Cool Burning Teaching Resources
This series of curriculum-aligned lesson plans, units of work and professional learning is designed to help teachers educate students about the importance of Traditional Knowledge of Caring for Country.
Cool Burning
How First Nations peoples manage & care for country
Presented through the perspectives of Traditional Owners across Northern Australia, each lesson contains rich video content of John Daly, an Indigenous ranger from Fish River (NT), telling his personal story. These resources cover both the cross-curricula priorities of ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures’ and ‘Sustainability’, while explicitly linking to specific learning areas of the Australian Curriculum.
“What is wonderful about this curriculum is that it teaches the importance of Indigenous knowledge in land management, which has existed throughout history and which continues today.”
Michael Looker
The Nature Conservancy
The Cool Burning teaching resources ☀️
Cool Burning teacher professional learning2
Engaging courses to enhance your practice
Teach Indigenous Land Management Using Fire
Explore Indigenous land management using fire, reducing bushfire risks and protecting communities.
Caring for Country: Teaching Traditional Fire Management Practices
Explore traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fire management for sustainable land care.
Resources for Secondary teachers7
Aligned to the Australian Curriculum V9
The Fire Triangle Model Secondary Lesson Plan
Explore the Fire Triangle! Investigate combustion, chemical changes, and energy in Year 8 Science.
Rainfall and Cool Burns in the Tropical Savanna Lesson Plan
Explore rainfall and cool burns in the tropical savanna. Apply mathematical modelling to real-world data.
Fire as a Traditional Land Management Practice
Explore fire as a traditional land management practice. Year 8 Geography lesson plan.
Fire Mapping Lesson Plan
Explore fire mapping, traditional burning, and land management. Ready-to-teach lesson for Year 8 Geography.
Fire, Biodiversity and Tropical Savanna Lesson Plan
Explore fire, biodiversity, and tropical savanna ecosystems. Year 8 Geography lesson on landscapes and landforms.
Caring for Country Using Fire Lesson Plan
Explore First Nations' fire management for Country. Year 10 lesson on custodial responsibility and sustainable practices.
Climate Change and Cool Burning Lesson Plan
Explore climate change & cool burning. Understand First Nations' environmental management & custodial responsibility.
Resources for Primary teachers6
Aligned to the Australian Curriculum V9
Understanding the Science of Fire Education Presentation
Explore fire science, combustion, and the fire triangle. Understand cool burning and its environmental impact.
Cool Burns in Savanna Country Education Presentation
Explore savanna ecosystems and First Nations cool burning practices. Understand fire's impact on biodiversity.
Cool Burning Education Presentation
Explore Cool Burning: First Nations land management for Year 6 Science. Investigate scientific knowledge use.
Fire Management Education Presentation
Explore traditional Aboriginal cool burning techniques for land management and bushfire prevention in this Year 6 Science presentation.
Tips for Writing a News Article Factsheet
Master news article writing! This factsheet guides Year 5 students through planning, creating, and editing.
News Article Assessment Rubric
Assess Year 5 news articles with this rubric. Evaluate text structure, language, and cultural burning content.
With thanks to our partners
Special Thanks to
Fish River Station, John Daly, Dr Jeremy Russell-Smith, Peter Jacklyn, Peter McConchie, Dr Tommy George, David Claudie, Dale Musgrave, Carolyn George and Victor Steffensen.
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CoolPlus acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, learn and work, and pays respect to their Elders past and present, and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We celebrate the world's oldest living culture and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.