Geography
Introduction
Geography is the study of physical and human environments from a spatial perspective. It provides students with the knowledge and skills to observe and describe places on the surface of the Earth and to analyse and provide explanations from a spatial perspective of human and physical phenomena and their complex interactions. Students’ evolving understanding of their world provides a basis for evaluating strategies for the sustainable use and management of the world’s resources.
Geographers use a number of spatial concepts (such as location, distribution, spatial interaction and scale) as tools to help them to investigate, interpret and explain patterns on the surface of the Earth and the processes that created them. These spatial concepts provide a unique conceptual structure and framework of ideas for a geographic investigation of phenomena and provide the key to determining measures of the spatial variation between places. The essence of the Geography domain is that it is an inquiry-based approach which focuses on questions of what, where, how, why, what impact, what ought.
The fundamental tool of geography is the map, and in a world where over 75 per cent of data is referenced spatially to a location, geographic understanding is a vital skill. The essential skills students develop in Geography are the ability to:
- identify and collect evidence from
- primary sources through fieldwork
- secondary sources, including maps at a variety of scales, photographs, satellite images, statistical data
- information and communications technology based resources
- record, represent and interpret data in different types of maps, graphs, tables, sketches, diagrams and photographs.
Structure of the domain
The Geography domain is organised into three sections, one for each level of achievement from Levels 4 to 6. Each level includes a learning focus statement and a set of standards organised by dimension. A glossary is included which provides definitions of underlined terms.
Learning focus
Learning focus statements are written for each of Levels 4, 5 and 6. At Levels 1 to 3, basic concepts related to history, geography and economics are included under the general umbrella of ‘The Humanities’. Learning focus statements outline the learning that students need to focus on if they are to progress in the domain and achieve the standards at the levels where they apply. They suggest appropriate learning experiences from which teachers can draw to develop relevant teaching and learning activities.
Standards
Standards define what students should know and be able to do at different levels and are written for each dimension. In the Humanities, standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at Level 3. These focus on historical and geographical knowledge and understanding. Specific standards for Geography apply from Level 4.
Dimensions
Standards in the Geography domain are organised in two dimensions:
- Geographical knowledge and understanding
- Geospatial skills.
Geographical knowledge and understanding
The Geographical knowledge and understanding dimension covers the patterns and interactions of physical and human phenomena on the surface of the Earth and the processes that created them. It focuses on spatial concepts: location, distance, distribution, location, movement, region, scale, spatial change over time, spatial association, spatial interaction and scale. These concepts underpin the kinds of questions geographers ask and help students to organise the vast amount of information and ideas that geography uses to understand the regularities, intricacies and uncertainties of occurrences on the Earth’s surface.
Students learn to ask a series of geographical questions and follow an inquiry-based approach incorporating identification, observation, description, analysis, explanation, synthesis and evaluation. This extends their understanding and provides students with a well-researched, informed spatial perspective to apply to local and global issues, including sustainable use and management of the world’s resources.
Geospatial skills
In the Geospatial skills dimension students read and interpret maps of different kinds and at different scales, including street directories, atlas maps, ordnance survey maps and topographic maps. Students identify and collect information from maps, plans, photographs, satellite images, statistical data, and information and communications technology based resources; and record and represent data in different types of maps, graphs, tables, sketches, diagrams and photographs. Students develop skills in gathering information first-hand from fieldwork studies. They make observations, take field measurements, conduct surveys and interviews, map and record phenomena in a range of settings.
Stages of learning
The VELS take account of the developmental stages of learning young people experience at school. While student learning is a continuum and different students develop at different rates, they broadly progress through three stages of learning. General statements about characteristics of learners in these three stages are available at Stages of learning.
The following statements describe ways in which these characteristics relate to learning experiences and standards in each of the three stages of learning in the Geography domain.
Geography helps students to understand their individual world and the global world in spatial terms. Geography helps to develop an understanding of global citizenship and the ways in which places and environments are interdependent.
Years Prep to 4 – Laying the foundations
In Years Prep to 4, geography learning takes place through the general Humanities domain. As a starting point for learning students engage with their own experiences to help them understand the world around them. Students develop their spatial awareness through a consideration of the local community, the different groups in society and their place in one or more groups. By seeing and hearing about other places outside their experience, their sense of curiosity and wonder leads them to consider how and why other places are different from their own. Towards the end of Year 4 students distinguish and describe the natural and built features of the environments identifying and explaining changes. They make comparisons between a variety of places and develop their understanding of the geography of Victoria. They begin to develop an understanding of the interconnected nature of the world.
Through structured experiences within their immediate environment and community, students develop spatial awareness and can begin to organise their ideas through the application of the spatial concepts in geography such as location, distance and direction together with simple spatial associations and spatial change over time. In these years students develop their knowledge and spatial awareness about where home, school and the playground are located and where they are in relation to one another. They extend their understanding to the geography of their local area and investigate and describe elements of the natural and human environments. Students develop a vocabulary to describe their observations and investigations.
Early in this stage the geospatial skills of students involve the drawing of simple pictorial maps of where they are in space in relation to other phenomena. Students develop increasingly sophisticated map skills enabling them to visualise and describe location and direction using grids and compass points.
Students explore how and why natural factors and human activities affect their lives. Beginning in their local environment, for example, selecting safe routes to schools (spatial concepts of location, direction and distance) they progress to group and collaborative tasks and consider environmental differences and resource management throughout Australia. Students collect, record and describe data obtained through field study surveys and measurements to form conclusions about the use of resources.
Years 5 to 8 – Building breadth and depth
In these years with increasing cognitive development and experience, students begin to develop a breadth of understanding about natural processes and human activities beyond their immediate environment. They develop an expanded understanding of Australia and the region of which Australia is a part – the Asia-Pacific. Students begin to apply the more abstract cognitive processes to environmental issues.
Students apply their spatial awareness in a more sophisticated way to more complex questions and issues through the use of additional core concepts such as spatial interaction, movement, region and scale. Students identify patterns and processes in natural environments and human activities to understand increasingly complex interactions of physical and human phenomena within Australian and other environments and to generalise from particular contexts. They learn to use a process of inquiry that asks: What? Where? How? Why? What ought? They investigate environmental issues and analyse different perspectives and consider possible solutions to current and future challenges to enable sustainable use of resources. They describe and explain spatial changes through time from their own direct observation and by comparing maps, photographs and other visual media.
Students describe specific locations through reading and interpreting topographic and other large-scale maps. They apply their understanding of scale (distance), grids (location), compass bearings (direction) and legend to identify features and patterns and interpret trends when using maps as sources of information. They participate in fieldwork and use an increasing variety of techniques for collecting and presenting data. Students apply many of the practical skills that they have acquired over the previous years.
Years 9 and 10 – Developing pathways
In these years students develop the ability to analyse and explain increasingly complex spatial associations and interactions of natural systems and human activities in Australia and in other parts of the world. They apply inquiry-based strategies to investigate issues and communicate their findings as a range of scales: local, regional, national and global. Students ask questions that focus not only on what, where, how, why, but also on what impact, how ought and what will it be in the future? They become increasingly aware of the global links between societies, cultures and natural environments and the impact of globalisation on their own and other people’s lives. Students use their understanding of sustainability to evaluate various management strategies and develop policies to resolve an issue.
Students are skilled in interpreting different kinds of maps, photographs and satellite images at different scales. They apply their geospatial skills such as map overlays, database manipulations and geographic information system (GIS) to the spatial analysis of phenomena.
Students undertake field investigations to collect, collate, analyse and evaluate data. They present data using a variety of maps, graphs, photographs, diagrams and other forms. They analyse fieldwork and other data to provide explanations, make informed decisions and develop a policy for the management of a local issue that is important and relevant to their lives.
National Statements of Learning
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) incorporate the opportunities to learn covered in the national Statements of Learning (www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/statements_of_learning,22835.html). The Statements of Learning describe essential skills, knowledge, understandings and capacities that all young Australians should have the opportunity to learn by the end of Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in English, Mathematics, Science, Civics and Citizenship and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
The Statements of Learning were developed as a means of achieving greater national consistency in curriculum outcomes across the eight Australian states and territories. It was proposed that they be used by state and territory departments or curriculum authorities (their primary audience) to guide the future development of relevant curriculum documents. They were agreed to by all states and territories in August 2006.
During 2007, the VCAA prepared a detailed map to show how the Statements of Learning are addressed and incorporated in the VELS. In the majority of cases, the VELS learning focus statements incorporate the Statements of Learning. Some Statements of Learning are covered in more than one domain. In some cases, VELS learning focus statements have been elaborated to address elements of the Statements of Learning not previously specified. These elaborations are noted at the end of each learning focus statement.
Pathways to VCE, VCE VET and VCAL
As students approach the end of the compulsory years of schooling they begin to make choices about their preferred areas of and pathways for learning. Students choose studies from the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or recognised vocational training through either a Vocational Education Training (VET) program or the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL).
The Geography domain provides students with knowledge of natural and human environments and a range of geospatial skills. Geography prepares students for a range of VCE, VET and VCAL studies as well as knowledge and skills which underpin lifelong learning. This includes knowledge of the physical world and issues such as global warming, climate change and land degradation. This knowledge is essential for ensuring that students can participate in decision making which supports the sustainable use of resources and shared responsibility for the future.
The Geography domain provides students with knowledge and understanding of spatial concepts, including location, distance, distribution and scale. These underpin inquiry into places at the local, regional and global scale. Students learn about the interaction between people and environments, and the interdependence of Earth’s natural and social systems.
Geography also provides students with geospatial skills, including interpretation of maps, the observation, collection and interpretation of data collected through field studies, representation and interpretation of data, and development of research skills.
| Pathway | Options |
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Life-long learning |
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VCE Studies |
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VET Studies |
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VCAL Studies |
Industry specific skills which may include training packages available from industries including agriculture and horticulture. |
More information about VCE (www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce)
More information about VET (www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vet)
More information about VCAL (www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcal)
Downloads
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The Humanities − Geography booklet (
PDF - 126KB)
This booklet includes an introduction to this domain, a description of the structure of the domain, and the learning focus statements and standards at each level.
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The Humanities − Geography standards table (Doc - 36KB)
This document provides the standards in this domain in table format to enable quick teacher reference. It includes descriptions of the dimensions and the standards from Levels 1 to 6. It does not include learning focus statements.
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Victorian Essential Learning Standards by Level
Level 4 ( PDF - 751KB)
Level 5 ( PDF - 755KB)
Level 6 ( PDF - 788KB)
These booklets include the information for every domain at the relevant level. Each level publication includes:- the relevant stage of learning statement
- the relevant level statement
- introductions to each of the three strands
- introductions to every domain
- learning focus statements and standards for every domain.
The Humanities : Level 1 2 3
The Humanities – Geography : Level 4 5 6
