The study of geography looks at where things are, why they are there and how humans interact with environments. It involves students investigating geographical issues including contemporary concepts such as sustainability. Students:

• ask questions
• acquire information
• analyse data
• evaluate consequences
• contribute to the management of physical, social, cultural and built environments.

These skills are outlined in the K–10 geographical inquiry skills continuum.

Students of geography are encouraged to form and express their own ideas and arguments while critically assessing the opinions of others. This forms a basis for a deep understanding of geographical issues; active and informed civic participation and responsible membership of society.

Syllabus

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Geography K–10 syllabus (2015) can assist you with programming Years 7–10 geography. It includes a guide to the syllabus, sample scope and sequences and sample units.

Geographical inquiry process

Use the a process for geographical inquiry (DOCX 101 KB) to support programming in geography.

Teaching and learning frameworks

The following Stage 4 and 5 sample teaching and learning frameworks cover topics from the Geography K–10 Syllabus. Teachers may adapt these programs to suit the needs of individual students and their local school context.

The K-10 Geography teaching framework for Early Stage 1 to Stage 3 can be found on Planning, programming and assessing geography K-6.

Geography 7-10 Life Skills

HSIE Geography – Life Skills (DOCX 124 KB) — ideas for teaching Geography Years 7-10 Life Skills. It is designed to be amended, adapted and used according to your school policies and priorities.

Geography program evaluation

Geography K-10 program evaluation (DOCX 72.3 KB) scaffold will support you to evaluate your geography teaching and learning programs in a holistic way. Use this document to reflect on your programs as an individual or faculty, ensuring that they are compliant and fit for purpose

National Literacy and Numeracy learning progressions

The progressions can be used to identify the capabilities of students:

• Learning progression indicators give you a clear foundation to target student learning needs and improve the achievement of course outcomes.
• Progressions provide you with the anatomy of literacy and numeracy.
• Progressions can be used to link students’ work samples to the indicators and can assist you in identifying the next phase in learning the skills of literacy and numeracy across and between indicators.

The following sample lesson plans aim to assist you to implement the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions into geography learning and teaching programs. They are a guide and may be amended and adapted to suit individualised learning and teaching programs.

Sample lesson plans with literacy and numeracy learning progressions

• Sample virtual program: stage 4 geography – place and liveability (DOCX 1.10 MB)
• Sample virtual program: stage 4 geography (DOCX 73 KB)
• Stage 5 Sustainable biomes (DOCX 66.8 KB)
• Stage 5 Environmental change and management – environments (DOCX 65.9 KB)
• Stage 5 Human wellbeing (DOCX 66 KB)

Learning across the curriculum content

• The K-10 cross curriculum resource Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures (DOCX 122 KB) provides teaching and learning activities and links to resources to integrate the teaching of the key concepts of Country/Place, Culture and People with the content and outcomes of the syllabus.
• The K-10 cross curriculum resource Sustainability (DOCX 176 KB) provides ideas to embed the cross curriculum priority of sustainability within a history program through learning snapshots with links to resources across a number of different topics from K–10.
• The K-10 cross curriculum resource Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia (DOCX 126 KB) provides snapshots of learning for each stage with case studies that support teachers to include the diversity of Asia, achievements and contributions of peoples of Asia and Asia-Australia engagement in geography
• Using picture books for intercultural understanding: Learning across the curriculum (PDF 1.55 MB) is a resource for geography, history, English, creative arts K-10. The resource suggests learning activities based around picture books selected for their value in developing intercultural understandings and their literary worth.

Other resources

• Guide to using picture books in geography K-10 (PDF 1.62 MB) supports teachers to integrate picture books to enhance their geography teaching and programming. It provides examples of learning activities for picture books selected for their geographical and literary value.
• Terminology in geography K–10 (DOCX 79.4 KB) - The geography terminology continuum provides a list of essential vocabulary required of the NSW syllabus for the Australian curriculum K-10 geography.
• Geography for those new to teaching the subject (DOCX 1.61 MB) is a comprehensive resource to support new and out-of-subject teachers to develop their skills and confidence in teaching geography. The resource unpacks the Geography K-10 syllabus in detail and includes a number of resources to support teachers in the use of geographical tools in the classroom and fieldwork opportunities.
• Geographical toolkit K–10 (DOCX 16.3 MB) unpacks the Tools continuum in Geography K-10 Syllabus. All students, in Geography K-10, have to use and integrate geographical tools throughout the geographical inquiry process. This resource provides examples of a variety of geographical tools and suggested stages where they can be applied.