Content focus:

In this unit students investigate the natural and human features of places. They describe the reasons places change and identify the active role of citizens in the care of places. They learn about how people describe the weather and seasons of places. Students explore activities occurring in places and how the spaces within places can be used for different purposes.

Geographical concepts:

• Place: the significance of places and what they are like. For example: places students live in and belong to and why they are important.
• Space: the significance of location and spatial distribution, and ways people organise and manage the spaces that we live in. For example: location of a place in relation to other familiar places.
• Environment: the significance of the environment in human life, and the important interrelationships between humans and the environment. For example, how and why places should be looked after.
• Interconnection: no object of geographical study can be viewed in isolation. For example: local and global links people have with places and the special connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples maintain with Country/Place.
• Scale: the way that geographical phenomena and problems can be examined at different spatial levels. For example: various scales by which places can be defined such as local suburbs, towns and large cities.
  

Students investigate features of places and how they can be cared for

Students investigate the weather and seasons of places

Students investigate changes that occur within places

Key inquiry questions:

• What are the differences between natural and human features, and how do they show characteristics of places?
• What makes places change?
• How does observed data about the weather help us to understand patterns of weather in a particular place?

Outcomes:
A student:

• describes natural and human features of places and the connections people have with places
• identifies ways in which people interact with and care for places
• describes changes to places
• communicates geographical information and uses geographical tools for inquiry.

Inquiry skills:
Acquiring geographical information

• pose geographical questions
• collect and record geographical data and information, for example, by observing or using visual representations

Processing geographical information

• represent data by constructing maps
• draw conclusions based on interpretation of geographical information sorted into categories

Communicating geographically

• present findings in a range of communication forms
• reflect on their learning and suggest responses to their findings

Geographical tools:
Maps

• pictorial maps, large-scale maps, world maps, globe

Fieldwork

• observing, collecting and recording data

Graphs and statistics

• pictographs, data tables, column graphs, weather data

Spatial technologies

• satellite images

Visual representations

• photographs, illustrations, story books, multimedia, web tools

Lessons and worksheets:

Lesson 1: Natural and human features – using photographs :: Resource ppt :: Resource 2
Lesson 2: A walk around the school
Lesson 3: Using places in different way :: Worksheet 1
Lesson 4: Places that change :: Resource 1 :: Resource 2
Lesson 5: Making a weather chart :: Resource 1
Lesson 6: Places with different weather :: Worksheet 1
Lesson 7: Presenting a weather forecast
Lesson 8: How weather affects places :: Worksheet 1