Activity 6: Mapping and Graphing

Focus
Mapping and graphing the uses of the World Heritage Area provides a basis to plan for the future.

Background
Mapping is an important part of managing the World Heritage Area. Maps are a useful tool in modelling the effects of change, such as increased development, the impact of wild fires, and planning wildlife corridors linking fragments of forest. The Land Use Map show uses such as conservation areas, towns, military leases, grazing leases and Aboriginal lands. The Infrastructure Map shows the roads, powerlines and railways which dissect the World Heritage Area. The short video interviews What are the major threats? What are some of the challenges? and Will the rainforest exist in 2040? may be useful resources for this activity.

What are the Major Threats?
What are Some of the Challenges?
Will the Rainforest Exist in 2040?

Pedagogy/teaching strategies
• Interpreting a map
• Creating a table of data and constructing a graph
• Predicting the future and justifying your decisions.

Activity sequence
1. Print out the Land Use Map and Infrastructure Map to show different types of land use and corridors such as roads and powerlines.
2. Create a table showing the different areas (in hectares) and corridor lengths (in kilometres).
3. Construct a graph displaying the areas (in square km).
4. Predict the changes in 50 years.
5. Make a futuristic graph and justify your prediction through group discussion.
6. Use colour coding to shade in areas which students predict may change in use in the next 50 years.