Teachers, here is some information you may like to share with your students before watching the episode:
- This episode explores the rainforest and three animals that call it home: the tree kangaroo, the cassowary and the scrub python.
- The rainforest is hot, wet and wild.
- The vegetation is thick, with many hidden dangers.
- Rainforests are one of the most challenging environments to navigate.
As a warm up activity, look at the seeds held in the hand of Deshell, a Kuku Yalanji ranger. This seed is eaten by the cassowary. Do you think this seed is suitable for human consumption? What makes you think it is or isn’t edible?
Remind students that they should not disturb or try to handle wild animals as they can be dangerous.
As a class, watch ‘Wet and Wild Rainforests’ – episode 1 of Built to Survive. While watching, take notes on key facts Phil and the experts share on each of the three animals in the episode.
At the end of the episode, choose which animal you think is most built to survive and find 3-4 other students who agree with you. This will be your documentary production team for the next task.
In your documentary production team, reflect on the episode and the facts your learnt about the animal you believe is the strongest in the rainforest environment - the animal that is ‘built to survive’.
Download and print the animal facts sheets to support your research.
Document a range of facts you would like to share back in your documentary segment.
Remember to document how the animal and the ecosystem work together to survive and thrive.
Download the planning sheet below to support your planning:
To prepare for the filmed presentation of your Built to Survive segment, download the below green screen backgrounds and cutaway footage. Then, follow the tips and tricks in the Documentary Filmmaking section of this resource to film and edit your segment.
In this file you will find:
- 3 x downloadable greenscreen backgrounds
- Tree Kangaroo background
- Cassowary background
- Scrub Python background
- 3 x downloadable cutaways folders with two cutaway clips for each animal
- Tree Kangaroo cutaways x 2
- Cassowarycutaways x 2
- Scrub Python cutaways x 2