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.
