Unit 1: Planet Earth – An Introduction

Content focus:

Students are introduced to planet earth. This study forms the basis of a subsequent focus on the climate, natural vegetation and native animals of places in Australia and elsewhere. In completing this unit, students develop skills in acquiring, processing and communicating geographical information.

Syllabus content area:
Different environments

• Students investigate the natural characteristics of Australia and a country in Asia.

Key inquiry questions:

• What are the key natural features of planet earth?
• What are the processes producing the earth’s distinct landforms and environments?

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.

Outcomes:
A student:

• identifies and describes key natural features and characteristics of places and environments
• explains, in simple terms, the processes responsible for the formation of natural features and environments
• acquires and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry.

Inquiry skills:
Acquiring geographical information

• pose geographical questions
• collect and record geographical information

Processing geographical information

• represent data using maps and diagrams
• draw conclusions based on interpretation of geographical information

Communicating geographically

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

Geographical tools:
Maps

• large-scale maps, world map, globe

Spatial technologies

• satellite images

Visual representations

• photographs, illustrations, story books, multimedia and web-based tools.

Lessons and worksheets included in the download file:

Lesson 1: Planet Earth: An Introduction :: PowerPoint 1: Planet Earth :: PowerPoint transcript
Lesson 2: The restless Earth :: Resource Sheet 1 :: PowerPoint 1: Our Restless Earth :: Student Work Sheet 1
Lesson 3: Mountains :: Resource Sheet 1
Lesson 4: Volcanoes :: Resource Sheet 1
Lesson 5: Earthquakes :: Resource Sheet 1
Lesson 6: Natural Disaster Research Task