Rationale:

Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. It is a rich and complex discipline that integrates knowledge from natural sciences, social sciences and humanities to build a holistic understanding of the world. Through the study of Geography, students are encouraged to question why the world is the way it is, reflect on their relationships with and responsibilities for the world and propose actions designed to shape a socially just and sustainable future.

Geography Elective emphasises the physical, social, cultural, economic and political influences on people, places and environments, from local to global scales. It also emphasises the important interrelationships between people and environments through the investigation of contemporary geographical issues and their management. The wellbeing of societies and environments depends on the quality of interactions between people and the natural world.

Geographical inquiry involves students acquiring, processing and communicating geographical information. Through an inquiry approach students explain patterns, evaluate consequences and contribute to the management of places and environments in an increasingly complex world. This process enables them to apply inquiry skills including: asking distinctively geographical questions; planning an inquiry and evaluating information; processing, analysing and interpreting that information; reaching conclusions based on evidence and logical reasoning; evaluating and communicating their findings; and reflecting on their inquiry and responding, through action, to

what they have learned. Engagement in fieldwork and the use of other tools including mapping

and spatial technologies are fundamental to geographical inquiry, including understanding and observing ethical practices.

The study of Geography Elective enables students to become informed, responsible and active citizens able to evaluate the opinions of others and express their own ideas and arguments. This forms a basis for active participation in community life, a commitment to sustainability, the creation of a just society, and the promotion of intercultural understanding and lifelong learning. The skills and capabilities developed through geographical study can be applied to further education, work and everyday life.

The Geography Elective course provides students with the opportunity for additional learning through the engagement with additional Geography content. It provides students with a broader understanding of the discipline of Geography and the processes of geographical inquiry, and enables depth of study through a range of flexible approaches.

Aim:

The aim of Geography Elective is to stimulate students’ interest in and engagement with the world. Through geographical inquiry they develop an understanding of the interactions between people, places and environments across a range of scales and contemporary geographical issues in order to become informed, responsible and active citizens.

Objectives:

Knowledge and Understanding

Students develop knowledge and understanding of:

• the features and characteristics of places and environments across a range of scales

• interactions between people, places and environments

• contemporary geographical issues and their management.

Skills

Students:

• apply geographical tools for geographical inquiry

• develop skills to acquire, process and communicate geographical information.

Values and Attitudes

Students value and appreciate:

• Geography as a study of interactions between people, places and environments

• the dynamic nature of the world

• the varying perspectives of people on geographical issues

• the importance of sustainability and intercultural understanding

• the role of being informed, responsible and active citizens.

Content:

• Physical Geography

• Oceanography

• Primary Production

• Global Citizenship

• Australia’s Neighbours

• Political Geography

• Interactions and Patterns along a Transcontinental Transect

• School-developed Option