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Geography

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  8. 7-8
  9. 9-10

Level A (Towards Foundation)

Level A Description

The Level A curriculum develops student’s awareness of a place on a personal local scale. Places will range in size from a part of a room or garden to community place. They are supported to use their senses to explore the tangible characteristics of a place such as the sound, smell, feel of significant features, and environmental and human characteristics.

Learning about their own place and...

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Level A Content Descriptions

Geographical Concepts and Skills

Place, space and interconnection Elaborations
  1. Experience and react to a place and its features (VCGGC001)
    1. exposed to the sensory effect of the features of a place
    2. experiencing the activities and people associated to a place
    3. exposed to different peoples reaction and preferences to a places features
  2. React to familiar places and activities (VCGGC002)
    1. exposed to and experiencing a place regularly
    2. reacting to sensory element of a place, for example significant sound, feel of objects and features, smell etc.
    3. responding to significant people or objects within a significant place, for example smiling at a regular person in the place, moving to a preferred space in a place, reaching for a desired object
  3. Experience places that are important for specific people and related activities (VCGGC003)
    1. exposed to the purpose of a space in a place, for example swimming in the middle pool at the local pool, shopping at supermarket at the local shops
    2. exposed to special events and reacting to sensory element they experience, for example cream, face paint, whistle, sand, visual images
    3. exposed to the caring and maintaining of a space, for example, watering, cleaning up
    4. reacting to sensory element of an event or activity experienced in a place, for example decorations, food or parade
Data and information Elaborations
  1. Experience geographical information by using their senses (VCGGC004)
    1. exposed to environmental changes within a place
    2. exposed to the collection and construction of texts which record different places, their features and their purpose
    3. exposed to places being represented by images and photos
    4. experiencing multimedia texts which represent the location of the places and/ or the location and features they pass on their way from school to the place
  2. React to images or sensory elements which represent preferred personally significant places (VCGGC005)
    1. exposed to elements within the place and their sensory characteristics
    2. moving around exploring the spaces and distance within a place
  3. React to an element of a place (VCGGC006)
    1. exposed to objects and features of a place
    2. experience a place and elements within a place
    3. reacting to the sensory information they receive from an object or feature within a space, for example, texture, smell

Geographical Knowledge

Places and our connections to them Elaborations
  1. Experience the distance and location of familiar places (VCGGK007)
    1. exposed to being transported to different places
    2. reacting to the experience of movement, significant people, objects or features experienced on the way to a place
  2. Experience personal places and their features represented on large-scale maps and models (VCGGK008)
    1. reacting to the features of a place
    2. exposed to the collection and construction of texts which record different places, their features and their purpose
    3. exposed to places and their features being represented by images and photos
    4. experiencing places being represented in different ways and scales, for example through a series of large-scale bird's eye maps
    5. exposed to sensory and visual representations of significant places, for example, thorough the use of daily timetable, or multimodal text of a daily task or activity
  3. Experience their connection to a place in Australia and across the world (VCGGK009)
    1. experience the purpose or special event/s of a space
    2. experiencing the linking of special events and places to people, culture and other places
    3. reacting to images of places
  4. Experience local area dreaming stories and country/places (VCGGK010)
    1. exposed to place and word/s used by Aboriginal/ Torres Strait Islander peoples to describe for local area place/s
    2. experiencing a multimodal retelling of a dreaming story
    3. exposed to the sensory elements of country, for example sound, touch, sight
    4. reacting to sensory elements of a significant feature of a countries/ place for example cold hard rock, cool water from a pool
  5. Experience weather and seasons (VCGGK011)
    1. exposed to weather conditions and their sensory characteristics
    2. exposed to weather conditions being linked to pictures, words and images
    3. experiencing the changing of clothing and activities due to the weather and the season
  6. Experience and react to the sensory elements of a places (VCGGK012)
    1. exposed to elements within the place and their sensory characteristics
    2. moving around exploring the spaces and distance within a place
    3. experiencing the changing of a space and use of the space, for example construction and then participation in gym circuit or swimming session
    4. reacting to the sensory information they receive from an object or feature within a space, for example, texture, smell
  7. Experience the purpose of or the special event/s of a space (VCGGK013)
    1. exposed to the purpose of a space in a place, for example swimming in the middle pool at the local pool, shopping at supermarket at the local shops
    2. exposed to special events and reacting to sensory element they experience, for example cream, face paint, whistle, sand, visual images
    3. exposed to the caring and maintaining of a space, for example, watering, cleaning up
    4. reacting to sensory element of an event or activity experienced in a place, for example decorations, food or parade
  8. React to features and activities of a familiar place (VCGGK014)
    1. reacting to significant sensory elements of a space, for example object, texture, smell, sound
    2. communicating a preference to a significant space, feature or activity within a place, for example physically going to a space or chair or equipment
    3. reacting to changes in a place such as light, movement of equipment
    4. exposed to events and activities associated with a space
    5. coactively indicating some recognition of a place through participation in a program or activity

Level A Achievement Standard

By the end of Level A, students recognise some personally significant places. They select preferred objects through reaching towards, accepting or rejecting actions.

Students react to the familiar features of some personally significant places.

Level B (Towards Foundation)

Level B Description

The Level B curriculum focuses on places I live in and developing students’ awareness of the places they experience daily. They are supported to develop their curiosity of place by exploring some of the significant features of the place and what they do in each. They are developing an emerging understanding of special awareness such as location, direction and distance. Places will range in size...

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Level B Content Descriptions

Geographical Concepts and Skills

Place, space and interconnection Elaborations
  1. Explore the features of a place and demonstrate a preference for certain features (VCGGC015)
    1. indicating some of the features of the place when labelled, for example their chair, pigeon hole
    2. identifying what they like in a place, by making choices in structured lesson such as selecting a book or finding a preferred activity.
  2. Explore the location of regular places and activities in school (VCGGC016)
    1. exploring what is experienced on the journey to different places within the school
    2. moving to different places within the school to complete routine activities and programs
    3. beginning to identify regular places and spaces they use in the school, for example their classroom
    4. using different places for different purposes as part of their daily routine, for example pool for swimming, gym for sport, playground for play, and classroom for table top activities etc.
  3. Explore the importance of places and participate in special events related to specific places (VCGGC017)
    1. assisting to prepare and participating in special events associated to a place
    2. matching places to related special event
Data and information Elaborations
  1. Assist to collect geographical data and information (VCGGC018)
    1. assisting to create class multimodal texts which identify what they see, hear, smell and feel in a place
    2. indicating what sensory input they liked/ dislikes while exploring a space, for example what they liked/ did not like to touch, hear etc.
    3. experiencing directional language as they journey to and move within a place
  2. Use images to identify a familiar place (VCGGC019)
    1. using images to indicate an activity, object or feature of a significant place
    2. identifying images of a place
    3. selecting images to indicate a place, object or feature they like in a place
  3. Respond to elements of a space using positive and negative response (VCGGC020)
    1. choosing to visit a particular place in the community from a small selection of options
    2. indicating what they want or where they want to explore within a place
    3. indicating a space they want to visit/ use/ stay within a place
    4. answering simple questions about a place using ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response or augmentative and alternative communication

Geographical Knowledge

Places and our connections to them Elaborations
  1. Moving to different places and recognising some features/places on the way (VCGGK021)
    1. experiencing transportation, places and activities being represented using word, gesture, Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) and/or image
    2. responding to significant objects/ places on a journey, for example, truck, shopping centre
    3. assisting to constructed a multimedia text to represent a place and the journey there
  2. Familiar places identified through images at a variety of scales (VCGGK022)
    1. assisting to collect images of a place at different angles, directions and scales
    2. matching images to a place
    3. exploring the different scales and images available to represent a place
    4. exploring places they have visited and their location in relation to their town, state, Australia and world
  3. The connection of self to other places in Australia and across the world (VCGGK023)
    1. experiencing specific activities in a place
    2. connecting places to location
    3. exploring places they have visited and their location
  4. Experience dreaming stories of the local country/places and their features (VCGGK024)
    1. experiencing and participating in cultural events in appropriate community places
    2. experiencing the communication of the name of a place and related activity
    3. reacting to element/s within a multimodal retelling of a dreaming story
  5. Observe and identify major weather type (VCGGK025)
    1. experiencing a sunny day and using their senses to identify this and respond to temperature
    2. watching and listening to rainfall, and communicating their observations
    3. using images to identify characteristics of a storm
  6. The major features of a place (VCGGK026)
    1. using objects, images, photos or Augmentative Alternative Communication to identify a place or activity from a field of two
    2. matching feathers to a place using images
    3. exploring the features of a place
    4. creating a class multimedia text which identifies a place and its key features
  7. Experience specific activities in a place (VCGGK027)
    1. assisting to create personal and class multimodal texts in structured situation which identify places they like and what they like to do in them; a place and what it is used for including ‘special’ event/s
    2. participating in activities related to the care and maintenance of a place, for example planting and watering plants; weeding, picking up rubbish; cleaning, maintaining or putting away equipment
    3. matching an activity to the place it occurs, such as matching a photo of an activity to its location or object to its usual location
  8. Places used regularly at school and activities I do there (VCGGK028)
    1. exploring objects and activities related to a place
    2. matching objects to the place they can be found
    3. indicating what they like or dislike about a place
    4. identifying familiar places within the school

Level B Achievement Standard

By the end of Level B, students can identify some familiar places using photos, images or augmentative alternative communication when asked. They will select to view a multimodal text about a preferred place.

Students experience the familiar features and purposes of places and the representation of these features, purposes and their location as words, gestures, images, pictures and photos. They begin to indicate objects and places they like from a field of two to three choices. They begin to follow everyday language related to direction and location.

Level C (Towards Foundation)

Level C Description

The Level C curriculum focuses on local places I live in and developing student’s exploration and curiosity of personally significant places. Students will build on their knowledge of the local space around personal significant places. Students will draw on their own experience to help them understand places around them. They are learning about their own place and building a connection to places...

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Level C Content Descriptions

Geographical Concepts and Skills

Place, space and interconnection Elaborations
  1. Identify a familiar place and present findings using locational vocabulary, photos and visuals (VCGGC029)
    1. identifying some significant places or objects passed on the journey to a place, for example parks, trees, shops, truck
    2. identifying the type of transport they use to get to significant places, for example walk, bus, car, train
    3. locating familiar rooms and places at school and navigating confidently within familiar places
    4. assisting in the construction of multimedia texts which represent the location of the places and features they pass, for example on their way from school to the place; they pass on the way to school and/ or they pass on their way from place to place within the school
  2. Link activities to a location (VCGGC030)
    1. investigating places they visit and what they do there
    2. identifying their favourite place and why they like it such as specific features or activities
    3. drawing on their own experience to use a place appropriately
  3. Link places to their related activities and special events (VCGGC031)
    1. exploring some of the features of a place in their local community and its spaces in structured learning experiences
    2. experiencing and identifying the functions of a significant community facility
    3. identifying significant people from a significant place
    4. labelling significant places and identifying various spaces within a place
    5. identifying some conservation activities by communicating or showing how they look after the environment in a place
    6. matching an appropriate event to a place or space
Data and information Elaborations
  1. Collect geographical data and information (VCGGC032)
    1. collecting objects, images and photos when visiting significant places such as community facilities
    2. using images and objects to assist them to recall and label their experience/s within a place
    3. recording and reflecting on visits to a community facility by making simple picture story books of their visits
    4. assisting to construct multimodal texts which describe the journey to significant places, for example indicating a sound or photo to represent part of the journey or feature passed
  2. Use images to match a familiar place to a significant feature (VCGGC033)
    1. representing a local place and its spaces, for example, using a photo college
    2. representing an environmental through photos, images and words
    3. selecting photos, images or words to represent a place and its features
  3. Indicate how they use a space based on geographical information (VCGGC034)
    1. selecting photos, images or words to indicate purpose and key elements of a place
    2. participating in structured discussions about a place, it’s local area and what people do in different spaces in and around a place
    3. participating in structured discussions about a place and what people like and dislike about the place
    4. labelling images which identify familiar local space and use/s

Geographical Knowledge

Places and our connections to them Elaborations
  1. Recognising and labelling familiar places in the school using a jointly constructed map (VCGGK035)
    1. locating and labelling familiar features around the school
    2. assisting to construct a map using various materials
    3. beginning to follow spatial, locational and directional vocabulary
    4. using vocabulary to label or describe a journey, location or place
  2. Places are represented at a variety of scales (VCGGK036)
    1. investigating the relative size of features in a place, to develop awareness of scale
    2. developing an awareness of scale by viewing and investigating how places are represented in different scales
  3. The connection of their family and peers to other places in Australia and across the world (VCGGK037)
    1. investigating important local places and events and their connection to other places around the world
    2. investigating places their family and peers have visited or are connected to in the world
  4. Explore names and places of local spaces and their Dreaming stories (VCGGK038)
    1. exploring the features associated with dreaming stories
    2. labelling and linking places and spaces with their dreaming stories
    3. linking people, places and events to the local aboriginal community
  5. Connection of weather to seasons (VCGGK039)
    1. exploring how changes in the weather effected a place, activity or event
    2. using structured activities to observe and develop an understanding of how changes in the weather can affect a desired activity
    3. showing an understanding of how changes in the weather can affect their daily activities by matching clothing activity and weather
    4. connecting weather and season to clothing, activity and events
  6. The major features of a place and its activities (VCGGK040)
    1. investigating and linking a place to relevant activities and features
    2. capturing images of a place to identify its features and activities
  7. What I do in this space (VCGGK041)
    1. identifying a place and complete an appropriate activity in a space
  8. Places regularly used at school and the location, and activities undertaken (VCGGK042)
    1. exploring and linking activities to location
    2. creating data displays to explore locations and activities experienced within a week

Level C Achievement Standard

By the end of Level C, students label personally significant places and what they do in the place. Students demonstrate a few ways they can care for a familiar place by creating a simple rule for this place.

Students observe the familiar features of places and assist to represent these features and their location on group constructed pictorial maps and models. They share observations about a place using simple sentences and show the people who can be found in a place.

Students can independently locate some significant spaces within a significant local place and they begin to communicate using direction and location.

Level D (Towards Foundation)

Level D Description

The Level D curriculum focuses on the features of places where students live focusing on developing student’s awareness, understanding and purpose of a place. Students are encouraged to be curious about a place and explore its local area. They use their senses to explore the tangible characteristics of a place such as the spaces, features and environmental and human characteristics.

Learning...

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Level D Content Descriptions

Geographical Concepts and Skills

Place, space and interconnection Elaborations
  1. Identify familiar places and their features, using photos and locational vocabulary (VCGGC043)
    1. identifying and labelling places they regularly visit
    2. discussing the major features and spaces of each place, such as: What do I do here? What do I like/ dislike?
    3. exploring all the spaces and features of a space and capturing images of a place
    4. becoming familiar with the location of significant community facilities and the spaces within them
  2. Describe the location of a familiar place and the related activities (VCGGC044)
    1. identifying some key places and features of their journey to a place
    2. identifying and participating in basic processes that enable them to use public transport to journey to significant places with supervision
    3. using their own experience to identify places they like and their purpose
  3. Identify personally significant places and their connection and importance (VCGGC045)
    1. exploring and identifying community places and what special events they are used for
    2. experiencing and learning the functions of significant community facilities
    3. experiencing and learning about significant local areas and why they are important and to who
    4. participate in preparing for and celebrating significant local events in their connected place
Data and information Elaborations
  1. Reconstruct geographical data and information (VCGGC046)
    1. assisting to construct a recount of the journey to a place
    2. comparing and contrasting images within a place and between places
    3. labelling features and elements of a place within pictures and photos
  2. Model or draw key features of a familiar place (VCGGC047)
    1. collecting images, objects to represent a place or space
    2. identifying a place by its significant feature
    3. using three dimensional objects to construct a map of a familiar place and it’s spaces
    4. creating a two dimensional representation of a familiar place
  3. Answer yes/no questions about a place based on geographical observations and information (VCGGC048)
    1. identify a place and why they like it and what they like to do there
    2. developing an awareness of environmental issues through participation in investigating of local community issue
    3. investigating questions related to who, what, where why questions about a place
    4. exploring elements and features of a place

Geographical Knowledge

Places and our connections to them Elaborations
  1. Locating familiar places and label place and purpose (VCGGK049)
    1. assisting to create maps or models of significant places and the spaces within them
    2. following simple maps of the school or classroom
  2. How places can be defined at a variety of scales (VCGGK050)
    1. considering how street addresses define places locally, regionally and nationally
    2. using large-scale and small-scale maps while investigating places and how they are defined
  3. The connection of their school and local community to other places in Australia and across the world (VCGGK051)
    1. investigating how local celebrations and events link to places in the world
    2. exploring the location of places people have visited
  4. The Countries/Places that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people belong to in the local area (VCGGK052)
    1. exploring local aboriginal Country/Places and what special events they are used for
    2. investigating dreaming stories and their relationship to local features and places
  5. Ways weather and seasons are described (VCGGK053)
    1. investigating the seasons and their associated weather, clothes and events
    2. explore how local cultural groups view the seasons and related events
  6. The major features of a place and their location (VCGGK054)
    1. participating in structured discussions about a place, exploring the major features and locations of familiar places
    2. comparing characteristics of familiar places
    3. answering questions about a place using a single word or short simple sentence
  7. What people do in specific spaces (VCGGK055)
    1. assisting to construct a recount of what a place can be used for
    2. identifying how they look after a place
    3. identifying some rules about a place, for example, not running, quiet voice etc.
    4. participating in structured activities which investigate different places and what they do and do not do in each place
    5. identifying and following rules and expectations within a place
  8. Places used regularly in the community, their location, activities undertaken in this place and frequency of visits (VCGGK056)
    1. using pictures, symbols, labels to identify features or spaces in a significant place
    2. beginning to use special, locational and directional vocabulary
    3. investigating places, activities and frequency of visits
    4. exploring places and reason for visiting different places in the community

Level D Achievement Standard

By the end Level D, students label familiar routine places and some of their features and the related activities undertaken in these places. They recognise places can have a special purpose or connection for some people. Students reflect on their learning to suggest ways they can care for a familiar place.

Students observe the familiar features of places and represent these features and their location on jointly constructed pictorial maps and models. They can identify how they travel to a place and one or two key features of the journey. They recognise that places can be represented by an image or on a map.

They follow and use simple everyday language to describe direction and location to explain where a place is or to locate a place or object.

Foundation to Level 2

Foundation to Level 2 Description

From Foundation to Level 2, the curriculum develops the concept of place through a study of what places are like over time and how they are defined. The emphasis in F-2 is on the places in which students live, but they also start to investigate other places of similar size that are familiar to them or that they are curious about.

Examining the influence of distance and accessibility on the frequency...

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Foundation to Level 2 Content Descriptions

Geographical Concepts and Skills

Place, space and interconnection Elaborations
  1. Identify and describe the features of places at a local scale and how they change, recognising that people describe the features of places differently (VCGGC057)
    1. recounting Aboriginal Dreaming stories and/or Legends of the Torres Strait that identify the natural features of a place
    2. using observations and/or photographs to identify changes in natural, managed and constructed features in their place. For example, recent erosion, revegetated areas, planted crops or new buildings
  2. Describe and explain where places and activities are located (VCGGC058)
    1. identifying the activities located in their place, such as retailing, medical, educational, police, religious, recreational, farming, manufacturing or office activities, locating them on a pictorial map, and suggesting why they are located where they are
    2. describing the location of continents and oceans relative to Australia using terms such as north, south, near, far
  3. Identify how people are connected to different places (VCGGC059)
    1. examining the ways people are connected to other places through, for example, relatives, friends, things people buy or obtain, holidays, sport, family origin, beliefs, and places of particular significance
    2. suggesting what the pattern of visits to places might have been two generations ago and comparing this to their current pattern
    3. discussing how some people are connected to one Country, for example, because it is ‘mother’s’ Country or ‘father’s’ Country
Data and information Elaborations
  1. Collect and record geographical data and information from the field and other sources (VCGGC060)
    1. asking questions about features they observe in the local area and collecting and recording information using all their senses
    2. using geographical tools, such as photographs taken from the air or a digital application such as Google Earth, to identify places ranging from those with largely natural features to those with largely constructed features
    3. interviewing their grandparents or significant Elders to find out the places they visited when they were young
    4. recording what they have learned about the different weather and seasons of places in a picture diary or a series of paintings, and annotating them with changes that occur throughout a year
    5. recording how frequently they visit places and for what purpose
  2. Represent data and the location of places and their features by constructing tables, plans and labelled maps (VCGGC061)
    1. making a map to show how a bird would see a place (birds-eye view), using pictures or models of objects
    2. completing a table to show the significant features or uses of different places
    3. locating on an outline map the places they are connected to, or the places they visit for shopping, recreation, family, personal or other reasons
    4. investigating how symbols are used to represent categories of objects and categorising drawings or images of environmental features of the local place into natural, managed and constructed features
  3. Interpret data and information to draw conclusions and describe the direction and location of places, using terms such as north, south, opposite, near, far (VCGGC062)
    1. using information from a range of sources, such as fieldwork observations and representation of features and places in photographs, satellite images and rock art, to answer ‘what’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions
    2. sorting transport and telecommunications technologies by time to draw conclusions about why patterns of visits to places have changed
    3. investigating and reporting findings to show the influence of distance and accessibility on the use of places now and over at least one generation
    4. describing the direction and location (near and far, above and below, beside and opposite) of familiar places
    5. writing or talking about their connection to places using appropriate directional and locational terms, including north and south

Geographical Knowledge

Places and our connections to them Elaborations
  1. Representation of the location of places and their features on maps and models, including a globe, and the location of the major geographical divisions of the world in relation to Australia (VCGGK063)
    1. creating story-maps or models to represent the location of the places and features in their local area, or class stories, poems or rhymes
    2. identifying the ways Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represent the location of Country/Place and their features. For example, by inscriptions on stone, stories, sand, bark and cave paintings, song, music and dance
    3. describing how the globe is a representation of the world and locating Australia and other places on a globe
    4. using geographical tools, such as a globe and world map, or electronic atlases, to locate the continents, oceans, equator, North and South Poles, tropics and hemispheres and then labelling an outline map
    5. describing the location of continents and oceans relative to Australia using terms such as north, south, near, far
  2. Definition of places as parts of the Earth’s surface that have been given meaning by people, and how places can be defined at a variety of scales (VCGGK064)
    1. examining the names of features and places in the local area, and the meaning of these names and why they were chosen
    2. investigating the names and meanings given to local features and places by the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
    3. describing the hierarchy of places: from the personal scale of their home, the local scale of their suburb or town, the regional scale of their state, to the national scale of their country
  3. Connections of people in Australia to other places in Australia and across the world (VCGGK065)
    1. examining the ways people are connected to other places through, for example, relatives, friends, things people buy or obtain, holidays, sport, family origin, beliefs, and places of particular significance
    2. discussing how their place may be connected to events that have happened in other places, for example, sporting events such as the Olympic Games or natural disasters like the tsunami in Indonesia
  4. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Country/Place on which the school is located and why Country/Place is important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and the ways in which they maintain special connections to particular Country/Place (VCGGK066)
    1. identifying and using the name of the local Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Language Group
    2. identifying how and why the words Country/Place are used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the places to which they belong
    3. inviting members of the Traditional Owner Group to talk about Country and Places of cultural and historical significance to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in the local neighbourhood, suburb, town or rural locality
    4. discussing how some people are connected to one Country, for example, because it is ‘mother’s’ Country or ‘father’s’ Country
    5. describing the connections of the local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples with the land, sea, sky and animals of their Country/Place
  5. Weather and seasons and the ways in which different cultural groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, describe them (VCGGK067)
    1. describing the daily and seasonal weather of their place by its rainfall, temperature, sunshine and wind, and comparing it with the weather of other places that they know or are aware of
    2. comparing the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People’s seasonal calendar for the local area with one students are familiar with, such as the four-seasons calendar derived from Europe
  6. Natural, managed and constructed features of places, their location and how they change (VCGGK068)
    1. identifying the places they live in and belong to and places they are familiar with, for example, a neighbourhood, suburb, town or rural locality and describing their features
    2. recounting Aboriginal Dreaming stories and/or Legends of the Torres Strait that identify the natural features of a place
    3. using observations to identify and describe natural features (for example, hills, rivers, native vegetation), managed features (for example, farms, parks, gardens, plantation forests) and constructed features (for example, roads, buildings) of the local place, and locating them on a map
    4. using observations and/or photographs to identify changes in natural, managed and constructed features in their place. For example, recent erosion, revegetated areas, planted crops or new buildings
    5. identifying constructed features such as eel traps and exploring activities in local rivers and lakes
  7. Reasons why some places are special and some places are important to people and how they can be looked after (VCGGK069)
    1. identifying and describing places they consider to be ‘special’. For example, their room, a play area, holiday location or an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander place of family significance, and explaining why the place is special to them
    2. discussing different ways people care for their ‘special places’
    3. discussing how places provide people with their basic needs, for example, water, food and shelter
    4. proposing possible actions that could be taken by the student to improve an important place such as the school grounds or local park
    5. discussing with their teacher, other students and members of their family what they know and have learned about different places, why they need to be looked after, and how this could be achieved
  8. Activities in the local place and reasons for their location, and the influence of purpose, distance and accessibility on the frequency with which people visit places (VCGGK070)
    1. identifying the activities located in their place, such as retailing, medical, educational, police, religious, recreational, farming, manufacturing or office activities, locating them on a pictorial map, and suggesting why they are located where they are
    2. investigating the places they and their families visit for shopping recreation, religious or ceremonial activities, or other reasons
    3. suggesting what the pattern of visits to places might have been two generations ago and comparing this to their current pattern
    4. investigating how people's patterns of visits to places are affected by transport and information and telecommunications technologies

Foundation to Level 2 Achievement Standard

By the end of Level 2, students define place and identify and describe features of places and changes in these, at a local scale. They identify how people are connected to different places and explain the value of places to people. They describe different ways that places can be cared for.

They collect and record geographical data and information. They represent data and information in tables, plans and labelled maps and interpret it to draw conclusions.

They describe and explain location and distance using geographical terms, and describe the location of the major geographical divisions of the world.

Levels 3 and 4

Levels 3 and 4 Description

In Levels 3 and 4, the curriculum continues to develop students’ mental map of the world and their understanding of place through examining the major characteristics of Australia, Australia's neighbouring countries and Africa and South America. The concept of place is developed by examining the similarities and differences between places within and outside Australia. Students use the geographic...

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Levels 3 and 4 Content Descriptions

Geographical Concepts and Skills

Place, space and interconnection Elaborations
  1. Identify and describe the characteristics of places in different locations at a range of scales (VCGGC071)
    1. identifying the major natural features of Australia, such as rivers, deserts, rainforests, the Great Dividing Range and the Great Barrier Reef and describing them with annotations on a map
    2. researching the main types of natural vegetation and native animals in a climate zone in Australia and comparing them with those found in a similar climate in Africa or South America
    3. identifying and locating examples of the main climatic types in Australia and the world, for example, equatorial, tropical, arid, semi-arid, temperate and Mediterranean
    4. discussing the similarities and differences in the types of work and other activities people do in their own place with a different type of place in Australia and a place in another country
  2. Identify and describe locations and spatial distributions and patterns (VCGGC072)
    1. using geographical tools, such as a globe, wall map or electronic atlas, to locate the states and territories, major cities and regional centres in their own state, and then naming them
    2. identifying the pattern of population distribution across Australia
    3. identifying and locating examples of the main climatic types in Australia and the world, for example, equatorial, tropical, arid, semi-arid, temperate and Mediterranean
  3. Identify and explain the interconnections within places and between places (VCGGC073)
    1. identifying the main types of natural vegetation, including forest, savannah, grassland, woodland and desert, and explaining the relationship between climate and natural vegetation
    2. describing how natural processes can break down and recycle some wastes safely. For example, through composting or purifying water as it moves through the environment
    3. exploring how vegetation produces the oxygen all land animals (including people) breathe, protects land from erosion by water or wind, retains rainfall, provides habitat for animals, shelters crops and livestock, provides shade for people, cools urban places, produces medicines, wood and fibre, and can make places appear more attractive
    4. investigating and comparing what it would be like to live in a place with a climate different to their own place
    5. recognising that the distribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before colonisation was concentrated in more productive areas such as in the coastal and riverine areas of Australia
Data and information Elaborations
  1. Collect and record relevant geographical data and information from the field and other sources (VCGGC074)
    1. using contemporary issues reported in the media to initiate questions about the sustainable use of resources and collect related data and information
    2. brainstorming ways that data might be collected and recorded, choosing, with teacher guidance, the most effective method for a given investigation
    3. using maps, ground and aerial photographs and satellite images or a digital application, such as NASA Worldwind or Google Earth, to identify, locate and describe different types of settlements or to explore the extent of vegetation in an area
    4. interviewing people about their feelings and attachment to places
    5. acquiring geographical information from schools in geographically contrasting parts of Australia and/or neighbouring countries
  2. Represent data and the location of places and their characteristics by constructing tables and simple graphs and maps of appropriate scale that conform to cartographic conventions of border, scale, legend, title and north point (VCGGC075)
    1. creating tables or picture and column graphs to show patterns in data collected from observations or other sources about the similarities and differences between places
    2. using maps of vegetation for Australia, Africa and South America to compare the most common types of vegetation in each continents
    3. making a plan of the classroom or home, using pictorial symbols
    4. annotating a map to show selected natural and human characteristics of Australia, Africa or South America using the appropriate cartographic conventions including map symbols and north point
    5. constructing maps to show the features of places, using basic cartographic conventions including map symbols and north point
  3. Interpret maps and other geographical data and information to develop identifications, descriptions, explanations and conclusions, using geographical terminology including simple grid references, compass direction and distance (VCGGC076)
    1. constructing tables or graphs to show the similarities and differences between places, and discussing possible reasons for them
    2. discussing and comparing how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples may represent places and their features visually, for example, in paintings and sand drawings, and identifying the symbols and patterns used.
    3. comparing a range of thematic maps, for example, maps of relief, climate, vegetation, animals and bird life to find relationships
    4. using geographical terms to explain relationships, for example between the environment and sustaining life
    5. describing the relative location of different features in a place by distance and compass direction. For example, from their home to the local waste management site

Geographical Knowledge

Diversity and significance of places and environments Elaborations
  1. Location of major countries of Africa and South America in relation to Australia and their major characteristics including the types of vegetation and native animals in at least two countries for both continents (VCGGK077)
    1. using geographical tools, such as a globe, a wall map or electronic atlas, to identify the major countries of Africa and South America and their relative locations
    2. using a globe to investigate the Great Circle routes of aeroplane travel between Australia and the major countries of Africa and South America
    3. researching the main types of natural vegetation and native animals in a climate zone in Australia and comparing them with those found in a similar climate in Africa or South America
    4. using a printed or electronic atlas to identify the main characteristics of the continents of Africa and South America
  2. Location of Australia’s neighbouring countries and the diverse characteristics of their places (VCGGK078)
    1. using a globe to locate New Zealand, the Pacific Island nations, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Indonesia, labelling them on a map, and identifying the direction of each country from Australia
    2. describing the similarities and differences between their local place and places in neighbouring countries in their natural and human characteristics
  3. Representation of Australia as states and territories, and Australia’s major natural and human characteristics (VCGGK079)
    1. using geographical tools, such as a globe, wall map or digital application like Google Earth, to locate the states and territories, major cities and regional centres in their own state, and then naming them
    2. identifying the major natural features of Australia, such as rivers, deserts, rainforests, the Great Dividing Range and the Great Barrier Reef and describing them with annotations on a map
    3. identifying the pattern of population distribution across Australia
  4. The many Countries/Places of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout Australia, and the custodial responsibility they have for Country/Place, and how this influences views about sustainability (VCGGK080)
    1. investigating how the Australian continent was (and still is) divided into many Aboriginal Countries and Torres Strait Islander Places, drawing on languages maps, geographical features and other sources such as Traditional Owners
    2. compare the characteristics of two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Countries/Places. For example, where students live and one elsewhere in Australia
    3. exploring how oral traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were used to describe Country/Place
    4. recognising that the distribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before colonisation was concentrated in more productive areas such as in the coastal and riverine areas of Australia and investigating how Aboriginal people were able to trade across the continent
    5. investigating how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ ways of living were adapted to the resources of their Country/Place. For example, the alpine country of the Ngarigo People, the rainforests, beaches and dunes of the KuKu Yalanji People, the desert country of the Arrernte People, the savannah country of the Jawoyn People, the riverine plains of the Wiradjuri People, and the local Country/Place
  5. Main climates of the world and the similarities and differences between the climates of different places (VCGGK081)
    1. discussing how weather contributes to a climate type and identifying the difference between climate and weather
    2. identifying and locating the broad climatic zones of the world: hot, temperate and polar
    3. identifying and locating examples of the main climatic types in Australia and the world, for example, equatorial, tropical, arid, semi-arid, temperate and Mediterranean
    4. investigating and comparing what it would be like to live in a place with a climate different to their own place
  6. Types of natural vegetation and the significance of vegetation to the environment, the importance of environments to animals and people, and different views on how they can be protected; the use and management of natural resources and waste, and different views on how to do this sustainably (VCGGK082)
    1. exploring how vegetation produces the oxygen all land animals (including people) breathe, protects land from erosion by water or wind, retains rainfall, provides habitat for animals, shelters crops and livestock, provides shade for people, cools urban places, produces medicines, wood and fibre, and can make places appear more attractive
    2. explaining how people’s connections with their environment can also be aesthetic, emotional and spiritual
    3. describing how natural processes can break down and recycle some wastes safely. For example, through composting or purifying water as it moves through the environment
    4. investigating where a particular renewable natural resource comes from and how it is used, what sustainable use of this resource might mean and comparing a strategy to reduce the use of the resource (for example, recycling paper) with a strategy to increase the output of this resource (for example, planting more trees)
    5. visiting a national park and discussing different views on development in the park
  7. Similarities and differences in individuals’ and groups’ feelings and perceptions about places, and how they influence views about the protection of these places (VCGGK083)
    1. reading and viewing poems, songs, paintings and stories concerning people’s feelings about places as part of an exploration of the factors that influence views on the protection of places
    2. discussing why it is important to protect places that have special significance for people. For example, a wetland, a site sacred to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples , a national park or a World Heritage site
    3. designing actions that people could take to protect and improve places in the local area that people perceive as important and discussing the likely reactions of different groups of people to these ideas
  8. Similarities and differences between places in terms of their type of settlement, demographic characteristics and the lives of the people who live there (VCGGK084)
    1. exploring different types of settlement, and classifying them into hierarchical categories, for example, isolated dwellings, outstations, isolated communities, villages, towns, regional centres and large cities
    2. investigating the diversity of people who live in their place, using census data on age, birthplace, ancestry, language, religious affiliation, family composition or household composition, comparing them with the people in another place in Australia, and discussing their results
    3. discussing the similarities and differences in the types of work and other activities people do in their own place with a different type of place in Australia and a place in another country
    4. examining the similarities and differences between their daily lives and those of young people in a place outside Australia and discussing what it would be like to live in these places
    5. proposing possible actions that could promote awareness about the similarities and differences between particular places and discussing reasons for raising this awareness

Levels 3 and 4 Achievement Standard

By the end of Level 4, students identify and describe spatial characteristics, and the characteristics of places and environments at a range of scales. They identify and explain interconnections and identify and describe locations, including Australia’s neighbouring countries and Africa and South America.

They identify responses to a geographical challenge and the expected effects.

They collect and record relevant geographical data and information and represent data and information in tables, simple graphs and maps of appropriate scale that conform to cartographic conventions. They interpret data and information, and use geographical terminology, to identify and to develop descriptions, explanations and conclusions.

Levels 5 and 6

Levels 5 and 6 Description

In Levels 5 and 6, the curriculum focuses on the concepts of place and interconnection. Students’ mental maps of the world are further developed through learning the locations of the major countries in the Asia region, Europe and North America. The scale of study goes global as students investigate the geographical diversity and variety of connections between people and places.

In exploring...

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Levels 5 and 6 Content Descriptions

Geographical Concepts and Skills

Place, space and interconnection Elaborations
  1. Describe and explain the diverse characteristics of places in different locations from local to global scales (VCGGC085)
    1. researching the population size and density of a selection of countries around the world
    2. exploring the diversity of environments and types of settlement, in the Asia region, or in part of the region, or in a country in either North-East, South-East or South Asia and discussing any patterns
    3. researching the proportions of the Australian population and of the population from their local area who were born in each world cultural region, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and then comparing aspects of selected cultures
    4. investigating the similarities and differences in languages, religions and spiritual traditions between Australia and selected countries of the Asia region and other parts of the world
    5. examining how the use of space within an area may be influenced by designation of land, for example, national parks, reserves, significant sites
  2. Identify and describe locations and describe and explain spatial distributions and patterns (VCGGC086)
    1. using geographical tools, such as printed and electronic atlases, to identify the relative location of Europe and North America and their environmental characteristics
    2. mapping and explaining the location, frequency and severity of bushfires or flooding in Australia
    3. explaining why most Australians live close to the coast rather than in inland Australia
  3. Describe and explain interconnections within places and between places, and the effects of these interconnections (VCGGC087)
    1. researching connections between Australia and countries in the Asia region, for example, in terms of trade, migration, tourism, aid, education, defence or cultural influences; and explaining the effects of at least one of these connections on their own place and another place in Australia
    2. explaining the impacts of fire on Australian vegetation and the significance of fire damage to human communities
    3. comparing how people have responded to climatic conditions in similar and different places and factors that may have influenced this such as culture and technology
    4. exploring the extent of change in the local environment over time, through for example, vegetation clearance, fencing, urban development, drainage, irrigation, farming, forest plantations or mining
    5. researching the changes made by people to a particular environment in one region in Europe or North America and comparing findings with other regions researched by students
Data and information Elaborations
  1. Collect and record relevant geographical data and information from the field and secondary sources, using ethical protocols (VCGGC088)
    1. developing questions about the way connections affect places and people’s perceptions of places and collecting related data and information
    2. planning an investigation to identify how significant events can connect places. For example, the Olympics or a tsunami
    3. identifying the purpose and usefulness of information gained from primary and secondary sources such as fieldwork, maps, plans, photographs, satellite images, statistical sources and reports
    4. finding out how to conduct ethical research with people and communities, including the protocols for consultation with local Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander communities
    5. exchanging geographical information from schools in countries of the Asia region
    6. interviewing people, for example, on their knowledge and opinions of other places
  2. Represent the location of places and other types of geographical data and information in different forms including diagrams, field sketches and large-scale and small-scale maps that conform to cartographic conventions of border, scale, legend, title, north point and source; using digital and spatial technologies as appropriate (VCGGC089)
    1. summarising the points of view on an issue, for example in a planning or environmental dispute
    2. developing a diagram to show the similarities and differences in official languages and religions across a number of countries
    3. creating maps such as flow and choropleth maps, or plans for specific purposes. For example, a flow map to show the connections Australia has with other countries, or a bushfire management plan mapping geographical data using spatial technologies, the location of recent bushfires in Australia, or information they have collected through fieldwork
    4. annotating a map to show places and their features in Australia and in selected countries of North America and Europe
    5. creating small-scale maps to show connections between places
  3. Interpret maps and other geographical data and information using digital and spatial technologies as appropriate, to develop identifications, descriptions, explanations and conclusions that use geographical terminology (VCGGC090)
    1. interpret a variety of thematic maps to investigate the environmental and human characteristics of Europe, North America and the Asia region
    2. using climate graphs they have constructed to interpret and compare the climate of different places
    3. identifying possible relationships by comparing maps of spatial distributions, for example, maps of vegetation and incidence of bushfires, or the per capita income of countries and life expectancy
    4. presenting a report using graphics and maps as evidence of an investigation into a local environmental or planning issue and using geographical terms, such as relative location, scale, climate, cultural diversity , reflecting on what they have learned, and suggesting additional questions that could be investigated
    5. exploring cause-and-effect relationships, for example, between low income and poor health, using graphic organisers and concept maps

Geographical Knowledge

Factors that shape places and influence interconnections Elaborations
  1. Location of the major countries of Europe and North America, in relation to Australia and their major characteristics including the influence of people on the environmental characteristics of places in at least two countries from both continents (VCGGK091)
    1. using geographical tools, such as printed and electronic atlases, to identify the relative location of Europe and North America and their environmental characteristics
    2. researching the changes made by people to a particular environment in one region in Europe or North America and comparing findings with other regions researched by students
  2. Location of the major countries of the Asian region in relation to Australia and the geographical diversity within the region (VCGGK092)
    1. identifying the geographical divisions of Asia, including North-East, South-East, South Asia and West Asia (the Middle East)
    2. exploring the diversity of environments and types of settlement, in the Asia region, or in part of the region, or in a country in either North-East, South-East or South Asia and discussing any patterns
    3. describing the location of places in countries of the Asia region in absolute terms using latitude and longitude
  3. Differences in the demographic, economic, social and cultural characteristics of countries across the world (VCGGK093)
    1. identifying examples of indigenous peoples who live in different regions in the world and appreciating their similarities and differences. For example, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, Maori of Aotearoa New Zealand, the First Nations of North America and the Orang Asli of Malaysia and Indonesia
    2. investigating the relationship between per capita income, health (as measured by life expectancy) and energy consumption in a selection of countries around the world, including at least one country from the Asia region
    3. comparing people’s lives in places with different levels of income
    4. investigating the similarities and differences in languages, religions and spiritual traditions between Australia and selected countries of the Asia region and other parts of the world
    5. researching the proportions of the Australian population and of the population from their local area who were born in each world cultural region, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and then comparing aspects of selected cultures
  4. Influence of people, including the influence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, on the environmental characteristics of Australian places (VCGGK094)
    1. identifying how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities altered the environment through their methods of land and resource management
    2. exploring the extent of change in the local environment over time, through for example, vegetation clearance, fencing, urban development, drainage, irrigation, farming, forest plantations or mining
  5. Impacts of bushfires or floods on environments and communities, and how people can respond (VCGGK095)
    1. mapping and explaining the location, frequency and severity of bushfires or flooding in Australia
    2. explaining the impacts of fire on Australian vegetation and the significance of fire damage to human communities
    3. researching how the application of principles of prevention, mitigation and preparedness minimises the harmful effects of bushfires or flooding
    4. suggesting collective action in response to impact of floods on a community and describing the likely effects of this action on different groups of people
  6. Environmental and human influences on the location and characteristics of places and the management of spaces within them (VCGGK096)
    1. comparing how people have responded to climatic conditions in similar and different places and factors that may have influenced this such as culture and technology
    2. investigating the influence of landforms on the development of settlements that are involved in food and fibre production. For example, river valleys such as the Murray-Darling, Yellow (Huang He), Yangtze, Amazon, Mekong or Ganges
    3. explaining why most Australians live close to the coast rather than in inland Australia
    4. examining how the use of the space within their local place is organised through zoning
    5. investigating a current local planning issue, such as the redevelopment of a site, preservation of open space or subdivision of farming land, exploring why people have different views on the issue, and developing a class response to it
  7. Factors that influence people’s awareness and opinion of places (VCGGK097)
    1. identifying factors that influence people’s awareness and opinions of places, for example, the media, significant known events, proximity to places and personal relationships with places
    2. suggesting a course of action on a global issue that is significant to them and describing how different groups could respond
  8. Australia’s connections with other countries and how these change people and places (VCGGK098)
    1. investigating a significant event, such as a severe earthquake or the Olympic Games, and examining its local, regional and global effects on people and places, and discussing the types of responses
    2. researching connections between Australia and countries in the Asia region, for example, through trade, migration, tourism, aid, education, defence or cultural influences; and explaining the effects of at least one of these connections on their own place and another place in Australia
    3. exploring the provision of Australian government or non-government aid to a country in the Asia region or elsewhere in the world and analysing its effects on places in that country
    4. investigating the influence of longitude, time zones and the International Date Line on connections with other countries

Levels 5 and 6 Achievement Standard

By the end of Level 6, students describe and explain spatial characteristics and characteristics of places from local to global scales. They describe and explain interconnections and their effects. They identify and describe locations including the major countries of Europe, North America and Asia.

They identify and compare responses to a geographical challenge, describing the expected effects on different groups.

They ethically collect and record relevant geographical data and information and represent data and information in forms including diagrams, field sketches and large scale and small scale maps that conform to cartographic conventions.

They interpret geographical data and information, and use geographical terminology, to identify and develop descriptions, explanations and conclusions. They use digital and spatial technologies to represent and interpret data and information.

 

Levels 7 and 8

Levels 7 and 8 Description

In Levels 7 and 8, students examine the processes that influence the characteristics of places. They consider spatial distributions and patterns and their implications and consider interconnections between and within places and changes resulting from these. This further develops their understanding of geographical concepts, including place, space and interconnection.

Students’ conceptual...

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Levels 7 and 8 Content Descriptions

Geographical Concepts and Skills

Place, space and interconnection Elaborations
  1. Explain processes that influence the characteristics of places (VCGGC099)
    1. explaining the physical causes and the temporal and spatial patterns of an atmospheric or hydrological hazard through a study of either droughts, storms, tropical cyclones or floods
    2. exploring the geomorphology of the land and how this affects the liveability of a place
    3. contrasting the effects of geomorphic processes that lower the land surface (weathering and erosion) and those that raise the land surface (transportation and deposition)
    4. discussing urbanisation as a shift in where, how and why people live where they do
  2. Identify, analyse and explain spatial distributions and patterns and identify and explain their implications (VCGGC100)
    1. interpreting the spatial distribution of rainfall in Australia and comparing it with that of other continents
    2. comparing accessibility to and availability of a range of services and facilities between different types of settlements (urban, rural and remote) in Australia and other countries. For example, shops, access to clean water, sanitation, education and health services
    3. investigating the natural causes and spatial distribution of a geomorphological hazard. For example, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and avalanches
    4. exploring the arguments for and against a more balanced distribution of the urban population
  3. Identify, analyse and explain interconnections within places and between places and identify and explain changes resulting from these interconnections (VCGGC101)
    1. describing how water is an available resource when it is groundwater, soil moisture (green water), and surface water in dams, rivers and lakes (blue water), and a potential resource when it exists as salt water, ice, water vapour or waste water, and using the concept of the water cycle to show the connections between the different forms
    2. explaining how the movement of water through the environment connects places. For example, the melting of snow in spring feeding rivers and dams downstream
    3. comparing student access to and use of places and spaces in their local area and evaluating how this affects perceptions of liveability
    4. analysing the role of landforms and landscapes in tourism. For example, Uluru in Australia or the Grand Canyon in the USA
    5. examining how urbanisation can affect environmental quality and analysing the effects of erosion and sedimentation produced by human activities on landscape quality
Data and information Elaborations
  1. Collect and record relevant geographical data and information from useful primary and secondary sources, using ethical protocols (VCGGC102)
    1. gathering from a range of primary and digital sources, for example, from GIS layers, observation, annotated field sketches, surveys and interviews, or photographs, relevant data about the impacts of and responses to a hydrological hazard, or the factors influencing decisions people make about where to live
    2. collecting geographical information from secondary sources, such as digital sources, thematic maps, weather maps, climate graphs, compound column graphs and population pyramids, reports, census data and the media
    3. applying ethical research methods, including the use of protocols for consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
    4. considering the usefulness of primary and secondary data by finding out when it was collected and for what purpose, and comparing this to the purpose of research
    5. gathering relevant data about the ways to protect significant landscapes from a range of primary and digital sources, such as from observation, annotated field sketches, surveys and interviews, or photographs
  2. Select and represent data and information in different forms, including by constructing appropriate maps at different scales that conform to cartographic conventions, using digital and spatial technologies as appropriate (VCGGC103)
    1. creating an annotated diagram to demonstrate how water flows through the environment and connects places, or the influence of environmental quality on the liveability of places
    2. constructing tables and graphs of demographic or economic data for Australia or China
    3. creating annotated diagrams to show a landscape and its landforms
    4. creating a map to show the spatial distribution and patterns of liveability, using computer mapping software
    5. using a satellite image to construct a map to show the areas affected by a hydrological hazard, in Australia and another region of the world
  3. Analyse maps and other geographical data and information using digital and spatial technologies as appropriate, to develop identifications, descriptions, explanations and conclusions that use geographical terminology (VCGGC104)
    1. using aerial images of contrasting places to identify differences in housing density
    2. using graphs, weather maps and satellite images to examine the temporal and spatial patterns of a selected hydrological hazard in Australia and another region of the world, such as countries of the Asia region, or from the Pacific region
    3. using digital maps and overlays of an area to observe, describe and contrast the spatial associations of geographical phenomena. For example, the relationship between economic activities and river systems and the availability of surface water
    4. interpreting topographic maps and digital terrain models, cross-sections or block diagrams to investigate landforms and their features
    5. reviewing the results of an analysis to propose and defend answers to a question, emphasising at least one of the geographical concepts of place, space, environment, interconnection, sustainability, scale or change

Geographical Knowledge

Water in the world Elaborations
  1. Classification of environmental resources and the forms that water takes as a resource (VCGGK105)
    1. classifying resources into renewable/non-renewable and finite/infinite resources, and investigating examples of each type
    2. describing how water is an available resource when it is groundwater, soil moisture (green water), and surface water in dams, rivers and lakes (blue water), and a potential resource when it exists as salt water, ice, water vapour or waste water, and using the concept of the water cycle to show the connections between the different forms
  2. Ways that flows of water connect places as they move through the environment and the ways this affects places (VCGGK106)
    1. explaining how the movement of water through the environment connects places. For example, the melting of snow in spring feeding rivers and dams downstream
    2. investigating the environmental, economic and social effects of water as it connects people and places. For example, the effects of water in the Snowy Mountains, or of upstream irrigation on downstream water quality
  3. The quantity and variability of Australia’s water resources compared with those in other continents and how water balance can be used to explain these differences (VCGGK107)
    1. investigating the main causes of rainfall and applying their geographical knowledge to explain the seasonal rainfall patterns in their own place and in a place with either significantly higher or lower rainfall
    2. interpreting the spatial distribution of rainfall in Australia and comparing it with that of other continents
    3. using the concept of the water balance (the relationship between rainfall, evaporation and runoff) to explain the differences between Australia and other continents in water resources
  4. Nature of water scarcity and the role of humans in creating and overcoming it, including studies drawn from Australia and West Asia and/or North Africa (VCGGK108)
    1. investigating the causes of water scarcity. For example, an absolute shortage of water (physical), inadequate development of water resources (economics), or the way water is used
    2. comparing the effectiveness in reducing water scarcity of methods that increase the supply of water (such as recycling waste water, stormwater harvesting and re-use, desalination and inter-regional transfer of water) with methods that reduce the demand for water (such as pricing, changing the use of water and water restrictions)
    3. examining why water is a difficult resource to manage. For example, difficulties in accounting for its economic value, its competing uses and variability of supply over time and space
    4. explaining why some land use management practices such as land cleaning and some farming practices have adversely affected water supply
  5. The spiritual, economic, cultural and aesthetic value of water for people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and peoples of the Asia region, that influence the significance of places (VCGGK109)
    1. examining and comparing places in Australia and countries of the Asia region that have economies and communities based on irrigation. For example, rice production in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area in NSW and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam
    2. exploring the multilayered meanings (material, cultural and spiritual wellbeing) associated with rivers, waterholes, seas, lakes, soaks and springs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
    3. examining bays, rivers, waterfalls or lakes in Australia and in countries of the Asia region that have been listed as either World Heritage sites or national parks for their aesthetic and cultural value
    4. investigating the spiritual significance of water in an Asian culture
  6. Causes of an atmospheric or hydrological hazard and its impacts on places, and human responses to it to minimise harmful effects on places in the future (VCGGK110)
    1. explaining the physical causes and the temporal and spatial patterns of an atmospheric or hydrological hazard through a study of either droughts, storms, tropical cyclones or floods
    2. explaining the economic, environmental and social impacts of a selected atmospheric or hydrological hazard on people and places, and investigating community responses to the hazard
Place and liveability Elaborations
  1. Factors that influence the decisions people make about where to live and their perceptions of the liveability of places (VCGGK111)
    1. investigating their and others’ interpretations of the concept of liveability and why what makes a place liveable may vary from person to person according to age, education, income, cultural background and other variables
    2. comparing student access to and use of places and spaces in their local area and evaluating how this affects perceptions of liveability
    3. discussing why many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples live on their Country/Place or might prefer to if they had the choice
  2. Influence of accessibility to services and facilities; and environmental quality, on the liveability of places (VCGGK112)
    1. comparing accessibility to and availability of a range of services and facilities between different types of settlements (urban, rural and remote) in Australia and other countries. For example, shops, access to clean water, sanitation, education and health services
    2. examining the role transport plays in people’s ability to access services and participate in activities in the local area
    3. explaining the importance of water quality to the liveability of places
    4. investigating the concept of environmental quality and surveying the environmental quality of their local area and its effect on liveability
    5. exploring the geomorphology of the land and how this affects the liveability of a place
  3. Environmental, economic and social measures used to evaluate places for their liveability, comparing two different places (VCGGK113)
    1. comparing objective measures of liveability such as transportation infrastructure, with subjective measures such as people’s perceptions
    2. comparing two liveability surveys and how this affects ranking places
    3. evaluating surveys of liveability and the measures they use
  4. Influence of social connectedness and community identity on the liveability of places (VCGGK114)
    1. discussing the different types of places where people and groups can feel included or excluded, safe or threatened, and evaluating how this affects perceptions about liveability of places
    2. investigating the extent to which people in their place are socially connected or socially isolated and its effect on liveability
  5. Strategies used to enhance the liveability of places, especially for young people, including examples from Australia and Europe (VCGGK115)
    1. researching methods implemented in Australia and Europe to improve the liveability of a place, and evaluating their applicability to their own locality
    2. developing a specific proposal to improve an aspect of the liveability of their place, taking into account the needs of diverse groups in the community, including, for example, young people through fieldwork in the local recreation area or Traditional Owners by developing bilingual signage or indigenous garden projects
    3. discussing the impact of increasing housing density on the liveability of places, and on their environmental sustainability
Landforms and landscapes Elaborations
  1. Different types of landscapes and their distinctive landform features (VCGGK116)
    1. identifying different types of landscapes, such as coastal, riverine, arid, mountain and karst, and describing examples from around the world, including Antarctica
    2. identifying some iconic landforms in Australia and the world, and describing what makes them iconic
    3. exploring the names, meanings and significance of landform features from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander perspective
  2. Geomorphic processes that produce landforms, including a case study of at least one landform (VCGGK117)
    1. describing the influence of folding, faulting or volcanism on a chosen landform
    2. contrasting the effects of geomorphic processes that lower the land surface (weathering and erosion) and those that raise the land surface (transportation and deposition)
  3. The differences in at least one landform in Australia compared to other places and the geomorphic processes involved (VCGGK118)
    1. undertaking fieldwork at a site such as the 12 Apostles and using secondary sources to compare wave action and weathering with a similar landform, such as Raukar - Limestone Sea Stacks of Gotland in Sweden
    2. comparing weathering processes acting on rock masses in one location with another in Australia or elsewhere, considering differences in climate, rock type, rock structure and erosion
  4. Human causes of landscape degradation, the effects on landscape quality and the implications for places (VCGGK119)
    1. analysing the effects of erosion and sedimentation produced by human activities on landscape quality, including farming and recreation
    2. examining the effects of mining and quarrying, and urban development, on landscape quality and how this affects places
    3. describing the effects of river regulation, including dams, locks, channel straightening and drains, on riverine and wetland landscape quality
    4. investigating the effects on coastal landscape quality of the built elements of places. For example, urban development, marinas and sea walls
    5. investigating the ways introduced plants or animals or activities such as mining affect landscape quality and examining the effects on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
  5. Spiritual, cultural and aesthetic value of landscapes and landforms for people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, that influence the significance of places, and ways of protecting significant landscapes (VCGGK120)
    1. discussing the significance of landscapes in literature, song/music, film, art and identity
    2. analysing the role of landforms and landscapes in tourism. For example, Uluru in Australia or the Grand Canyon in the USA
    3. exploring the multilayered meanings (material, cultural and spiritual wellbeing) associated with landscapes and landforms by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
    4. identifying different views about the recreational, psychological, aesthetic and spiritual value of particular environments and about the nature and extent of their protection, and discussing how this links to ideas about environmental sustainability
    5. investigating a significant landscape that is threatened by human activities and developing a proposal for the future of the landscape that takes account of the views of the diverse groups, including Traditional Owners, with an interest in its use or protection
  6. Causes of a geomorphological hazard and its impacts on places and human responses to it to minimise harmful effects on places in the future (VCGGK121)
    1. investigating the natural causes and spatial distribution of a geomorphological hazard. For example, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and avalanches
    2. discussing the extent to which human alteration of environments has contributed to the occurrence of the geomorphological hazard
    3. describing how the effects caused by geomorphological hazards are influenced by social, cultural and economic factors. For example, where people choose to live, poverty, and lack of infrastructure and resources to prepare and respond
    4. researching how the application of principles of prevention, mitigation and preparedness minimises the harmful effects of geomorphological hazards
    5. investigating the negative and positive impacts of bushfires on Australian landscapes and ways of responding to the risk and events of bushfires
Changing nations Elaborations
  1. The causes and consequences of urbanisation, drawing on a study from Indonesia (VCGGK122)
    1. discussing urbanisation as a shift in where, how and why people live where they do
    2. exploring the connections between urbanisation and economic and social opportunities
    3. examining how urbanisation can affect environmental quality. For example, carbon emissions and water consumption
  2. The causes and consequences of urban concentration and urban settlement patterns between Australia and the United States of America and reasons for these similarities and differences (VCGGK123)
    1. researching the causes of urban concentration in Australia and the United States of America. For example, the history of European settlement, migration, the export orientation of the economy, the centralisation of state governments, environmental constraints and the shape of transportation networks
    2. applying the concept of place to explain why urbanisation produces different spatial outcomes in different countries
  3. The reasons for and effects of international migration to Australia (VCGGK124)
    1. identifying and explaining the main types and patterns of international migration. For example, permanent migration, temporary labour migration, student migration, forced migration (including refugees) and family reunion
    2. investigating where and why international migrants settle in Australia and how this may reinforce urban concentration
    3. exploring the changing cultural diversity of the Australian population
  4. The reasons for and effects of internal migration in Australia and China (VCGGK125)
    1. identifying and explaining the main types, patterns and trends of internal migration in Australia. For example, employment, lifestyle and retirement migration
    2. examining the effects of resource development in Australia on employment growth in both the resource regions and the cities, and on internal migration
    3. explaining why changes in the spatial distribution of population are a good indicator of economic and social change in a country
    4. examining the role of labour migration in the urban development of China. For example, the growth of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
    5. exploring the issues relating to China’s ‘floating population’
  5. The challenges of managing and planning Australia’s urban future (VCGGK126)
    1. examining the forecasts for the size of Australia’s major cities and regional urban centres, and discussing the implications for their environmental sustainability and liveability
    2. investigating ways of managing the projected growth of Australia’s cities and regional urban centres
    3. exploring the arguments for and against a more balanced distribution of the urban population
    4. examining how Canberra can be used as an example of urban decentralisation
    5. proposing action to respond to geographical issues related to urbanisation

Levels 7 and 8 Achievement Standard

By the end of Level 8, students explain processes that influence the characteristics of places. They identify, analyse and explain interconnections and spatial characteristics and identity and explain their implications.

They compare strategies for a geographical challenge, taking into account a range of factors and predict the likely outcomes.

They ethically collect, record and select relevant geographical data and information from useful sources. They select and represent data and information in a range of appropriate forms including maps at different scales that conform to cartographic conventions. They analyse maps and other geographical data and information, and use geographical terminology, to develop identifications, descriptions, explanations and conclusions. They use digital and spatial technologies to represent and analyse data and information.

Levels 9 and 10

Levels 9 and 10 Description

In Levels 9 and 10, students consider changes in the characteristics of places and the implications of these. They consider significant spatial distributions and patterns and evaluate their implications, and consider interconnections between and within places and changes resulting from these, over time and at different scales. This further develops their understanding of geographical concepts...

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Levels 9 and 10 Content Descriptions

Geographical Concepts and Skills

Place, space and interconnection Elaborations
  1. Predict changes in the characteristics of places over time and identify the possible implications of change for the future (VCGGC127)
    1. researching the potential of agricultural production in northern Australia
    2. discussing the effects of people's cultural and leisure choices on towns and cities or heritage areas. For example, predicting how changing choices may affect these and other places in the future
    3. evaluating the effects of international demand for food products on biodiversity throughout the world, in the places of their production
    4. identifying trends in human wellbeing in countries over time
  2. Identify, analyse and explain significant spatial distributions and patterns and identify and evaluate their implications, over time and at different scales (VCGGC128)
    1. identifying and describing the major aquatic and terrestrial biomes of Australia and the world, and their spatial distribution
    2. examining how information and communication technologies have made it possible for places in India and the Philippines, for example, to provide a range of global business services
    3. proposing geographical management strategies for the environmental change being investigated, for example, establishing reserves and corridors to preserve biodiversity (a spatial strategy), ecosystem-based management (an environmental strategy), urban planning to reduce energy consumption (a spatial strategy), and addressing the underlying as well as immediate causes of environmental change (holistic thinking)
    4. examining spatial data on human wellbeing in India to identify the regions with different levels of wellbeing, identifying patterns and debating explanations of the differences
  3. Identify, analyse and explain significant interconnections within places and between places over time and at different scales, and evaluate the resulting changes and further consequences (VCGGC129)
    1. evaluating the effects of international demand for food products on biodiversity throughout the world, in the places of their production
    2. using the concept of a system to examine the interconnections between biophysical processes and the human actions, and their underlying causes, that generate environmental change, together with the consequences of these changes
    3. identifying the biomes in Australia and overseas that produce some of the foods and plant material people consume and ways that the production of food and fibre has altered some biomes through, for example, vegetation clearance
    4. examining how a person’s wellbeing is influenced by where they live, with reference to at least two different scales in a country of the Asia region
    5. exploring how transport networks operate to connect people to services, including how supply chain logistics influence these connections
Data and information Elaborations
  1. Collect and record relevant geographical data and information, using ethical protocols, from reliable and useful primary and secondary sources (VCGGC130)
    1. gathering relevant data about challenges to food production or the effects of people’s travel, recreational, cultural or leisure choices on places from a range of primary sources such as from observation and annotated field sketches, conducting surveys and interviews and experiments, or taking photographs
    2. collecting geographical information from secondary sources. For example, topographic, thematic, choropleth, and weather maps, climate graphs, compound column graphs and population pyramids, scatter plots, tables, satellite images and aerial photographs, reports, census data and the media
    3. collecting quantitative and qualitative data using ethical research methods, including the use of protocols for consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
    4. evaluating the reliability and usefulness of data and information by considering how and when it was collected, by whom and for what purpose, and comparing this to the purpose of the research
  2. Select, organise and represent data and information in different forms, including by constructing special purpose maps that conform to cartographic conventions, using digital and spatial technologies as appropriate (VCGGC131)
    1. creating a diagram to illustrate the flows of nutrients and energy within a biome, and the alterations to these flows produced by agriculture
    2. developing a table to show the types of challenges to food production in Australia compared to other areas of the world, or the ways that places and people are interconnected through trade
    3. using scatter plots of data for countries or smaller areas to investigate the relationship between two variables, such as per capita income and life expectancy for countries, and to identify anomalies
    4. creating a map to show the relationship between biomes and world food production, using a spatial technologies application
    5. constructing and interpreting choropleth maps to show patterns of human wellbeing at a local scale
  3. Analyse and evaluate data, maps and other geographical information using digital and spatial technologies and Geographical Information Systems as appropriate, to develop identifications, descriptions, explanations and conclusions that use geographical terminology (VCGGC132)
    1. constructing a graph to show the relationship between growth in world population and world food production
    2. comparing maps showing transport networks with survey responses on personal mobility
    3. analysing environmental change, such as the clearance of vegetation or a plan for a vegetation corridor, using topographic maps and satellite images
    4. identifying the relevant layers of a Geographical Information System and using them to investigate how they can portray and analyse demographic, economic and environmental data, and investigating the use of GIS by organisations.
    5. testing conclusions by considering alternative points of view about an area of investigation and providing a response using as organisers at least two of the concepts of place, space, environment, interconnection, sustainability, scale and change

Geographical Knowledge

Biomes and food security Elaborations
  1. Distribution and characteristics of biomes as regions with distinctive climates, soils, vegetation and productivity (VCGGK133)
    1. identifying and describing the major aquatic and terrestrial biomes of Australia and the world, and their spatial distribution
    2. examining the influence of climate on biomass production (as measured by net primary productivity) in different biomes
  2. Environmental, economic and technological factors that influence crop yields in Australia and across the world (VCGGK134)
    1. investigating the environmental constraints on agricultural production in Australia, such as soil moisture, water resources and soils, and the extent to which agricultural innovations have overcome them
    2. investigating how high crop yields around the world (for example from wheat, rice and maize) are related to factors such as irrigation, accessibility, labour supply, landforms and agricultural technologies, such as high yielding varieties
    3. using the concept of soil moisture budget to examine the spatial and seasonal quantity of soil moisture available for agriculture in different places in Australia
  3. The interconnection between food production and land and water degradation; shortage of fresh water; competing land uses; and climate change, for Australia and other areas of the world (VCGGK135)
    1. exploring environmental challenges to food production from land degradation (soil erosion, salinity, desertification), industrial pollution, water scarcity and climate change
    2. identifying the impacts on food production from competing land uses. For example, urban and industrial uses, mining, production of food crops for biofuels, production of food crops for livestock, and recreation (such as golf courses)
    3. evaluating whether some ways of increasing food production could threaten sustainability
  4. Human alteration of biomes to produce food, industrial materials and fibres, and the environmental effects of these alterations (VCGGK136)
    1. identifying the biomes in Australia and overseas that produce some of the foods and plant material people consume
    2. investigating ways that the production of food and fibre has altered some biomes through, for example, vegetation clearance, introduction of exotic species, drainage, terracing and irrigation
    3. using the concept of a system to identify the differences between natural and agricultural ecosystems in flows of nutrients and water, and in biodiversity
  5. Land and resource management strategies used by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples to achieve food security over time (VCGGK137)
    1. investigating the knowledge and practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that enabled them to use resources and environments sustainably (such as rotational use and harvesting of resources through planned movement, controlled burning, temporary or permanent prohibitions on hunting animals and harvesting plants, and limitations on harvesting) and how some of this knowledge is currently shared among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and also with non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
    2. investigating the impacts of alterations of biomes on the productivity and availability of staple resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, for example, the Murnong (yam daisy) in Victoria
  6. Challenges in feeding the current and projected populations of Australia and the world, and responses to these challenges (VCGGK138)
    1. examining the effects of anticipated future population growth on global food production and security, and its implications for agriculture and agricultural innovation
    2. researching the potential of agricultural production in northern Australia
    3. identifying how poverty, food wastage, government policies and trade barriers could affect future food security
    4. applying an understanding of the functioning of natural and agricultural ecosystems to investigate ways of making Australian agriculture more sustainable
    5. examining a contemporary geographical issue related to food production and security and debating alternative responses that consider environmental, economic and social factors
Geographies of interconnection Elaborations
  1. Perceptions people have of place, and how this influences their connections to different places (VCGGK139)
    1. comparing people's perception and use of places and spaces in their local area, such as different age groups
    2. investigating how people in places in other countries perceive, use and are connected to their place and space
  2. Ways in which transportation and information and communication technologies are used to connect people to services, information and people in other places (VCGGK140)
    1. describing the differences in people’s access to the internet between and within countries and exploring how information and communication technologies are being used to connect people to information, services and people in other places, for example, in rural and remote areas across Australia and the world, including selected countries of the Asia region
    2. examining how information and communication technologies have made it possible for places in India and the Philippines, for example, to provide a range of global business services
    3. exploring how transport networks operate to connect people to services, including how supply chain logistics influence these connections
  3. Ways that places and people are interconnected with other places through trade in goods and services, at all scales (VCGGK141)
    1. investigating how and why places are interconnected regionally, nationally and globally through trade in goods and services
    2. investigating some of the products and/or services that businesses in their town, city or rural region sell to other places
    3. examining tourism, students and retirees as sources of income for some places
  4. Effects of the production and consumption of goods on places and environments throughout the world and including a country from North-East Asia (VCGGK142)
    1. exploring the environmental impacts of the consumer product on the places that produce the raw materials, make the product, and receive the wastes at the end of its life
    2. identifying the effects of international trade in consumer products on Australian places
    3. evaluating the effects of international demand for food products on biodiversity throughout the world, in the places of their production
  5. Effects of people’s travel, recreational, cultural or leisure choices on places, and the implications for the future of these places (VCGGK143)
    1. investigating the global growth of tourism and its likely effects on the future of places
    2. discussing the effects of people's cultural and leisure choices on towns and cities or heritage areas. For example, predicting how changing choices may affect these and other places in the future
Environmental change and management Elaborations
  1. Different types and distribution of environmental changes and the forms it takes in different places (VCGGK144)
    1. creating a map to show measures of environmental change, using a spatial technologies application
    2. examining spatial data and information on desertification affecting drylands
    3. describing and analysing a global map showing access to safe water and investigating differences in water pollution in different places
  2. Environmental, economic and technological factors that influence environmental change and human responses to its management (VCGGK145)
    1. identifying human-induced environmental changes, such as water and atmospheric pollution, loss of biodiversity, degradation of land, inland and coastal aquatic environments, and evaluating the challenges they pose for the sustainability of environmental functions
    2. evaluating the concept of ecosystem services and the importance of these services for sustainability of biodiversity
    3. discussing whether environmental change is necessarily a problem that should be managed
    4. proposing geographical management strategies for the environmental change being investigated, for example, establishing reserves and corridors to preserve biodiversity (a spatial strategy), ecosystem-based management (an environmental strategy), urban planning to reduce energy consumption (a spatial strategy), and addressing the underlying as well as immediate causes of environmental change (holistic thinking)
    5. applying the concept of place to explain the variety of strategies and solutions to similar environmental changes in different places
  3. Environmental worldviews of people and their implications for environmental management (VCGGK146)
    1. describing the role of people’s environmental worldviews, for example, human-centred and earth-centred, in producing different attitudes and approaches towards environmental management
    2. comparing the differences in people’s views about the causes of environmental issues in Australia and across the world
    3. explaining people’s choices of methods for managing or responding to environmental changes
    4. discussing the influence of people’s world views on programs for the management of the environmental change being investigated
  4. Causes and consequences of an environmental change, comparing examples from Australia and at least one other country (VCGGK147)
    1. using the concept of a system to examine the interconnections between biophysical processes and the human actions, and their underlying causes, that generate environmental change, together with the consequences of these changes
    2. evaluating the effects of the environmental change on the sustainability of the environment
  5. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ approaches to custodial responsibility and environmental management in different regions of Australia (VCGGK148)
    1. researching the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in environmental management
    2. explaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander models of sustainability that contribute to broader conservation practices
    3. discussing why land management agencies are working with Traditional Owners to manage environmental change and challenges
  6. Application of environmental economic and social criteria in evaluating management responses to an environmental change, and the predicted outcomes and further consequences of management responses on the environment and places, comparing examples from Australia and at least one other country (VCGGK149)
    1. explaining how communities and governments attempt to balance environmental, economic and social criteria in decisions on environmental programs, and the extent to which there can be trade-offs between them
    2. debating the practical and ethical dilemmas of national and international conservation programs aimed at the environmental change being investigated
Geographies of human wellbeing Elaborations
  1. Interconnecting causes of spatial variations between countries in selected indicators of human wellbeing (VCGGK150)
    1. investigating the locational, economic, social, technological, political and or environmental causes of inequalities in wellbeing between countries
    2. examining and explaining differences in indicators by gender between countries
    3. investigating the interrelationships between the rate of population growth and human wellbeing in countries
    4. examining how the possession of natural resources, such as minerals can affect wellbeing in a country
  2. Reasons and consequences for spatial variations in human wellbeing on a regional scale within India or another country of the Asia region; and on a local scale in Australia (VCGGK151)
    1. examining spatial data on human wellbeing in India to identify the regions with different levels of wellbeing, identifying patterns and debating explanations of the differences
    2. examining how a person’s wellbeing is influenced by where they live, with reference to at least two different scales in a country of the Asia region
    3. researching spatial differences in the wellbeing of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population across Australia, and the extent to which these differences depend on how wellbeing is measured
    4. explaining the spatial pattern of human wellbeing in Australia at a local scale, such as within a city or region, and its causes
  3. Different ways of measuring and mapping human wellbeing and development, and how these can be applied to measure differences between places (VCGGK152)
    1. examining and comparing different concepts of human wellbeing, including those held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
    2. identifying and evaluating different ways of measuring wellbeing, such as per capita income or the UN Human Development Index, and applying them to investigate spatial variations in human wellbeing and comparing the results from different measures
    3. examining the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and their relationship to human wellbeing
    4. identifying trends in human wellbeing in countries over time
  4. Issues affecting the development of places and their impact on human wellbeing, drawing on a study from a developing country or region in Africa, South America or the Pacific Islands (VCGGK153)
    1. evaluating relationships between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita over time and trends in measures of wellbeing in the selected country or region
  5. Role of initiatives by international and national government and non-government organisations to improve human wellbeing in Australia and other countries (VCGGK154)
    1. investigating ways of reducing inequalities in wellbeing between places at a local scale in Australia
    2. discussing the objectives and outcomes of an Australian Government overseas economic and social development program or a non-government overseas aid program in a specific country or region within a country
    3. identifying ways to improve the wellbeing of remote Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities, including ways proposed by the communities

Levels 9 and 10 Achievement Standard

By the end of Level 10, students predict changes in the characteristics of places over time and identify implications of change for the future. They identify, analyse, and explain significant spatial distributions and patterns and significant interconnections within and between places, and identify and evaluate their implications, over time and at different scales.

They evaluate alternative views on a geographical challenge and alternative strategies to address this challenge, using environmental, social and economic criteria, explaining the predicted outcomes and further consequences and drawing a reasoned conclusion.

They ethically collect relevant geographical data and information from reliable and useful sources. They select, organise and represent data and information in different forms, using appropriate digital and spatial technologies and through special purpose maps that conform to cartographic conventions. They analyse and evaluate geographical data, maps and information using digital and spatial technologies and Geographical Information Systems as appropriate to develop identifications, descriptions, explanations and conclusions that use geographical terminology.

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