Geography / Year 8 / Geographical Knowledge and Understanding / Unit 1: Landforms and landscapes

Curriculum content descriptions

Geomorphic processes that produce landforms, including a case study of at least one landform (ACHGK050)

Elaborations
  • describing the influence of folding, faulting or volcanism on a chosen landform
  • researching the effects of rock type, weathering, erosion by water and wind, and transportation and deposition on the chosen landform
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
ScOT terms

Environmental management,  Environmental hazards,  Earth movements,  Disaster relief

Interactive

Sites2See – earthquakes

Resources on the topic of earthquakes to help explore the human and physical dimensions. Links to maps and interactive activities on plate tectonics, with a particular focus on the Caribbean plate, the movement of which caused the devastating earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, and links to news and information about the ...

Downloadable

Sugar Shake: Erosion experiment

This activity introduces weathering and erosion by investigating why river pebbles are often rounded. The download includes background information for teachers and an activity sheet for students. The activity demonstrates the process of erosion using sugar cubes. Students are asked to predict what might happen (a hypothesis) ...

Downloadable

Weathering, erosion, landforms and regolith - Teacher notes and student activities

This 112 page booklet explores the processes of weathering, erosion and deposition. It highlights the different types of weathering, erosion and transport and provides examples of famous landscapes to enhance the understanding of these processes. It includes case studies about the formation of many Australian landforms ...

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Geography: Landscapes and Landforms

Join Shona from Geoscience Australia and explore the formation of Australia's coastal, desert and mountain landforms and landscapes.

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Victorian Heritage Database

This is a rich, interactive resource that lists Victoria’s most significant heritage: places, objects, shipwrecks and archaeological sites. It has four main sections: Introduction; Explore heritage map; Recommended tours; and Timeline browser. The Explore heritage map searches for sites and provides information and images ...

Online

Seeing the Land from an Indigenous Canoe

This is website about the significant contribution Aboriginal people made in colonial times by guiding European explorers and colonists, stock and goods across the Victorian river systems. The resource includes introductory information and 31 Story Objects in the format of videos, audio, images and text. Each object also ...

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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 ...

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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?

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Catalyst: What is a megafire?

Join Catalyst reporter Anja Taylor as she visits the Jemez Mountains in New Mexico and discovers the impacts of recent megafires on the landscape there. What is a megafire? And how is a megafire different from a regular wildfire? How have recent fires permanently transformed the landscapes that Anja and Professor Craig ...

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Biodiversity and farming for a healthy planet

This is a digital resource containing information and resources, such as printable games, that relate to biodiversity and farming, and how food and materials can be produced while protecting the Earth's natural resources. It includes an extensive glossary of important terms, and external links to teacher and student resources ...

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Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub: Australian disasters

This is a curated collection of articles, photographs and internet links related to natural, technological and human-caused events including bushfires, cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, shipwrecks, urban fires, chemical and industrial events in Australia. Events included have posed a serious threat to a community or property ...

Online

Digital Stories of the Land

This is website that presents a collection of digital stories about the connection people have with their surroundings, in particular the land. The resource has three sections: Introductory information; Story Objects; and Story Education Resources. There are 11 Story Objects, all videos that present personal stories of ...

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Farms and people’s connections to them: producer video

This is a video about the operation of the Outback Pride project and the value of the Australian native food produced in conjunction with Aboriginal peoples. To a visual background of the nursery at Reedy Creek in South Australia and some of 25 Aboriginal communities involved in the project in SA and Northern Territory, ...

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NSW ecosystems on show

This resource highlights fifteen natural ecosystems found in New South Wales. Each resource has been designed for students investigating ecosystem types in NSW, providing a greater understanding of their location, function, how they are impacted by human activity and how schools and communities can work to protect them. ...

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Farms have distinctive features: producer video

This is a video about action for sustainability on the Willalooka Pastoral Company's property in South Australia. Owner Thyne McGregor describes the natural characteristics of the extensive property in terms of its rainfall, soil quality and the Marcollat Watercourse. He tells how the property was originally cleared for ...

Online

Creating a wildlife habitat: design

Creating a wildlife habitat can provide a home for a variety of local wildlife from the smallest insects and spiders to birds, reptiles, mammals and frogs. These habitats can provide a sanctuary for species that have been displaced through urbanisation, as built structures replace natural areas. The Vision activity determined ...

Online

Water for wildlife

With Australia’s changing climate we need to adapt to our altering conditions. This is challenging but also possible for humans through behaviour change and infrastructure change (too advanced?) but not quite so easy for our precious wildlife. While water is considered renewable as it functions as part of a water cycle, ...

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Creating a wildlife habitat: vision

This learning activity is the second part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a wildlife habitat. The order of these learning activities are: research, vision, design, planting and monitoring and care. OUTCOMES for this learning activity are for children to: create a vision of what their ...

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Places we protect

This is a rich, multilayered resource about 35 protected Bush Heritage reserves throughout Australia. The resource includes a map of Australia that displays the locations of the 35 reserves. Each location is linked to important information and images including: quick facts; visiting information; the animals, plants and ...

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Sites2See: Volcanoes

Links to resources outlining some famous volcanic eruptions and explaining the types and causes of volcanic activity.

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Coal and its uses

Find out where we get the coal that powers our homes and industries. This is a PowerPoint presentation outlining how coal is formed, mined, processed and used. All slides contain images or maps. Teachers' notes are included.

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Rehabilitation on North Stradbroke Island

Find out how miners plan for and carry out revegetation of sand mining sites. This is a PowerPoint presentation that shows the pre-mine surveys, planning, plant propagation, dune re-profiling and maintenance work carried out by Consolidated Rutile Limited (CRL) in rehabilitating land on North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, ...

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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 ...

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Low-emission energy future

Find out about the technologies that can reduce our greenhouse-gas emissions. This resource consists of an animated video accompanied by an interactive landscape activity. The video focuses on technologies that can reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, as well as renewable energy and improved ...

Interactive

CFA: am I at risk?

This is an online resource that describes four different areas of habitation and provides a list of points for each area describing what to expect in the event of a bushfire, to assist people to understand their level of risk. The four areas of habitation are: close to or among grass or paddocks, close to or among forest ...

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Self-guided trips

This is a rich, multilayered resource about self-guided trips at eight Bush Heritage reserves across Australia. The resource provides information, images and maps about eight self-guided day trips or camping trips including: detailed information about the reserve; advice about the self-guided trip; when to visit; type of ...

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Wild backyards: digital stories transcript

This is a transcript of a series of three short digital stories produced by the Queensland Museum, entitled 'Wild backyards', in which experts explain how they attract wildlife to their backyards located in Brisbane, Roma and Innisfail. The transcript includes accompanying photographs taken from the digital stories and ...

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Sites2See: What is climate change?

A page to address the question What is climate change? from the definition, to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as the foremost authority, and selected links covering aspects of that question with games, graphics, activities, information sites, resource packs and video interviews, for teachers and students. ...

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Looking after the land

This is a resource about the environmental, climatic, natural disaster and pest challenges faced during settlement in Australia. It includes details about land management techniques; extreme and unique weather conditions, including floods and droughts; bushfires; animal and plant pests; and water management. Text, images, ...

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Science Talk 2008

An online resource with interviews and master classes with many of Australia's prominent scientists. Interviews with eight scientists in areas of astronomy, marine biology, bio-chemistry related to medical research, chemistry related to materials science, astro-imaging, palaeontology, climate change science and psychology ...

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Researching produce in the local region: producer video

This is a video about the food produce of the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. Presented by Hilary Ellis, Food Ambassador for the region, it shows food being produced and then sold in farmers' markets as she describes how the characteristics of various regions affect what is grown and produced there. She details ...

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The Murray-Darling Basin: an introduction

This lesson sequence is designed to introduce students to key aspects of the Murray-Darling Basin including the environment, geography, economy, people, history, water cycle and water management challenges. The lesson sequence includes a teacher PowerPoint presentation, separate teacher notes and a student worksheet. This ...

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Out and about on farms: producer video

This is a video about the Willalooka Pastoral Company in South Australia and its annual cycle of cattle and sheep production. Narrated by owner Thyne McGregor, it shows the scale of the company's operations as he describes how its 10,000 ha size came about and how its five staff are deployed. He emphasises the importance ...

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CFA: bushfire interactive

This is an interactive resource containing a game, interactive simulations, detailed information and links to other useful information on bushfire readiness, including a downloadable fire plan. It consists of three sections - Fire risk, How a fire behaves and Fire safety - covering topics such as fire danger rating, radiant ...

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Impacts of mining

Identify how mines affect the environment and investigate ways of reducing the effects. This student worksheet comprises a diagram showing activities at a mine site and a table to be completed by the student. Students use the table to summarise environmental effects of the mine and the actions taken at the site to reduce ...

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CFA: fire safety on the farm

This is an online resource about farm fire safety containing two sections - Key advice for farmers and Essential steps before fire season - in point form, as well as a link to a downloadable PDF containing agricultural fire management guidelines. There is also a link to a resource on hay and fire safety. This resource is ...

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Biomes that produce our food, industrial materials and fibre: producer video

This is a video about the mixed farming operations of Boonderoo Pastoral Company in South Australia. The farm is introduced by owner Lachie Seears who describes its size, family history and how region's Mediterranean climate allows him to diversify across a range of valuable commodities including Angus cattle, cross-breed ...

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Tsunami: the ultimate guide

This comprehensive web resource provides a series of six interactive slide shows (chapters) that introduce the cause and impacts of tsunami with a focus on Australia, Asia and Pacific regions. Produced by experts in the field, this information is clearly and simply described. The engaging presentation is enriched with photography, ...

Online

Getting started with sustainability in schools

This is a website to help teachers implement an Education for Sustainability (EfS) approach in their professional practice. The multi-layered site is organised into five main sections. The first (Steps) identifies four key EfS contexts and provides support for each, including 11 case studies and five teacher profiles that ...

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CFA Bushfires - a geography resource for Australian students

This is an illustrated PDF with comprehensive information about the causes and behaviours of bushfire as well as the impact fires have on natural and human environments. Taking a geographic perspective, the text is supported with photographs, maps, aerial photography, diagrams, and tables. Each chapter includes activities ...

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CFA publications

This is an online resource with links to downloadable publications including brochures, guides, plans and fact sheets on fire safety and related topics. There are also links to reports and policies, documents in languages other than English, Brigade magazine and audio versions of summer fire-safety information. This resource ...

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Through our eyes: series 1

This series of 18 short videos provides insights into the land management practices and social, spiritual and cultural knowledge of the Ngemba, Kamilaroi and Euahlayi Aboriginal language groups in north-western NSW. The videos are presented by the Aboriginal Elders and knowledge-holders and cover a range of topics including ...

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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.

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Magical Land of Oz: Join the Numbat Taskforce!

Numbats are native Australian marsupials that can be found in Western Australia and South Australia. Unfortunately, their numbers are declining rapidly. What are the causes? What can we do to combat this and protect these unique Australian animals? Find out what one community group, the Numbat Taskforce, is doing to help ...

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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 ...

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BTN: Food wastage

Do you know how much food industrialised nations, including Australia, throw away every year? Global population is set to reach over nine billion by 2050 which will increase demand for food by 70%. What do you think we can do to consume food more responsibly and sustainably? How might we re-direct food that would otherwise ...

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Birds and totems

Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man Bruce Pascoe shares his delight in encountering birds on Country. Bruce explains the significance of Umburra, or black duck, and his obligation to care for the species. Bruce explains that his brothers and sisters look after other animals, such as kangaroos, bream, wallabies, flathead and ...

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Waterways: clean-up

We all have the power to help keep our coastlines, rivers, lakes, swamps, creeks, floodplains, billabongs and estuaries clean by diverting rubbish from our waterways. This can be done with regular clean-ups, picking up litter when you see it, and changing our behaviour such as limiting our use of single-use plastic. This ...

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Creating a wildlife habitat: monitoring and care

Monitoring and care helps provide an understanding of how your garden grows. What does it need to be healthy, to support growth, and be a native habitat? This learning activity is the final part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a wildlife habitat. The order of these learning activities ...

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Waterways: behaviour change

We have the power to help keep our coastlines, rivers, lakes, swamps, creeks, floodplains, billabongs and estuaries clean by diverting rubbish from our waterways. We can all be change makers. By altering our everyday habits such as limiting our use of single-use plastic items, we can also inspire others to do the same. This ...

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Soil – more than just dirt!

Explore different soil textures and discover their various properties. Through simple soil testing, children will learn to appreciate the true value soils have in helping plants grow. The learning outcomes of this activity are for children to: - understand how soil texture influences the amount of water and air it holds - ...