Investigating contemporary issues allows students to move beyond knowing the facts, understanding processes and providing examples - to analysis and critical thinking. The case study for Climate Change focuses on Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) who are among some of the most vulnerable nations in the world to the impacts of climate change. These nations contribute the least to global warming yet will face some of the worst consequences. In this study you will investigate the formation of atoll islands, island economies and settlements as well as the impacts of, and responses to climate change - including mitigation, adaptation and resilience building. Did you know...
- many Pacific island nations earn over 80% of their GDP from tuna fisheries licences? - some tuna species are migrating from the warmer western pacific to the eastern Pacific. - Under the Law of the Sea a nation is entitled to an EEZ if it is above sea level and permanently populated? What are some social justice issues related to climate change for SIDS? - the economies of tuna dependent SIDS could be devastated by species migration - nations face losing control of the EEZ on which they depend if their islands are submerged, and their populations migrate. Students can discuss these issues and investigate proposed solutions - beyond climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience building …. do developed nations have a greater responsibility to assist SIDS?
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Our 2022 North Coast Floods case study is an excellent resource for teaching a contemporary hazard in the Human-Environment Interactions topic. The 2022 North Coast Floods chapter explores a catchment wide approach to flood management after devastating floods in the Richmond River Catchment (North Coast NSW) in 2022.
Did you know that up to 2 million fish and crustaceans died in one flood event in the Richmond River estuary?
There are opportunities to rethink the management of floods beyond flood mitigation to adaptation and resilience - meeting the challenge increasingly intense extreme weather events. Need convincing? Listen to this PODCAST - it covers many aspects of this case study and raises interesting discussion ideas such as re-swamping the swamp. Great Geography! Ocean Protect Podcast: The Lismore floods with Dr Mitchell Call & Dr James Sipp The presenters describe the flood, the incredible rescue efforts, the subsequent estuarine health impacts, climate change, and what can be done to mitigate future flood impacts in Lismore and the wider Wilsons and Richmond River area. Lots to discuss. Lots to watch. Lots to consider One of the longer case study chapters for Earth's Natural System in Powerful Geography 1 is on Forests. Forests provide habitats for more than three-quarters of life on land. They are the largest terrestrial carbon sink, absorbing 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum. The Boreal forest of Canada and the Congo Rainforest are examples explored. Modifications to forest environments through changes to land use, disrupt natural systems, fragment forests and compromise global biodiversity. Royal National Park Environmental Education Centre is offering a Rainforest field work excursion developed for Earth's Natural Systems. Field of Mars has been offering a Forest field work excursion for the old syllabus which should easily be adapted for the Earth's Natural Systems topic of the new syllabus. Illawarra Environmental Education Centre is offering a field work excursion on the Littoral rainforest of Minnamurra Spit. This is currently being offering for Ecosystems At Risk for the old Syllabus, but you may be able to negotiate for them to run it for Earth's Natural Systems in the new syllabus.
The Cryosphere is one of the longer case studies in the Earth's Natural Systems section of Powerful Geography 1. The Cryosphere represents all the world’s water that is frozen, permanently or seasonally, and can be found on every continent. The Cryosphere is a dynamic environment impacted by seasonal change, long term by natural processes, and accelerating change from anthropogenic causes. The cryosphere has become the “canary in the coal mine” for global climate change. Anthropogenic change is causing ice mass loss, a reduction in ice sheet extent, rising sea levels, melting permafrost. This topic would be an excellent opportunity for a overnight trip to Kosciuszko National Park, where you may be able to visit sites which demonstrate evidence of glaciers such as Moraine Pass, Blue Lake, Albina Cirque, Club Lake or Lake Cootapatamba. NPWS may be able to facilitate your field trip. View Going up the Mountain excursion. View Above the Treeline excursion.
It is important that resources for students contain detailed subject content and great case studies, incorporate metalanguage and provide a range of student activities, but what a resource looks like will also impact on student engagement and usability. Powerful Geography has been designed to be visually attractive, uses colourful, clear diagrams and infographics, and has a plethora of newly designed illustrations and graphics that students won't have seen before. Included below is a collection of sample pages for you to see what the Powerful Geography resource looks like. Visualise This pages contain complex geographical information in colourful illustrations and graphics. The purpose of this is to make sure that complex information is accessible for the full range of students, including those who may find complex text and terminology difficult. They also provide a great opportunity for all students to explore geographical information represented in a variety of different forms, and to develop the skills to manipulate and interpret information in different ways. The sample below shows the layout of the Visualise This about The Anthropocene. GEOstories have a similar layout to the longer case study chapters, with larger sections of text broken up by maps, diagrams and beautiful images. These are shorter case studies that can be used to explore themes in greater depth for students requiring extension (see our previous blog about Linked Content). Alternatively, a teacher may choose to use a smaller GEOstory in preference to a longer case study for students requiring learning and support. GEOstories are a form of chunking information at a larger scale. The excerpt below is from the GEOstory sample about the Wollemi Pine. Throughout the larger case studies chapters, information has been chunked in manageable sections to allow students to absorb information without becoming overwhelmed. The layout has been designed to include white space and some larger images and maps to break up text. Colours have been chosen to address colour contrast and improve usability and readability of maps and graphics. The excerpt below is from the Case Study sample of the Lake Eyre Basin.
To build conceptual knowledge and understanding and to ensure maximum usability of Powerful Geography content, a conscious effort was made to link content. Each Visualise This, GEOstory and Case study is a stand alone resource but there are connections between them.
For example: Studying the Arctic Region in the Content Focus Area: Human - Environment Interactions draws on content from Chapter 2: The Cryosphere and Chapter 3: Forest Systems (Boreal forests) from Earth’s Natural Systems.
The migration of birds from the southern hemisphere to the Arctic in GEOstory 1.1 reinforces the importance of Arctic environments for global biodiversity and Arctic ecosystems. The GEOstory, Churchill, the polar bear capital of the world, looks at challenges facing communities in the Arctic as a result of climate change and the changing behaviour of polar bears. Iceberg Alley describes changes to icebergs along the coast of Newfoundland. Visualise This explain important concepts relevant to the Arctic, many of which link to climate change - glacial and interglacial cycles, ecological succession after glaciers and ice sheets retreat, tipping points, feedback loops and permafrost. Much of the Arctic Ocean is considered ‘high seas’, one of the five recognised global commons that require treaties to govern their sustainable use. Over the coming weeks we will illustrate connections between other Case studies, Visualise This and GEOstories. Some of these connections link to Case studies for Year 12 that will be in Powerful Geograpphy 2. |
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