Geography 7-10 / Year 8 / Knowledge and understanding / Landscapes and landforms

Curriculum content descriptions

geomorphological processes that produce different landscapes and significant landforms (AC9HG8K01)

Elaborations
  • explaining the diversity of landscapes, such as wetlands, grasslands, forests, and cold and hot deserts, and landforms at the national scale; for example, mountains – Himalayan Mountains, Nepal; grasslands – the Steppe, central Asia; forests – Daintree, Australia; hot deserts – Gobi, China
  • explaining how tectonics, volcanism, folding, faulting, chemical weathering and physical weathering such as erosion, transportation and deposition shape places; for example, folding – MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia; faulting – Great Sumatran Fault (Semangko Fault), Indonesia; volcanism – Krakatoa, Indonesia
  • explaining the effects of rock type on a selected landform at the local scale; such as Fraser Island, Queensland or Twelve Apostles, Victoria; for example, sedimentary – igneous and metamorphic; chemical weathering – oxidation and solution; physical weathering – exfoliation and frost wedging
  • explaining the effects of erosion, transportation and deposition of water and wind on a selected landform at the local scale; for example, Fraser Island, Queensland, formed by wind, waves and ocean currents; the Twelve Apostles, Victoria, formed by erosion, tides and ocean currents
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
ScOT terms

Sediment transport,  Earth movements,  Environmental hazards,  Landforms,  Weathering

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Calculating the Movement of Australia

In this activity, students investigate why the position of Australia on maps was recalibrated in 2016. They also calculate how far Australia will move between now and 2085. This resource is part of a suite of activities from Queensland Museum focused on plate tectonics and volcanoes.

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Volatile Volcanoes

In this activity, students investigate the effects of volcanic activity, specifically in relation to pyroclastic flows. Students will use a real-world example to explore pyroclastic flow events, model and investigate the path most likely to be taken by flows, and develop a natural disaster management plan for villages likely ...

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Plate Tectonics 2: Plate Tectonics and Australia

In these activities, students predict how the historical geographical location of Australia would influence flora and fauna. They then construct a map of Earth using tectonic plates, and use this map to identify the geological features and events that occur at different plate boundaries. This resource is part of a suite ...

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Plate Tectonics 1: Continental Drift

In this activity students use fossil evidence to identify how the continents have moved over time. They then recreate Gondwana using the maps and fossil evidence provided. This resource is part of a suite of activities from Queensland Museum focused on plate tectonics and volcanoes.

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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.

Downloadable

Volcanic hazards: What would an Emergency Manager do?

This activity examines a hypothetical city and its vulnerability to volcanic hazard risk. It includes background information for teachers, PowerPoint presentation, student activity sheet and worked answers.

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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Sample Teaching and Learning Outline: Humanities and Social Sciences Year 8

Find ideas and relevant links for teaching Year 8 History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship and Economics in this resource.

Downloadable

Ice Power

This activity demonstrates how much water expands when frozen. Students quantify water's expansion when it freezes and establish how this can lead to weathering (breakdown) of rocks in areas exposed to frequent freezing and thawing temperatures. It is best to set up the demonstration one day ahead and examine the results ...

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

See how they run

This activity introduces lava viscosity and influence on volcanic cone shape. The download includes background information for teachers and an activity sheet for students. The activity involves making lava slime and racing this down a slope. Participants are asked to predict how lava viscosity might influence volcanic shape ...

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Liquefaction In Action

This short video examines the process of liquefaction and its impact on buildings and other structures. The video encourages students to investigate some of the ways engineers lessen the impact of earthquakes on buildings and to make their own liquefaction demonstration and extend it into an inquiry activity.

Downloadable

Geological Timewalk Booklet

This 58 page booklet explores geological timescales in the context of the Australian continent. Each section discusses a single geological time interval, and outlines the major geological, climatic and biological events which occurred in that interval, including continental drift, the break-up and amalgamation of continental ...

Downloadable

Landslides: Teachers Notes and Student Activities

This 50 page booklet explains the nature of landslides and gives examples of various historical landslides that have occurred in Australia. It contains a glossary, links to online resources, activity ideas and answer sheets.

Downloadable

Earthquakes - Teacher Notes and Student Activities

This 85 page booklet explores earthquakes. The booklet includes the causes and types of earthquakes, how earthquakes are recorded, magnitudes of earthquakes and case studies of significant Australian earthquakes. The booklet contains a glossary, links to online resources, activity ideas and experiments for students and ...

Downloadable

The Australian Coast - Teacher notes and student activities

This 100 page booklet explores the major physical environmental characteristics of the Australian coast. It also provides an outline of the major physical processes which shape the coast and introduces the human-induced processes which impact upon Australia’s coast. The booklet contains a glossary, links to online resources, ...

Downloadable

Volcanoes : Teacher notes and student activities

This 80 page booklet covers a range of topics concerning volcanoes. It includes information about causes of volcanic eruptions, volcano types, where volcanoes are found and why, Australia's hot spot volcanoes and the hazards and benefits of volcanoes. Activities cover the science of eruptions and their impact on people, ...

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Work sample Year 8 Geography: Landscapes and landforms

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 8 Geography. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation of ...

Online

Catchment management: what’s in a drop?

Water is a precious resource, yet water is also wasted every day. This activity investigates water consumption and how you can reduce the amount of water wasted. OUTCOMES of this learning activity are for students to: understand the urban water cycle; learn different ways to reduce water usage; discover how much water is ...

Online

Catchment management: water sustainability

Water is an important resource, and is required by all living species to survive. Water is also important for many industries and businesses. This activity investigates the different land uses over time across your local catchment. OUTCOMES are for children to: understand the natural and urban water cycle; learn about the ...