a) Brainstorm

• Read the Croc Conservation Information Sheet, view the video and discuss the various points of view about crocs that have been put forward by various people.
• Brainstorm with students to make a list of the different viewpoints about crocs.

b) Personal attitudes

• Discuss students' personal views on crocs and how they should be treated in the wild.
  
• Give students copies of the worksheet, 'Perceptions', and explain how to use the attitude scale. A cross on the line close to the smiley face means 'strongly agree'; a cross on the line near to the frowning face means strongly disagree. Write a number of state- ments such as 'Crocs should be removed from places where people live'. Ask students to rate their personal attitude on a sliding scale from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree.'
  
• Compare results as a class.

c) Letter to the editor

• Brainstorm with students to list possible topics about crocs that could form the basis of a letter to the editor of the local newspaper.
  
• Display statements around the classroom such as 'Crocs should/ should not be relocated from areas that people use'; 'Hunting crocs for meat and skins should/should not be reintroduced'; 'Crocs in populated areas should/should
  not be shot.'
  
• Ask students to decide on a topic for their letter to the editor. Give each student a copy of the worksheet, 'Letter to the Editor' and ask them to list in note form the points they wish to make. This format is the basis for the construction of the letter that will be an exposition or argument.
  
• Send letters to the local newspaper or other appropriate audiences such as local councils, local offices of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service or local members of Parliament.
  
• Look at other letters to the editor in the newspaper. Ask students to deconstruct the texts by identifying the salient points and recording them on new copies of the worksheet.

d) Classroom forum

• Provide students with a scenario for a role-play activity based on a local council or concerned citizens meeting. For example:
  
  'A large estuarine croc has been sighted in a local creek several times over the last few months. Several dogs have disappeared from the neighbourhood and a teenage boy was attacked but not seriously hurt while fishing on the banks of a creek. The meeting has been called to decide what to do about the problem croc'.
  
• Assign roles to the students such as the boy's parents, dog owners, local residents, conservation group representative, local ranger, tourist operator, fisherman, etc.
  
  
• Allow students time to take on their roles. Re-read the personal statements from the Information Sheet and discuss the views that a person in each of the students' roles might have.
  
• As teacher, take on the role of chairperson. Open the meeting by stating the problem, and the aim of the meeting. Set out the rules and give each interested party a chance to put forward their view.
  
• At the end of the meeting, list the proposals put forward and ask participants to vote until an agreement is reached.

Extension

• Make a car bumper sticker that states a point of view or attempts to get a message across. Show students examples of stickers such as 'I Fish and I Vote' and 'Go Slow, Dugong Below'.
  
• Conduct a formal debate on issues such as croc hunting croc removal and the establishment of croc free zones. Invite a ranger to your classroom to discuss these issues before your debate.
  
• Collect brochures, stories, articles and letters in local news papers about croc issues and start a classroom scrapbook.
  
• Make a journal entry based on a day in the life of a croc hunter. Excerpts from The Crocodile Men (see Additional Resources) can be used to provide a model for this activity.