Victorian Curriculum Unpacking 7 10 Geography Objectives This

Victorian Curriculum Unpacking 7 -10 Geography

Objectives This session will cover: q the structure of the curriculum q its key concepts q developmental sequence of the curriculum q a short web tour q resources of the GTAV

The new Geography curriculum - stages Aus. VELS (learning focus and standards Australian curriculum Familiarisation pdf published Dec 2013

Key changes § No longer general Humanities F-4 (Aus. VELS), but rather a specific Geography curriculum from F-10 § Revised structure § Development of conceptual thinking strengthened § Significant revisions to knowledge and skills § Revisions to achievement standards

Structure

Points to note: § Levels A-D is a curriculum for students with disabilities § Content descriptions (CDs) are banded, that is, levels F-2 share common content descriptions, followed by two level bands § The curriculum describes a continuum of learning § Content descriptions are mandated while elaborations are not mandated, for example: Suggestions on how a CD could be approached

Geographical concepts § Seven concepts underpin the whole curriculum: place, space, interconnection, environment, sustainability, scale and change. § The Place, space and interconnection sub-strand identifies progression in conceptual thinking, with emphasis on the concepts of place, space, interconnection. § The concepts of scale and change are integrated into this sub-strand. § Environment and sustainability are represented in Geographical knowledge strand. § More information about the concepts can be found in “Learning in Geography” (from the Introduction drop down menu on the Victorian Geography curriculum page)

§ Progress in conceptual thinking is identified across the Place, Space and Interconnection sub-strand, and students work towards this through engagement with the whole curriculum. § This is illustrated in the elaborations for the Place, space and interconnection sub-strand, which draw on other areas of the curriculum, for example:

Example of progression of concepts and skills F-2 5 -6 Describe and explain where places and activities are located Identify and describe locations and describe and explain spatial distributions and patterns 3 -4 Identify and describe locations and spatial distributions and patterns 9 -10 Identify, analyse and explain significant spatial distributions and patterns and identify and evaluate their implications over time and at different scales 7 -8 Identify, analyse and explain spatial distributions and patterns and identify and explain their implications

Further example (9 -10) Geographies of interconnections: CD: Effects of people’s travel, recreational, cultural or leisure choices on places, and the implications for the future of these places How has this place changed over the last 30 years? Why has it changed? What are the underlying processes at work? E. g migration How will it continue to change?

Data and information sub-strand Overview q describes progression in skills for: • Collecting and recording data and information • Representing data and information • Interpreting, analysing and evaluating data and information

Data and information sub-strand § § Mandates the use of digital and spatial technologies from Levels 5 -6 This sub-strand could be used as a basis for fieldwork/inquiry, which could be supplemented with, for example: • content descriptions from other curricula. For example content on Questioning and possibilities sub-strand in Critical and creative thinking capability to help teach how to construct a question for investigation or survey questions. • Content within Geographical knowledge, for example in asking students to respond to a geographical challenge, for example: CD is used to inform an aspect of an inquiry

Example of progression – data and information sub-strand 9 -10 F-2 5 -6 Interpret data and information to draw conclusions Interpret maps and other geographical data and information using digital and spatial technologies… 3 -4 Interpret maps and other geographical data and information to develop identifications, descriptions, explanations and conclusions Analyse and evaluate data, maps and other geographical information using digital and spatial technologies and Geographical Information Systems … 7 -8 Analyse maps and other geographical data and information using digital and spatial technologies…

Geographical knowledge strand Levels 7 -10: Key features § The mental map of the world begun in F-2 continues to be developed through to Levels 9 -10, within the context of a particular sub-strand § One sequence of sub-strands across Levels 7 -10 focuses on environmental geography and its applications. ‘Water in the world’ introduces hydrology, ‘Landforms and landscapes’ geomorphology, and ‘Biomes and food security’ introduces biogeography. ‘Environmental change and management’ applies this knowledge. § The second sequence, ‘Place and liveability’, ‘Changing nations’, ‘Geographies of interconnections’ and ‘Geographies of human wellbeing’ introduces key aspects of human geography. § This is integrated with the progressive development of skills and conceptual thinking

Key questions 5 -6 What are places like? How do places, people and cultures differ across the world? How do people’s connections to places affect their perception of them? How do people and environments influence one another? How can the impact of bushfires or floods on people and places be reduced? 7 -8 How are people's perceptions of places and environments influenced by their reliance on them? How do the interconnections between places, people and environments affect the lives of people? How do environmental and human processes affect the characteristics of places and environments? What are the consequences of changes to places and environments and how can these changes be managed? What approaches can be taken to improve the availability of resources and access to services? fferent? 9 -10 What are the causes and consequences of change in places and environments? What are the future implications of changes to places and environments and what management options exist for sustaining human and natural systems into the future? Why are interconnections and interdependencies important for the future of places and environments? How can the spatial variation between places and changes in environments be explained?

Achievement standards q The achievement standards for Geography show development in conceptual understanding and skills and a gradually developing mental map of the world. q They are aligned to Geographical concepts and skills and Geographical knowledge strands q Note that in levels F-6 development of mental map of the world is explicit

Example - Working with the Achievement standards Effects of people’s travel, recreational, cultural or leisure choices on places, and the implications for the future of these places Content from Geographical concepts and skills By the end of Level 6 students describe and explain characteristics of places By the end of Level 8 students explain processes that influence the characteristics of places By the end of Level 10 students predict changes in the characteristics of places over time and identify implications of changes for the future

Example By the end of Level 6 students describe and explain characteristics of • Explainplaces how the elevation and climate of places along the Kokoda track influences its cultural significance By the end of Level 8 students explain processes that influence the • Explain how the characteristics of places. process of development has affected and is affecting the geographical characteristics of places along the Kokoda track By the end of Level 10 students predict changes in the characteristics of places over time and identify implications of changes for the future • How are increasing numbers of tourists from Japan likely to affect places along the Kokoda track in the future?

Contact and resources q Curriculum Planning, Assessment and Reporting resources http: //www. vcaa. vic. edu. au/Pages/foundation 10/viccurriculum/curriculumplan ning. aspx q Contact Monica Bini VCAA Curriculum Manager, Humanities and Social Sciences Email: bini. monica. m@edumail. vic. gov. au Phone: 9032 1693