ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)



Teacher Resource

Drought Explained

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1. Summarise the BTN story.

2. How do Ruby, Heidi and Eliza help on their family farm?

3. In which state is their farm located?

4. What percentage of the state is either in drought or drought-affected?

5. Describe what drought affected land looks like?

6. How does the drought affect farm animals?

7. What is a drought? Summarise using your own words.

8. Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world. True or false?

9. How does drought affect farmers?

10. How is the Australian Government helping farmers?

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Class discussion

Hold a class discussion about the information raised in the Drought Explained story. Create a class mind map with DROUGHT in the middle. Use the following questions to guide discussion:

• What is drought? Create a class definition.

• What causes drought in Australia?

• Who is affected by drought?

• What impacts does drought have on Australia?

• How can drought be managed?

Key Words

Students develop a glossary of words and terms that relate to drought. Below are some words to get them started. Add words and meanings to your glossary as you come across unfamiliar words throughout your research. Consider using pictures and diagrams to illustrate meanings.

|Drought |Rainfall |Environmental impact |

|Climate |Weather |Agriculture |

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History of droughts in Australia

As the world’s driest continent, Australia has experienced droughts over the years. Students will look at major droughts in Australia’s history using the ABC’s Drought timeline and the ABC’s Interactive drought map . They will then choose a major drought in the country’s history and research it. Students include the following information in their presentation.

• A map highlighting the location, including rivers, and other water systems.

• A photo of the location in drought.

• Dates of the drought students have investigated.

• A summary of the effect that drought had on the local region.

• Information about how the country was affected.

• How the government provided support to people affected.

Students can present their research in one of the following ways:

• A ‘Did You Know’ Facts sheet

• Infographic

• Prezi presentation

• Create an infographic using Canva

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The impact of drought

Students learn more about the impact drought has on people by listening to their stories. The Culture Victoria website has audio recordings and photographs of people affected by drought. The ABC article Voices from the drought tells the stories of people dealing with drought. Students respond to the stories of people affected by drought by answering the following questions:

• How did this story make you feel? Make a list of words that describe how you felt after watching this story.

• Think of three questions you would like to ask about the story.

• Leave a message of support in the comments section on the BTN NSW Drought story page.

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Drought through the eyes of a 16-year-old

Below are photographs taken by Zara King depicting the drought on her family’s farm. Ask students to look at the photos and respond to the following questions:

• What is happening in the image?

• What question/s would you like to ask about the image?

• How does the image make you feel?

• Create a caption for each image.

• What does the image tell you about the effects of drought?

Students can read more about Zara’s story in the ABC article Drought through the eyes of a 16-year-old

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|Source: ABC Zara King |Source: ABC Zara King |

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|Source: ABC Zara King |Source: ABC Zara King |

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Students watch the BTN Queensland Drought story then answer the following questions:

1. What do the kids like about living on a property?

2. Why can it be hard living on a farm?

3. What percentage of Queensland is in drought?

4. What impact has the drought had on farms in Queensland?

5. How is the state government helping farmers?

6. Angus says that getting rain is like…

7. What did you learn about drought watching the BTN story?

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BTN – Queensland Drought



ABC News – Full coverage: Australia’s drought crisis



ABC News - How bad is the drought and why has it been so dry?



ABC – Interactive: 100 years of drought in Australian Broadcasting Corporation

ABC News – What you need to know about droughts: Why they happen and how they are defined



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Episode 21

7th August 2018

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Students will develop a deeper understanding of what drought is and how it impacts on people and places in Australia.

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Science – Year 6

Sudden geological changes and extreme weather events can affect Earth’s surface

Geography – Year 7

Causes, impacts and responses to an atmospheric or hydrological hazard

The quantity and variability of Australia’s water resources compared with other continents

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