Back to Geography
Why are key questions included in the band descriptions?
The key questions within each band description provide a selection of possible themes that could be used to develop units of work within the teaching and learning program. These are suggestions to stimulate teachers and are not mandatory.
How much time should I spend teaching Geography?
This is a school decision. The teaching and learning program needs to be designed so that the content described in the curriculum is addressed, but exactly how much time is allocated may vary between year levels within the school and between schools. Whole-school planning is essential to support efficient and effective delivery of curriculum, ensuring progression along the continuum.
What is the role of fieldwork in Geography?
Involving students in fieldwork enables them to effectively collect information that is then used to develop and demonstrate their understanding of the Geographical concepts and skills applied to different contexts.
Why are the elaborations for the Place, space and interconnection sub-strand the same as some of the elaborations found in the Geographical knowledge strand?
Conceptual thinking in Geography is developed through holistic engagement with the curriculum. The Geographical knowledge content descriptions identify essential knowledge for students and at the same time provide a context through which conceptual thinking can be developed. The Place, space and interconnection sub-strand identifies a continuum of conceptual thinking that can be used to approach and shape both the Geographical Knowledge and Data and information content descriptions. The content elaborations for Place, Space and Interconnection demonstrate a range of links between these areas of the curriculum.
Do all students in Years 9 and 10 have to study Geography?
In the pathways stage of schooling (Years 9-10) students should have the opportunity to engage with the full structure of the Victorian Curriculum. The school curriculum plan should demonstrate how across these two years of schooling students will be offered a program that includes the History curriculum.
The school curriculum plan should recognise that in these two years of schooling some students begin to focus on areas of specialisation related to both their future schooling and intended pathways beyond school. The learning program for these Pathways years can, therefore, be based on the curriculum areas set out in the Victorian Curriculum, or where a student has already demonstrated achievement of the knowledge and skills at level 10, senior secondary studies could be drawn from equivalent curriculum areas.