Rationale
Geography is a rich and complex discipline that integrates knowledge from the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities to build a holistic understanding of the world. Geography inspires curiosity and wonder about the interrelationship between places, environments, populations, and economies and communities of the world and how they are changing.
The Geography 7–10 Syllabus provides students with the opportunity to learn about Aboriginal Cultures and Histories and to investigate the sustainable environmental management practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Students develop an understanding of sustainable practices that have been implemented over millennia. This develops students’ understanding of the interdependence of people, places and environments, and how these Knowledges can contribute to understanding contemporary geographical issues and environmental management.
Through their study of geography, students learn to consider how different processes, interactions and influences transform people, places and environments. They learn about the perspectives people and organisations have on geographical issues and sustainable management at a range of scales from local to global.
The study of geography supports students to understand and apply geographical concepts and tools to make sense of the world. Geographical inquiry allows them to think and work geographically, using a wide range of skills, including acquiring, processing and communicating geographical information. Engagement in fieldwork, involving the use of tools is fundamental to geographical inquiry, and provides opportunities for students to learn about and apply ethical research practices.
Geography supports students to become informed, responsible and active citizens capable of evaluating the opinions of others and expressing their own ideas and reasoning. This forms a foundation for participation in community life, an active commitment to sustainability, the creation of a just society, and the promotion of intercultural understanding and lifelong learning.
Students may apply their knowledge of diverse geographic experiences to further education, work and career opportunities in geography-related fields, such as urban and regional planning, environmental science, geospatial analysis or geotechnical engineering, policymaking, environmental management, social sciences and other related disciplines.