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= Tara's Resource: Photograph / Image =

Image Retrieved from [] ** Explanation of resource ** ** This is a photograph of a bulldozer clearing the land. It is the first resource used in this unit of work, and is used to introduce students to the effects that humans can have on the environment. It will be used to prompt a discussion about environmental issues, with a focus on clearing the land and logging. This image was chosen because of the high degree of contrast present, between the lush and gentle greens and browns of the forest, compared to the bright, tacky, unnatural yellow bulldozer, which is moving the logs. This is where students will begin to look at visual literacy at a very basic level, where they look at features within the image. ** ** Relevance to outcome **

The focus outcome for this unit is all about studying people’s interaction with the environment, and why it is important to act responsibly when dealing with the environment (Board of Studies, 1998, p. 33). In this image, the interaction between the people and the environment is very clear - the people are destroying it, clearing trees and debris away with a bulldozer. Students do not normally recognise that, in the past, their city or suburb was once wild bushland. It wasn’t until humans destroyed it that their home was built. Seeing bulldozers clearing land is not an everyday sight, especially in the city, or suburbs. Therefore, this image brings to the forefront the issue of human impact on the environment, and provides a visual representation of it for the students, to enhance their knowledge and understanding about these issues.

** Aspects of literacy to be explored ** ** This photograph can be used to help students to begin thinking about the type of images that represent environmental concepts. It also expands their knowledge of visual literacy, although they are not analysing this image, determining the reading path or social distance. Looking at the features within this image will help students to develop their visual literacy skills, by interpreting what this image means and represents. These skills will be explored and further enhanced in later lessons in this unit of work. It is extremely important for students to begin developing these skills so as to enhance their ‘multiliteracies’ to help them to become an increasingly effective learner (Unsworth, 2001, p. 71). ** ** References ** ** Board of Studies. (1998). //Human society and its environment k-6 syllabus//. Sydney: Board of Studies. **  Unsworth, L. (2001). //Teaching multiliteracies across the curriculum; changing contexts of text and image in classroom practice//. Philadelphia: Open University Press.