and purpose; using relevant geographical terminology, and digital technologies as appropriate (ACHGS070)

Reflect on and evaluate findings of an inquiry to propose individual and collective action in response to a contemporary geographical challenge, taking account of environmental, economic, political and social considerations; and explain the predicted outcomes and consequences of their proposal (ACHGS071)
Elaborations: 

(ACHGK067)

  • Investigating how and why places are interconnected regionally, nationally and globally through trade in goods and services

(ACHGK068)

  • Evaluating the effects of international demand for food products on biodiversity throughout the world, in the places of their production

(ACHGS070)

  • Presenting an oral response, supported by visual aids including maps, to communicate a reasoned argument about a contemporary geographical issue, and responding to questions

(ACHGS071)

  • Examining the environmental, economic and social factors that need to be considered in an investigation of a contemporary geographical issue such as ways of increasing Australian or global food production or the effects of information and communications technologies on the location of manufacturing or services and debating alternative responses that consider environmental, economic and social factors
Cross-Curricular Priority:

Sustainability

Systems 
OI.3 – Sustainable patterns of living rely on the interdependence of healthy social, economic and ecological systems

Futures
OI.8 – Designing action for sustainability requires an evaluation of past practices, the assessment of scientific and technological developments, and balanced judgements based on projected future economic, social and environmental impacts
Acknowledgments

This Australian Curriculum alignment statement is based on the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) materials, which are licensed under CC BY 4.0. The material has been modified from the Australian Curriculum website (accessed September 2020).

All activities have been created by educators for educators and are linked to the Australian Curriculum (Version 8.4). We advise teachers to consult the ACARA website for the most up-to-date curriculum outcomes.

 

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