It’s Only Natural

It’s Only Natural

  • by admin
Do your students seem bored?
Dis-connected?
Need to awaken them and raise their natural curiosity?

Here lies an online resource that will help exactly that

With an action packed 25 minute documentary, enlightening short films and insightful 13 page study guide – it is truly a resource that they can connect to and enjoy.
This resource contains enough material for a few lesson plans or could even easily run as an extended program for a longer period.
Recommended for Year 7 and above. Links to curriculum 7-12

Read on…..

“When you go out there, you don’t get away from it all. You get back to it all. You come home to what’s important. You come home to yourself.”  Peter Dombrovskis
More than ever, getting out into nature (especially for our youth) is becoming more and more important. It is claimed that we are the most dis-connected generation ever in our existence. At the same time, depression, anxiety, dis-contentness etc has all risen. There is a strong correlation here. It is time for a change. A change for the better. If we going to save our planet and our environment, then we must also save an endangered species – ourselves – and our connection to nature.
This study guide is an enlightening and interactive resource that helps inspire your students connection to nature. Based around a feature connection to nature documentary ‘It’s Only Natural’, it provokes not only a sense of curiosity but an awareness to question and consider the role of nature in our lives. Students are taken on a journey on how nature played a major role in the healing of three men’s spirit and the realisations made. There is white water action. There is a stirring and personal story line. There is breath-taking footage. There is the untamed and splendour of the Tasmanian wilderness. There is also Bob Brown, one of the world’s foremost environmental crusaders, doing exclusive interviews and narration for this documentary.
Here is a snippet of what Bob Brown says in the film:

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Unite Bob Brown’s message with our storyline by watching the Documentary preview below

More specifically, the Study Guide has themes and discussions on:

  • Concepts of nature and wilderness
  • Personal experiences and reflections about nature and wilderness
  • How connected to nature and wilderness are you?
  • Discussions on film themes, message, issues and story lines
  • Society’s nature connection (or lack of)
  • Research and scientific studies conducted on nature connection
  • Nature Conservation: The Lake Pedder and Franklin River Environmental campaigns
    • Energy production Vs conservation
    • Formation of the Wilderness Society
    • How Australians subsequently viewed nature
Have a virtual look at the Study Guide below:

Study Guide Contents:

  • 13 page colour interactive Study Guide with theory and discussions
  • Teachers Guide with further information
  • Links to Exclusive Resources:
    • ‘It’s Only Natural’ Feature preview and Documentary
    • Two Bob Brown Interviews
  • Lake Pedder and Franklin river extension activity
  • Full feature written story of the documentary
  • Nature RX short film and discussion
  • Connection to Nature Scale exercise

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Bob Brown, a life-long activist, was born in 1944 in
rural New South Wales, After graduating in medicine
from Sydney University in 1968, he helped establish
the Wilderness Society, which organised the
blockade of the dam works on Tasmania’s’ Franklin
River in 1982–3. He was elected as the first Green
into Tasmania’s Parliament. Bob resigned from the
Senate in June 2012 to establish the Bob Brown
Foundation, a not for profit organisation dedicated
to supporting environmental campaigns and green
causes in Australia and our region. He is a published
author and acclaimed photographer. Bob is
regarded as one of the foremost environmentalists
in the world.

CURRICULUM LINKS AND GENERAL INFORMATION

It’s Only Natural is an insightful teaching resource in a range of general curriculum areas including: Environmental Science, Outdoor Education, Australian History, The Arts and Media.

The film and this study guide can be used as a stimulus for a particular stand alone area of study, or for the study of themes and issues raised within it. The activities below provide options for these approaches.
Specifically, this study guide has not been accepted into the curriculum (either National or State) as yet but we are applying to do so. However, this study guide does tie into many relevant study area’s, units of study and/or Key Knowledge area’s in many curriculums.
The Study Guide ties nicely into the sustainability cross-curriculum priority in the Australian Curriculum. More specifically, the years 7-10 Band descriptions of:
Students learn to critically analyse and apply health and physical activity information to devise and implement personalised plans for maintaining healthy and active habits. They also experience different roles that contribute to successful participation in physical activity, and propose strategies to support the development of preventive health practices that build and optimise community health and wellbeing.
Personal, Social and Community Health Content Descriptors: Being healthy, safe and active. Investigate and select strategies to promote health, safety and wellbeing.
The topics covered in this guide also covers the ‘Focus areas’ to be addressed in Years 9 and 10 including:
• alcohol and other drugs (AD)
• food and nutrition (FN)
• health benefits of physical activity (HBPA)
• mental health and wellbeing (MH)
• relationships and sexuality (RS)
• safety (S)
• challenge and adventure activities (CA)
• games and sports (GS)
• lifelong physical activities (LLPA)
• rhythmic and expressive movement activities (RE).
State Curriculum example – the Victorian Curriculum P-10 has the following ‘focus area’:
Challenge and adventure activities addresses how individuals participate in a variety of physical activities designed to challenge them physiologically, behaviourally and socially in diverse contexts and environments.
Challenge and adventure activities include initiative games, movement challenges (as individuals and in teams or groups), recreational activities in natural and outdoor settings and navigational challenges.
With access to specialised facilities and equipment and relevant teacher expertise, these activities can also include bushwalking, camping, biathlon and triathlon, martial arts, rock climbing, canoeing and kayaking, mountain biking, BMX, road and track cycling, surfing, skiing, and swimming for performance
There are many links to Units 1-4 of Outdoor & Environment Studies (especially Unit 3&4). The following link is the 2018-2022 VCE OES Study Design. https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/outdoor/2018OutdoorEnviroStdsSD.pdf
This Study Guide also has content, material and film about the Franklin River campaign which is a Key Knowledge point in the VCE.
The nature connection content, material and films also fit well into the following Key Knowledge:
Unit 1 , Outcome 1 • the range of differing personal responses to outdoor environments, such as fear, appreciation, awe and contemplation
Unit 1, Outcome 1 • a variety of ways in which people know, experience and respond to outdoor environments: – as a resource, for recreation and adventure, spiritual connection and as a study site – through experiential knowledge, environmental history and ecological, social and economic perspectives


The video (links) in this document are hosted on the VIMEO platform (a more professional and safer platform than other sites like youtube etc) which should be allowed on your school networks. Please check beforehand.


Please don’t distribute this guide beyond your nominated school or organisation. We implement a simple download process and honesty policy. Thank you