1. Show students photos and distribute the worksheet.
Show students the photos of the Great Barrier Reef and a sugar cane field in Australia. Then distribute the worksheet Sugar Cane and the Great Barrier Reef and have students complete Part I. Tell them to use the latitude and longitude information provided to locate the Great Barrier Reef on their map of Australia, and then to look for the northeastern state of Queensland.

2. Have students brainstorm.
Write the terms sugar cane and Great Barrier Reef on the board. Brainstorm with students about how the production of sugar cane might be connected to the Great Barrier Reef.

3. Have students complete and simulate Part II of the worksheet.
Have students number the statements in Part II. Then write the same ten statements on individual pieces of paper or poster board. Also write “Sugar Cane Production” and “Great Barrier Reef” on separate pieces of paper. Distribute each of the ten statements to a student in random order. Have individual students stand up and read their statements. As each individual student reads their statement, have the rest of the class identify cause-and-effect relationships and tell each student where to stand between the words “Sugar cane production” and “Great Barrier Reef” so the statements are in the correct order.

4. Have a discussion to prepare students to watch the video.
Inform students that the connection between sugar cane production and the increase of the Crown of Thorns seastar is a theory and still subject to ongoing research. Large numbers of these seastars consume coral faster than it can grow, reducing the coral cover and disrupting the entire coral reef system. Reveal the correct arrangement of statements. (Worksheet order: 8, 2, 9, 4, 6, 3, 5, 1, 10, 7) Emphasize the human connection.

5. Watch the video.
Show Act 5 of “Troubled Waters” from Strange Days. Discuss whether the Australian government should implement measures regulating the production of sugar cane by individual farmers.