Geography / Year 8 / Geographical Knowledge and Understanding / Unit 2: Changing nations

Curriculum content descriptions

Causes and consequences of urbanisation, drawing on a study from Indonesia, or another country of the Asia region (ACHGK054)

Elaborations
  • discussing urbanisation as a shift in where, how and why people live where they do
  • exploring the connections between urbanisation and economic and social opportunities
  • examining how urbanisation can positively or negatively affect environmental quality (for example, carbon emissions and water consumption)
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • Intercultural understanding Intercultural understanding
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Human impact,  Urbanisation,  Industries,  North America

Video

BTN: World population explosion, 1996

The growth of the world's population and the pressure this places on resources and the environment is a highly debated topic. Watch this clip from 1996 to find out about the trends and concerns associated with population growth at that time, and consider how perspectives and patterns may differ today.

Video

The different faces of Indonesia

Journey through Indonesia, our most populous neighbour - a nation of contradictions. Through the images in this clip, discover more about the people and the land, including population size, living conditions, education, internal migration, natural disasters, land management and international aid. How does Indonesia differ ...

Video

ABC 7.30: Where do we build next?

Like many Australian cities, Melbourne has been growing rapidly. This clip from 2012 investigates debates about where Melbourne's urban growth should occur. While inner city areas are slowly being redeveloped, the outer suburbs continue to sprawl and their residents battle some serious issues.

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We live in a diverse world: Indonesia

This is an online resource providing an overview of Indonesia including geography, people, history, economy and living conditions, as well as looking at the problem of inequality. It highlights the interconnections between Australia and Indonesia, explaining how the Australian Government and Non-Government Organisations ...

Video

Show me the water!

Where does the water in your tap come from? Fresh water accounts for only 3% of the earth's water supply and only 1% of that is available to us in lakes and rivers or in the atmosphere. But how much do we use for drinking water and what else do we use fresh water for? Watch this video to find out how NASA's Global Precipitation ...

Video

Sciencey: Five things you need to know about climate change

Find out how carbon dioxide makes the Earth warmer, how oceans store heat and the way we can see climate history in ice. What are the consequences of changes in the global climate? What can we do as individuals and communities to stop these negative changes?

Video

Catalyst: How high will sea levels rise?

Much of the world’s population will eventually have to deal with the consequences of sea-level rise, but the question is: how high will the water get? Dr Graham Phillips investigates how scientists are turning to the distant past to predict the impact of rising sea levels. Watch scientists explore 120,000-year-old coastlines, ...

Video

Trees and connection

Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man Bruce Pascoe explains his connection to Country and introduces us to a family of trees. In what ways does Bruce’s relationship with the Earth differ from yours?

Video

Foreign Correspondent: Dams and dolphins on the Mekong?

If the Lao Government's plans are realised, nine hydropower dams will be built across the Mekong River in Laos, and more across its tributaries. The government wants the country to become the 'battery of Asia'. With this dream comes a host of issues. Listen to reasons why the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) suggests hydro-dam ...

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Sustainable table: the coming famine

This is a website about the key issues related to global food insecurity. It contains sections on the scarcity of primary resources; land degradation; land scarcity; waste; climate change; consequences of inaction; and proposed solutions. Photographs, statistics, graphs, maps and figures support the information. This resource ...

Video

Marla Spivak: Why bees are disappearing

This is a video of a TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talk by Professor Marla Spivak about the dramatic decline in the number of bees. The 16-minute video begins with a discussion of why humans should care about bees, including their critical importance for the world's food supply. Professor Spivak explains that ...

Video

Water management for poverty reduction

This is a three-minute animated video about the difference that access to motor pumps for irrigation can make to poor farming families' food security and livelihood. It aims to persuade viewers that irrigation technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa are a worthy investment. The video sets the scene by illustrating the importance ...

Video

Catalyst: What is a mega-region?

Population growth is one of the problems facing Australians cities. Dr Julian Bolleter from the Urban Design Research Centre at the University of Western Australia says creating mega-regions could be a potential solution. What is a mega-region? In order to create a mega-region, what must happen first?

Interactive

What house is that?

This is an interactive streetscape of nine houses, each from a different era and of different styles. They represent the nine main housing styles in Victoria. Information about each of the houses includes: features and style; the Architect; designers; historical observations; house owners; and general social history of ...

Interactive

Environmental and Zoo Education Centres – high school resources

A collection of geography and science resources for high school teachers and students to support teaching and learning from home. The resources were developed by Department of Education teachers from 25 Environmental and Zoo Education Centres in NSW and include Google Sites, programs and activities.

Video

Foreign Correspondent: Spawning dams, not fish, on the Mekong?

The Mekong is the largest freshwater fishery in the world; however, this may be about to change. Discover in this 2010 clip how migration of fish species along the lower Mekong may be impeded by the proposed construction of dams along this mighty river. Do the economic benefits of the dam outweigh the potential loss of ...

Video

Investigating Australian approaches to producing fish, seafood and meat: teacher video

This video supports the unit of work by the same name. Presented by a classroom teacher who has trialled the unit the video reflects on the inquiry based pedagogy and the unit's value in terms of curriculum alignment and student engagement. The teacher discusses the opportunities the unit offers to engage with the cross-curriculum ...

Video

Investigating key Australian approaches to producing cotton, timber and wool: teacher video

This video supports the unit of work by the same name. Presented by a classroom teacher who has trialled the unit the video reflects on the inquiry based pedagogy and the unit's value in terms of curriculum alignment and student engagement.

Video

Foreign Correspondent: Cenotes

The Yucatán Peninsula is located in south-eastern Mexico and covers a vast area of coastline south of the Gulf of Mexico. It is a popular tourist destination for people who travel to cities such as Cancún to enjoy sandy white beaches. Explore the subterranean freshwater caverns of this region and discover why this pristine ...

Video

Towards food security in Afghanistan

This is a video about the progress towards food and water security in Afghanistan. It includes images and information about how the global economic crisis has affected the people of Afghanistan; the value of investment in agriculture production to reduce poverty in this region; and a water security project that is jointly ...