This term the Geography students and their teachers have had a wonderful time exploring and undertaking active inquiry based learning. Fieldwork is an integral part of the Geography Syllabus having first hand inquiry based learning assists students to make connections with the world. The gathering of primary evidence and synthesising secondary sources will be the foundations for the assessment tasks that students will complete.
Year 7 have gathered data to assess the Liveability of Millers Point, Milsons Point and Lavender Bay. The students conducted Light and Sound testing using the Lux Meter and microphones. A highlight was walking across the Harbour Bridge and visiting Wendy’s Secret Garden!
Year 8 will undertake an Interdisciplinary excursion covering both Science and Geography core curriculum; water. The students will visit two locations- Warragamba Dam, and St Mary’s Sewerage Treatment Plant, conducting water testing which will include turbidity and temperature in addition compare statistics for reliability. Students will observe the structures that manage our water supply. As part of the Year 8 Camp, students visited Snowy Hydro; a very rich experience for the students to see the impacts of water scarcity and the need to protect this precious resource.
Year 9 students have visited Botany Bay and undertaken fieldwork that shows how biomes function. Mangrove and Sea Grass studies included counting and classifying biodiversity. Students also learned the economic importance of these estuarine ecosystems and the life cycle of oysters.
Year 10 students compared and contrasted Long Reef and Collaroy Beaches and observed the human impacts on the natural functioning of coastal areas. The students explored the management strategies that are used to mitigate the force of nature. A key point of interest for the students was observing the impact of the 2016 East Coast Low and the storm surge.
Students and staff have enjoyed all of these experiences and it is wonderful to see students make the links between what they learn in classroom and real life. At Hills, our Graduate Aim is to 'Display a strong sense of environmental responsibility'; through these Geography fieldwork connections with the wider community students have been inspired to be ambassadors of the environment and develop their global citizenship awareness.
Thank you to all the teachers that have supported these valuable learning experiences.
Grace Larobina | Geography Teacher
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