Getting Started
Learning for life
- The living world is a large and beautiful place with diverse climates and habitats, flora and fauna.
- Every living thing has a right to have its needs respected and protected.
- All living things depend on the environment around them for survival.
- All living things are interconnected and interdependent, and the balance can be delicate.
- Humans are ultimately responsible for the state of the environment and its protection for the future.
- Environments change over time and these changes can be caused by nature or humans.
- Changes, whether natural or artificial, can affect whole systems and the environment both for better and for worse.
- The environment can affect how we live and the things we do.
- Many spaces and species are threatened because of human impact on the environment.
- We all need to respect and take responsibility for the places in our community.
- We each have a responsibility to protect our environment for the future.
- Our beliefs and actions are intertwined with the society and culture in which we live.
- Different groups may have differing beliefs and values about the environment, which may cause conflict among these groups.
- Our natural resources, like clean air and water, are precious.
- There are international agencies which promote environmental protection.
- I can have both a positive and negative impact on the environment.
- Through knowledge and understanding, I can make responsible choices to meet my needs and still promote the protection of the environment.
- The beliefs I have and the actions I take can influence others.
- I may only be one child but I can make a difference.
top
Overview
A bit of snorkelling on the local reef sounds like an idyllic way to spend the long hot summer holidays, but for Zena and her friends it turns into much more. It opens up a whole new world of wildlife, protected species and human greed, and offers them the opportunity to investigate the concept of sustainable fishing for the future.
top
Author profile
Gillian Wadds writes 'plays, musicals, short stories, poetry, doggerel (for family birthday cards!) whatever grabs me at the time', and Sea Secrets is the second in a series of adventure stories written to show children that there is more to life than television, computer games and organised after-school activities.
She says that she also wants 'to make my readers aware of how they can help to keep their world clean and safe. Abalone are an endangered species and I'm concerned about that sort of thing.'
You can read more about the author at www.gillianmwadds.com.au and more about Sea Secrets in particular at www.gillianmwadds.com.au/faq
top
Useful websites 
top
Focus questions
Before reading the book
- Using the illustration on the front cover for clues, what do you think the 'Sea Secrets' might be?
- How does reading the blurb on the back clarify your ideas?
- What is the purpose of the blurb?
- What is an abalone?
- What do you think the author needed to know about abalone before she could write this story?
- What else would she need to know?
During reading the book
- How does the first chapter set the scene for the rest of the book?
- Who might have left the bag of abalone in Stingray Pool?
- Should Zena have left them there?
- Why did Zena's father frown when he learned where the abalone had come from?
- Why might Sean's dad want to talk with Zena after he learned about the abalone?
- What is a poacher?
- Why would there be 'big money' in poaching abalone?
- Why would Tran's uncle scowl and shout at Tran when Tran recognised his boat?
- How would Tran feel at this reaction, particularly in front of his friends?
- Why did Zena think it odd when she saw Tran's uncle taking his boat out again?
- Why should she have given it more thought?
- If Miss Kouros asked you, 'What does endangered species mean?' how would you answer?
- What suggestion would you make to add to the class list?
- Why were Zena and Jodie so excited about going snorkelling from Mr Pirelli's boat?
- What sorts of things might they see that they wouldn't see by going in off the beach? Why?
- Why were Jodie and Zena disappointed when they first started snorkelling over the reef?
- What do you think they expected?
- What makes the inside of an abalone shell unique and instantly recognisable?
- Why was Tran's uncle so angry when he found them snorkelling over the reef?
- Why was Tran so frightened when he saw his uncle?
- Why do you think he has disappeared?
- Why were Tran's parents fearful of the police?
- What would it be like to live in a place where the police are considered enemies?
- Why did Zena's parents not want to get involved?
- If you were Zena, what would you have done?
- How did what the friends eventually did compare with what you would have done?
- Which do you believe to be the best course of action - theirs or yours?
- What would Miss Kouros think of her students' research methods?
- How did the author build up the sense of tension through to the climax?
After reading the book
- Were there clues throughout the story that told you what was going to happen? What were these?
- Was the resolution satisfying to you as a reader? Why?
- What did you learn from reading this story?
- How has your knowledge, understanding, opinions or actions changed as a result of reading this story?
top
Activities
Responding to text
Setting the scene
Individuals 
Small groups
You are a newspaper reporter assigned to write a background article about abalone, which will accompany the lead article about the poachers being caught. You need to include information and illustrations that will tell your readers:
- what an abalone is
- where they survive and thrive
- their life cycle
- why they are sought after
- why they are at risk
- what threatens them
- how they are being protected and preserved
- the penalties for poaching
Junior journalists
Individuals
The capture of the abalone poachers was big news in Portside. Imagine you are a journalist sent to cover this story. Devise a set of questions that you would ask one of these people to get their version of events:
- Zena
- Tran
- Roger Sands, the Fisheries department spokesperson
- Constable Patrick Aherne
- Tran's uncle
- Thuy Hoong
- Jonathan Prendergast
Use this KWL chart to help you sort out your ideas, then use what you have learned to write your report from the perspective of your source.
- How would each person's answers be determined by the role they had?
- What does this teach you about bias and opinion?
From fact to fiction
Individuals Small groups
Read the Frequently Asked Questions on the author's website at www.gillianmwadds.com.au/faq.shtml
- How has Ms Wadds turned fact into fiction?
- Is this an effective way for someone to share their opinion and perspective?
- What other stories do you know that have a strong message based on fact?
- What is the difference between a story with a message and propaganda?
- If you were to write a novel with a message, what would be its underlying theme?
Life on the reef
Individuals
- What is a reef?
- How is it formed?
- Why is it a critical part of the ocean landscape?
- Are all reefs like the Great Barrier Reef?
Use the description that Zena provides on pages 50–58 to draw a picture of what she sees. If there are unfamiliar species mentioned, research what these look like so you can make your picture as realistic as possible.
Label the different species that you include and provide an annotated list of resources that will allow the viewer to find out more about those that interest them.
Zena and her friends were all fascinated by the seahorse. Describe a time when you have seen something that has just made you sit and look in wonder at nature.
The reef that Zena and Jodie dived on was infested with Northern Pacific Seastars. Investigate the threat that these creatures pose to reefs, particularly those in Victoria and Tasmania.
- How do our seashores become infected and infested by these outside predators?
- Is there anything that could be done to protect the reefs from infestation?
- What methods are used to eradicate the pests?
- How does their infestation compare with that of the Crown of Thorns Starfish in warmer waters?
Snorkel versus scuba
Individuals Small groups
While they are on Mr Pirelli's boat, Jason teaches Tran to snorkel.
- What sorts of things would he need to teach him?
- What equipment would Tran need?
- What safety measures would he need to know?
- What would he need to know and do to keep the environment safe while he snorkelled?
Later, Tran goes scuba diving.
- How is it different from snorkelling?
- What would he have had to learn to do this safely?
Investigate what you need to know and do to become a scuba diver. Prepare a presentation that would inform other students who are interested in this sport about the requirements, training, equipment, costs, and so on.
top
Themes for Education for Sustainability
Shellfish delicacies
Individuals Small groups 
Class
- A dish containing abalone on a restaurant menu will be very expensive. Why?
Investigate other shellfish that are considered delicacies and compare their prices.
- Which are the most expensive? Why?
- What role does commercial production, such as oyster farming, have in their supply?
Debate the issue that we should only eat those products that have come from a recognised commercial supplier.
Collect some recipes for cooking shellfish and taste-test them. Check with your students and their parents/guardian for allergies beforehand.
Life in the sea
Individuals Small groups
- Are fish the only creatures that live in the sea?
Brainstorm all the sorts of creatures that live in the ocean and then classify them according to the scientific divisions of the animal kingdom. Use a website such as www.mcwdn.org/Animals/Classification.html to help you. Create a database which shows the various phyla, their common characteristics, some examples of the species within it and their habitat zone.
- Where do abalone fit into this scheme?
Investigate which of the species are the most at risk and suggest reasons for this.
top
Research themes
Marine sanctuaries
Individuals
- What is a marine sanctuary?
- What is its purpose?
Map the marine sanctuaries in your state or territory.
- Which one are you most likely to visit?
- Are there any particular species that are protected by it?
- What impact has the sanctuary had on the creatures within it and within the surrounding community?
- What activities are individuals prohibited from doing in that park? Why?
- Are these rules fair?
Select an issue that is a cause for concern among members of the local community and compare the arguments for and against. If you had the power to decide the issue, what would your decision be? Write your judgement and the arguments that support it.
There's plenty more fish in the sea
Individuals Small groups
It has long been acknowledged that fish is an important part of a healthy diet, particularly because of the Omega-3 fatty acids they give us.
Visit your local fresh fish outlet and select one of the Australian-sourced varieties of fish on offer, as a focus for your research. Ask the fishmonger whether the product is from a farm or the ocean and how many kilograms of that variety are sold in a week. Ask if it is sold on a seasonal basis or available all year round. Make a note of the price per kilogram.
Investigate the life cycle of the species, particularly when it is old enough to reproduce, the number of babies it has and the threats to those babies. Find out the average weight of an adult fish and calculate how many there are in a tonne.
- What are the possible effects of taking this number of adults at a time from the ocean?
- Can your chosen species support this level of harvesting?
- Does it need protection?
- What arguments would you put forward to have limits placed on the numbers taken so that the fishing becomes or remains sustainable?
- What is the role of fish farms in sustainable production?
- Can all fish be farmed?
- How could those fish that cannot be farmed, be protected?
- Are the current penalties for illegal foreign fishing appropriate?
In the 2006 Budget, money allocated to fighting illegal foreign fishing in northern Australian waters totalled 'well over half a billion dollars'.
- Is this expenditure justified? Why?
- What are the penalties for those caught fishing illegally in Australian waters?
- Does Australia have the right to impose these sorts of penalties when, on the surface, it seems the illegal fishing is done by poor Indonesian fisherman in small boats?
top
Assessment
Assessment tasks are dependent on the teacher's identified outcomes of the unit, the tasks selected and the evidence that teachers determine to be acceptable for the age group.
Changes in values and attitudes evolve as our expertise and experience grows and so cannot be measured. However, by exposing students to activities such as these we start them on their journey of awareness of the wider world, particularly if we give them the opportunity and time to reflect on their learning.
Learning more
Undertake the research assignment that Miss Kouros set the students about rare and endangered species:
- Use the search facility of the IUCN Red List Database www.iucnredlist.org/search/search-basic to select an endangered Australian species.
- Devise a set of at least 10 questions that will guide your research and help you understand the creature, its needs, the threats it faces, its current care and protection and its future.
- Use the information you gather to prepare a presentation which will alert others to the plight of this creature.
- Consider what you or your class might be able to do to improve the creature's future.
Assess yourself as a researcher using the
research rating template.
Discuss and debate
Indonesians fishing illegally in Australian waters; the Japanese killing whales for scientific research; and the poaching of the Patagonian Toothfish are regular items on Australian news reports.
Select one of these issues and investigate it so you are able to write a report suitable for publication in a magazine such as Australian Geographic. As you undertake your research, look for examples of biased language and subjective opinions.
Use your information to debate one of the following topics:
- The world's waters should be a free food larder for anyone who wants to take from them.
- The conservation of whales and other marine species should not be at the expense of human needs and wants.
- Australia is right to fine and imprison those caught fishing illegally in our waters and to destroy their boats.
Having heard both sides of the debate, choose one issue and write an editorial which supports either the positive or negative side, or submit an entry for your class blog on the topic using BlogNow or Edublogs.
top
