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

Curriculum content descriptions

Ways of protecting significant landscapes (ACHGK052)

Elaborations
  • identifying different views about the value of particular environments (for example, recreational, psychological, aesthetic and spiritual), and about the nature and extent of their protection, and discussing how this links to ideas about environmental sustainability
  • investigating a significant landscape that is threatened by human activities and developing a proposal for the future of the landscape that takes account of the views of the diverse groups, including traditional owners, with an interest in its use or protection
  • identifying the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge to the use and management of landforms and landscapes
  • investigating the negative and positive impacts of bushfires on Australian landscapes and ways of responding to the risk and events of bushfires
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Landforms,  Sense of place,  Natural heritage

Video

Battling erosion on the Gold Coast

Queensland's iconic Gold Coast beaches experienced severe erosion as a result of wild weather in early 2013. The liveability of beachside homes in the area is under threat. See the local council's attempts to shore up the coastline and hear some questions being asked about the best way to protect the landscape. Where does ...

Video

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 ...

Video

TAR-RU: The story of Lake Victoria

This 46 minute video explores the environmental and cultural impact of a dam on Lake Victoria in south western NSW and current efforts to protect the significant Aboriginal heritage and environmental values of the area. It provides a comprehensive historical case study about the Aboriginal culture at TAR-RU and the effect ...

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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 ...

Image

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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Digital stories

The three short stories in this resource look at Australian bread-making in 3 different eras – pre-colonial, colonial and near-future. They explore how environmental world views and practices have differed across time.

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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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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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Water quality

This lesson explores the concept that the way humans use land and water can cause water quality degradation. Students investigate the factors that influence water quality, the effects of poor water quality and management options for some water quality issues.

Video

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

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.

Video

Earthquake monitoring

This video introduces earthquake monitoring using seismometers and seismographs. It also features the National Earthquake Alert Centre. Students are asked to try making earthquakes at home using the accelerometers in their smartphones.

Video

Understanding the National Earthquake Alerts Centre

This video introduces the National Earthquake Alerts Centre. The video explains that earthquakes are detected by a network of seismometers; each station sends seismic information for analysis and checking by seismologists on duty. The video describes the types of wave forms in earthquakes and the sequence of events in ...

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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 ...

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School of rocks: teacher resource

In this structured inquiry unit of work students explore the formation of rocks and minerals. They investigate how the properties of rocks and minerals are related to their use, and how these naturally occurring materials provide valuable resources for human activity. Students also investigate the effects of volcanic activity, ...

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.

Video

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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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.

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.