geography alive: stage 1 geography (topic 1; unit 1) · • step 1: the teacher shows students...

GeographyAlive:Stage1Geography(Topic1;Unit1)

PrimaryGeographyAlive–©GeographyTeachersAssociationNSW

Lesson1:Naturalandhumanfeatures

Contentfocus:

Thislessonintroducesandconsolidatestheconceptsofnaturalandhumanfeatures–conceptscentraltoanunderstandingofgeographyandtheenvironment.

Resources:

• Resource1(PPT):Acollectionofphotographsdepictingexamplesofnatural(physical)andhumanenvironments

• Resource2:Foursheetsofphotographsillustratingarangeofnatural(physical)andhumanenvironments

• Watson,J.&Sayles,W.(1955).TheFirstGoldenGeography:ABeginnersIntroductionToOurWorld.GoldenPressSydney.

• AccesstoaerialphotographsofthelocalareaonGoogleEarth.

Keyinquiryquestions:

• Whatfeaturesofplacesarenaturalandwhichistheproductofhumanactivity?

• Howarenaturalfeaturesformedandshaped?

• Howarenaturalfeaturesalteredbyhumansandhumanfeaturesalteredbynature?

Outcomes:

Astudent:

• describesfeaturesofplacesandclassifiesthemasnaturalorhuman

• identifieswaysinwhichpeopleinteractwithandcareforplaces.

Lessonsequence:

• Step1:Theteachershowsstudentsphotographsofavarietyofbothhumanandnaturalfeatures(Resource1–PPT).Students,withteacherguidance,identifythosethataredominatedbynaturalfeaturesandthosethataretheworkofpeople(human).

• Step2:Smallgroupsofstudentsaregivenoneoffourphotocards(ResourceSheet2)andaskedtoselectthosethatarehumanfeaturesandthosethatareprimarilyphysicalinnature.

• Step3:Eachgroupofstudentsisthenaskedtomakealistofotherfeatures(notinthephotographs)whichcouldbeclassifiedasnaturalorhuman.

• Step4:Theclasscouldthensuggesthowsomeofthenaturalfeatureswerecaused–forcessuchasrivers,oceanwaves,ice,earthquakes,wind,floods,volcanoescouldbementionedbriefly.

• Step5:Ifavailable,readstudentsTheFirstGoldenGeography:ABeginnersIntroductionToOurWorld.Pointstoemphasiseinclude:Theworldissphericalinshapeandmovesthroughspace;mountainouslandscapes;volcanicactivity;theworkofrivers;oceansandseas;islands;lakesandponds;coldandhotlands;anddeserts.

• Step6:ThegroupsthenlookataGoogleEarthimageoftheschool’slocalareaonascreendevice.Theyareaskedtoselectplacesandfeatureswhichcanbeclassifiedasmainlynaturalorhuman.