Geography Level 6 (Years 9 and 10)
Learning focus
As students work towards the achievement of Level 6 standards in Geography, they develop knowledge about the operation of one of the major natural systems that are part of the biosphere and atmosphere; for example, the hydrologic cycle, plate tectonics or the weather. Students investigate the interaction of human activities with the natural environment through a study of issues such as global warming and climate change, land degradation and desertification, and air and water pollution. Students develop skills to evaluate the factors contributing to the development of these issues, identify strategies to address them and explore ways of managing them.
Students investigate the characteristics of development that occur across the globe. They use an inquiry-based approach to explore how combinations of various physical and human factors interact to produce observable and sometimes predictable patterns at local, regional and global scales. Students examine global patterns of development, considering classifications used by United Nation agencies, Non Government Organisations (NGOs) and other organisations, and evaluating the relevance of such classifications at global, national, regional and local scales.
Students research at least two development topics and the impact of globalisation in creating and reducing differences in development levels, for example, through technology transfers, resource use, and indebtedness. Examples of development topics include: poverty; the links between food, hunger and technology; and the social and economic consequences of development in creating rapidly growing cities, mega cities, informal settlements and rural depopulation.
Students investigate and learn to evaluate the impact and/or effectiveness of development-related projects, policies and strategies (such as large-scale water projects, tourism, the use of foreign aid, social reform and population control) on physical and human landscapes, locally, nationally and globally. They apply their knowledge and understanding to provide explanations and justify recommendations about local, national and global situations related to development, and their impact on living standards. They reflect on plans of action and past actions, considering the value positions underlying them, including a commitment to the principles of sustainability.
Students undertake field investigations in the local area to gather, collate, analyse and evaluate data relating to the natural environment. They collect evidence from the fieldwork site to explain and predict the effects of natural processes and human activities on the environment, including consideration of the ways people respond to change. Students develop a policy for the management of a local issue, including consideration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Students apply geographical techniques, including representation of multi-variable data and complex mapping operations, to interpret environmental change and research, discriminate, evaluate and present arguments using electronic and other formats.
Standards
Geographic knowledge and understanding
At Level 6, students explain the operation of a major natural system and its interaction with human activities. They evaluate the consequences of the interaction and develop a policy to address an issue related to it. Students describe global patterns of development from a range of perspectives and identify and describe the factors that determine these patterns. They analyse development issues and formulate and evaluate comprehensive policies, including those for sustainable use and management of resources, to alter development patterns at a range of scales. They use evidence based on their inquiries and geographical language and concepts.
Geospatial skills
At Level 6, students accurately interpret information on different types of maps and photographs at a range of scales, and use map evidence to support explanations, draw inferences and predict associated outcomes. They collect and collate information gathered from fieldwork observations and present their findings observing geographical presentation conventions.
Downloads
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The Humanities − Geography booklet (
PDF - 126KB) - The Humanities − Geography standards table (Doc - 36KB)
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Victorian Essential Learning Standards Level 6 ( PDF - 788KB)
