This unit has specifically been aligned to the Australian Science Curriculum year two. In this unit 'Barren or Bountiful' natural environments and their features including water, soil and vegetation are explored. The unit further examines the affects of natural and manmade activities on the environment. These include natural events such as flooding, windstorms, and fire and human activities such as development for housing and commercial purposes, mining and agriculture. Students explore the potential impacts from the use of natural resources on the sustainability of the local environment. Through an inquiry based learning approach, they investigate plant growth, find out how water supplies can become polluted and develop understandings about food webs and chains.

Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), Wandoan State School and Xstrata Coal are acknowledged for their support in the development of this resource. This unit is part of a series that has been developed for the Wandoan Earth Science Centre of Excellence (WESCEX).