Geography / Year 10 / Geographical Knowledge and Understanding / Unit 1: Environmental change and management

Curriculum content descriptions

The application of geographical concepts and methods to the management of the environmental change being investigated (ACHGK074)

Elaborations
  • discussing the influence of people’s world views on programs for the management of the environmental change being investigated
  • proposing geographical management strategies for the environmental change being investigated (for example, establishing reserves and corridors to preserve biodiversity (a spatial strategy), ecosystem-based management (an environmental strategy), urban planning to reduce energy consumption (a spatial strategy), and addressing underlying as well as immediate causes of environmental change (holistic thinking))
  • comparing strategies in Australia and another country to manage the environmental change being investigated
  • exploring the variety of solutions to similar environmental changes in different places
  • discussing how land management agencies are increasingly working with traditional owners to manage environmental change and challenges
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Environmental management

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 ...

Video

Catalyst: E-waste, recycling, and sustainability

What happens to electronic waste (e-waste)? Watch this clip about the physics of recycling to find out the way that useful materials are captured from waste at a local materials recovery facility. Presenter Tanya Ha investigates e-waste, the products it comes from, and the sustainability challenges it poses.

Video

Measuring gravity

Did you know you can measure gravity? The more mass an object has, the more gravity it has, so by measuring the mass of something, you can figure out its gravity. Why do you think climate scientists may want these measurements? Watch this NASA animation to find out.

Interactive

Save our catchment – virtual excursion

This virtual excursion offers twelve video lessons that form a sample investigation of pest species invading Australian riparian zones. Filmed on Bundjalung Country, the excursion traverses mid north coast NSW Upper Clarence River Catchment, connecting each video to companion classroom and field learning tasks. The invasive, ...

Interactive

Water use and efficiency – sustainability action process (Years 7–10)

This resource guides students through an extended school-based or local investigation focussed on water use and efficiency using the five step sustainability action process. The resource supports the investigation of a real-world issue or problem. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate ...

Text

The Conversation: Biodiversity

This resource contains a series of explanatory articles about biodiversity, its role in ecological conservation, key issues, and new research. It can be used to develop a broad understanding of biodiversity, its importance and impact.

Interactive

Biodiversity – sustainability action process (Years 7–10)

This biodiversity learning resource guides students through an extended school based investigation. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Interactive

Waste and materials – sustainability action process (Years 7–10)

This resource guides students through an extended school-based or local investigation focussed on waste and materials using the five-step sustainability action process. The resource supports the investigation of a real-world issue or problem. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate ...

Text

Budj Bim: an Aboriginal cultural heritage landscape

This resource showcases how the Gunditjmara people shaped the landscape for long-term well-being. In this activity students will investigate the cultural connections of the Budj Bim people to country, their development and use of environmental management strategies over thousands of years, and the modern context of collaborative ...

Video

Foreign Correspondent: Sustainable tourism

The Yucatán Peninsula in south-eastern Mexico is a popular tourist destination. This clip focuses on examples of sustainable tourism - tourism that aims to have a low environmental impact. View Tulum, a town under threat of being developed similarly to Cancún, a major tourist resort destination.

Text

Geological sequestration

This is an information sheet containing a student activity simulating geological sequestration of carbon dioxide as well as background information for teachers. The background information describes sequestration in geologic formations, including oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams and deep saline reservoirs. The ...

Text

Fruitcake mining

This is an activity sheet providing instructions for a simulated mining experiment using pieces of fruitcake. Students use various tools to remove different fruits, each representing different minerals, from a piece of fruitcake which represents the mine site. They are then required to rehabilitate the 'mine site'. The ...

Video

Landline: Feeding soils to grow hungry crops

How do today's farmers improve their crop yields? One school of thought is to go high-tech and use agricultural technologies designed to improve efficiencies and yields. See the role that soil condition plays in gaining those high yields.

Video

Magical Land of Oz: Koalas and climate change

The koala population in rural NSW has been declining over the years due to drought and heatwaves. What causes some of the temperature extremes experienced in this region? Dr Mella believes koalas normally get most of the moisture they need to stay hydrated from eucalyptus leaves. What has changed in recent years that means ...

Video

Walking on Aboriginal land

Benjamin Church works for the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Watch as Ben welcomes visitors through the Welcome to Country ceremony. Why do people place leaves in the fire? What does that signify? As Ben takes his visitors through the Royal Botanic Gardens, he explains the importance of land to Aboriginal people.

Video

Foreign Correspondent: The Mekong: A damming example

The government of Laos has plans for many revenue-raising dams along the Mekong River. Find out about a dam, the Nam Theun 2, which was completed in 2010 and lies across the Nam Theun river in the Nakai Plateau. This clip from the same year asks if the dam could be the flagship for others to be built along the Mekong. Discover ...

Video

Foreign Correspondent: Power is money on the the Mekong

Discover why the Lao Government plans to build a hydropower dam at Xayaboury (Xayaburi) on the Mekong River and how neighbouring countries might react. The Mekong River Commission is attempting to maintain a balance for all users of the river. Find out why this is a difficult and complex task.

Video

The explorers’ diaries

When Sir Thomas Mitchell and Sir George Grey explored unknown regions of Australia in the 19th century, they found sophisticated examples of agriculture practised by Indigenous peoples. Writer Bruce Pascoe considers why Aboriginal agriculture, economy and civilisation were not taught to generations of Australians. Do you ...

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

World’s first bakers?

When did humans begin grinding seeds to make flour? Many people believe bread-making began in Egypt or Mesopotamia as long as 17,000 years ago. Archaeologists have recently found evidence that Indigenous Australians were producing flour 65,000 years ago. Were they the world’s first bakers?