Subject description

Geography is a 20-credit subject at Stage 2.

Through the study of Geography, students develop an understanding of the spatial interrelationships between people, places, and environments. They appreciate the complexity of our world, the diversity of its environments, and the challenges and associated opportunities facing Australia and the world.

Geography develops an appreciation of the importance of place in explanations of economic, social, and environmental phenomena and processes.

Geography provides a systematic, integrative way of exploring, analysing, and applying the concepts of place, space, environment, interconnection, sustainability, scale, and change. Students of Geography identify patterns and trends, and explore and analyse geographical relationships and interdependencies. They use this knowledge to promote a more sustainable way of life and an awareness of social and spatial inequalities.

Through a humanities lens, students investigate spatial aspects of society using inquiry methods that are analytical, critical, and speculative. Through a science lens, students develop an appreciation of the interdependence between the biophysical environment and human activities.

Students engage in geographical inquiry by using geographical methods and skills. They pose geographical questions, seek answers, and evaluate responses, using a range of fieldwork and spatial technology skills. Fieldwork, in all its various forms, is central to the study of Geography, as it enables students to develop their understanding of the world through direct experience.

Capabilities

The capabilities connect student learning within and across subjects in a range of contexts.

The SACE identifies seven capabilities.

Literacy

In Geography, students extend their literacy skills as they explore, interpret, and evaluate geographical phenomena and issues, and communicate geographically. Students develop their literacy capability by using appropriate geographical terminology, and by reading, interpreting, and creating maps and visual representations. They explore and explain location and spatial relationships, and access, research, analyse, and select appropriate primary and secondary sources. Students communicate in a variety of forms, using appropriate conventions for the acknowledgment of sources. Geography encompasses the field of spatial literacy, including understanding spatial relationships and awareness of how geographical space is represented, analysing issues, and developing solutions within a spatial framework.

Numeracy

Through Geography, students develop their numeracy capability as they investigate location, distance, and spatial distributions, and use measurement tools, scale, and units appropriate to fieldwork and mapping tasks. They use graphs, diagrams, and statistics related to geographical locations, events, features, and other phenomena. Students display data, using appropriate geographical conventions such as transects, crosssections, population pyramids, and thematic maps. In constructing and interpreting maps, students work with numerical concepts of grids, scale, distance, area, and projections. They interpret and extrapolate from statistical information to predict trends and outcomes from data.  

Information and communication technology (ICT) capability

In Geography, students develop their ICT capability when they locate, select, evaluate, communicate, and share geographical information using digital tools, including spatial technologies. Students develop their ICT capability by using a range of digital technologies to manipulate and interrogate data. They creatively present research findings using various multimodal approaches, including infographics, maps, and digital presentations. Students enhance their understanding of the ICT capability by exploring the impact and effects of technologies on place, economic activity, and people’s lives.

Critical and creative thinking

In Geography, students develop critical and creative thinking as they explore and investigate geographical information, concepts, and ideas. They develop and practise critical and creative thinking by using logic when evaluating evidence, testing explanations, analysing arguments, and making decisions. Students are encouraged to be innovative and critical in designing fieldwork and creative in proposing management strategies or responses. Students think creatively about the ways in which places and spaces might be better designed, and visualise possibilities. Opportunities for critical and creative thinking are integral to Geography as students make recommendations for improvements to human and physical environments. 

Personal and social capability 

Students of Geography develop their personal and social capability through becoming aware of how to take responsible personal, social, and/or environmental action in support of or against decisions by organisations, governments, or other bodies. Students develop and refine their skills in listening to, respecting, and acknowledging diverse perspectives and opinions. Students are encouraged to take responsible social and environmental action to advocate for sustainable change in their local area and in society more broadly. 

Ethical understanding

In Geography, students develop ethical understanding as they investigate current geographical issues. As students develop their understanding of the concepts of sustainability and social justice, they consider the ethical implications of human behaviour on societies now and for future generations. Through asking ethical questions about human rights and citizenship, students develop informed values and attitudes and become aware of their own roles and responsibilities as citizens of the Earth. When undertaking fieldwork, students consider ethical protocols for investigating and working with people and preserving places and environments. 

Intercultural understanding

Through Geography, students develop intercultural understanding as they examine geographical issues and perspectives in a broad range of cultural contexts. Students further develop their intercultural understanding by valuing diversity, researching case studies that challenge pre-existing perceptions, and learning about a range of people, groups, cultures, and nations. They explore issues in local, national, and global contexts to expand their knowledge of, and develop empathy for, a diverse range of groups and peoples. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, cultures, and perspectives

In partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and schools and school sectors, the SACE Board of South Australia supports the development of high-quality learning and assessment design that respects the diverse knowledge, cultures, and perspectives of Indigenous Australians.

The SACE Board encourages teachers to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and perspectives in the design, delivery, and assessment of teaching and learning programs by:

• providing opportunities in SACE subjects for students to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and contemporary experiences
• recognising and respecting the significant contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Australian society
• drawing students’ attention to the value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and perspectives from the past and the present
• promoting the use of culturally appropriate protocols when engaging with and learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.  

Learning requirements

The learning requirements summarise the knowledge, skills, and understanding that students are expected to develop and demonstrate through their learning in Stage 2 Geography.

In this subject, students are expected to:

1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of geographical concepts of place, space, environment, interconnection, sustainability, scale, and change
2. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the complexity of human–environment interdependence in local, national, and/or global contexts
3. use geographical and fieldwork skills, including the use of spatial technologies, to examine geographical features, patterns, and processes
4. analyse information to evaluate projections for change, and make recommendations for improvements to human and physical environments
5. evaluate the environmental, social, and economic causes, effects, and consequences of change
6. communicate geographical information, using subject-specific terminology and visual representations. 

Content

Geography is a 20-credit subject at Stage 2.

Stage 2 Geography consists of the following content:

• the transforming world
• fieldwork.

The transforming world introduces students to the changes taking place across human and physical environments. Students examine the characteristics and causes of changes in environmental, social, and economic systems and study their effects and implications. They become aware of the interconnectedness of the changes and links across each of the three systems. Through the study of environmental change, students develop their understanding of the impact of people on ecosystems and our role in climate change. Students examine social and economic change and develop their understanding of population trends and movements, the growth and impact of globalisation and localisation, and global patterns of inequality.

Students undertake independent fieldwork on a local topic or issue of personal interest. The selected fieldwork must enable students to collect primary data using a wide range of data-collection techniques, and develop their skills of geographical inquiry and analysis. Students use a range of graphical presentations to support their findings and conclusions.

The following pages discuss geographical skills, the topics, and fieldwork. 

Geographical skills

The following skills are essential to geographical inquiry. Students use geographical skills to develop their knowledge and understanding of geographical concepts, such as interconnection and sustainability, within a specific context. Developing and extending their range of geographical skills enables students to analyse change and make recommendations for improvements to human and physical environments. These skills are integrated into the learning and assessment requirements of Stage 2 Geography.

Students develop and use a range of geographical skills, including:

• develop a hypothesis or inquiry question appropriate for fieldwork
• plan and select appropriate fieldwork and data-collection techniques
• collect and record fieldwork data, using techniques such as observation and recording, measuring, counting, testing, sketching and annotating, photography, interviewing, mapping, and surveying
• evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of fieldwork techniques
• evaluate the limitations of data collected
• choose and interpret secondary sources of data and information
• use maps and spatial technologies (latitudes, longitudes, grid references, legends or keys, directions, and contours)
• interpret images, including aerial, oblique, and ground photographs, and satellite images
• understand and apply scale (enlargement, reduction, area, and distance)
• analyse and interpret statistics, fieldwork data, maps, profiles, cross-sections, and transects
• identify and analyse patterns and trends, infer relationships, and make predictions
• communicate geographical information, using visual representations such as tables, graphs, diagrams, sketches, photographs, and maps
• make recommendations, form conclusions, and solve problems
• use subject-specific terminology
• acknowledge sources appropriately.

Themes and topics

The Transforming World 

Through the concept of geographical change, students examine the transformation of human and physical environments and their interconnectedness. Students study the causes of change in environmental, social, and economic systems, consider the impacts and implications of these changes, and consider possible strategies and recommendations for sustainability. In each of the three systems, students examine the role of people in causing both positive and negative changes. Through the study of environmental change, students investigate the interrelationship between people and ecosystems, changes in land cover, and how people contribute to climate change. Students develop their understanding of population and economic change and how these are interdependent through the study of population trends, the impact of globalisation, and patterns of inequality.

The transforming world focuses on the following five topics, which are organised under the two themes of environmental change and social and economic change.

Theme 1: Environmental Change

• Topic 1: Ecosystems and people
• Topic 2: Climate change

Theme 2: Social and Economic Change

• Topic 3: Population change
• Topic 4: Globalisation
• Topic 5: Transforming global inequality.

All topics should be studied.

Topic 1 and Topic 3 are the focus of Section 2 of the external examination.

Details of the themes and topics follow.

Theme 1: Environmental Change

Environmental change is influenced by human interaction with ecosystems and by changes in the global climate. As the world’s population grows, the demand for the resources and services provided by ecosystems is increasing in an unsustainable way. The increasing size of our ecological footprint impacts on the availability of resources, the efficiency of natural services, and the amount and type of land cover, and is a major factor contributing to climate change. Global and local responses to the impact of climate change are integral to ensuring the sustainability of the world’s ecosystems.

Topic 1: Ecosystems and people

Ecosystems provide resources and services that are used by the world’s population. These resources and services are naturally provided by a range of ecosystems including forests, grasslands, and deserts. As the world’s population increases, so does the demand for resources. The impact of people on ecosystems is evident in changes to land cover, land degradation, and loss of biodiversity. Increasing demand for resources results in an increase in our ecological footprint, and the impact on the Earth becomes unsustainable. Holistic management of ecosystems and a reduction in the size of our ecological footprint is a necessary consideration for the future of our planet.

Students develop their knowledge and understanding through case studies in the following areas:

• characteristics of ecosystems and ecosystem functions, including the interconnections between water, soil, atmosphere, vegetation, and other living things
• resources provided by ecosystems, including food, water, wood, and medicines
• services provided by ecosystems, including the regulation of climate, natural hazard mitigation, water purification, nutrient cycling, and erosion control
• the impacts of people on ecosystems, including land-cover changes, land degradation, and biodiversity loss
• an ecological footprint and how it is measured
• the relationship between population change, resource use, biocapacity, biodiversity, sustainability, and ecological footprints
• analysis of variation of ecological footprints between countries
• contemporary case studies of strategies to reduce the ecological footprint of people and improve sustainability of ecosystems.

Topic 2: Climate change

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the human population today. More resources are used to fuel the needs of growing populations, and levels of consumption are increasing in an unsustainable way. This contributes to climate change. Responses to climate change at local and global levels are evolving with the growth of alternative energy.

Students develop their knowledge and understanding in the following areas:

• the enhanced greenhouse effect and key causes
• impacts and responses to global warming.
  The focus of this study may include one or more of the following:
  • environmental consequences, such as atmospheric and biological hazards, desertification, and sea-level rise
  • socioeconomic consequences, such as increasing numbers of environmental refugees (including Indigenous communities), lifestyle changes, and the rising cost of food
  • political and community responses, such as carbon trading, energy-policy development, international cooperation, buying local products, and recycling.

Theme 2: Social and Economic Change

Social and economic change is influenced by population change and globalisation. Populations around the world are changing in size, structure, and distribution. At the same time, globalisation — the interdependence of countries as a result of the integration of people, trade, finance, and ideas — is increasing. The transforming processes of population change and globalisation have a range of impacts affecting both societies and the environment at local, national, and global scales. These impacts may result in inequality in food security, access to health care, and access to education, as well as inequality in economic growth.

Topic 3: Population change

Population change is occurring on a local, national, and global scale. This change is caused by population trends, including increased life expectancy and the movement of people, such as urban migration or refugees. This results in social and economic change and inequality. Population change can be investigated through contemporary case studies and the use of specific examples.

Students develop their knowledge and understanding in the following areas:

Population trends

• changing birth and death rates
• increased life expectancy and ageing
• changing population structures
• consequences of changing population structures
• economic and sociocultural factors influencing population trends
• contemporary case studies of population trends in economically developed countries and economically developing countries.

Movement of people

• global distribution of the human population
• types of migration within countries and between countries
• causes of migration, including push and pull factors
• the impacts of migration at origin and destination
• community and political responses to the voluntary and forced movement of people
• contemporary case studies to illustrate the causes and consequences of movements of people in specific locations.

Topic 4: Globalisation

Globalisation means that the world is simultaneously shrinking and expanding. As a result of changes in transport and technology, borders are increasingly irrelevant. On a local scale, transformation is caused by the globalisation of social networks and exchanges of information and cultures so that local communities are influenced by events occurring globally. At the same time, there is a response to globalisation at local levels because of the resulting economic inequalities, threats to the environment, and social and political challenges.

Students develop their knowledge and understanding in the following areas:

• Patterns of globalisation and how globalisation is measured.
• Factors influencing globalisation and localisation.
  The focus of this study may include one or more of the following:
  • finance and investment flows, such as investment by multinational companies and foreign governments, foreign aid patterns, labour flows and remittances, ‘buy local’ initiatives
  • technology, such as growth of the Internet, information flows, internet commerce, connections to the local community
  • transport, such as time–space compression, expansion of shipping and air networks, public transport, lifestyle choices.
• Impacts of globalisation and localisation.
  The focus of this study may include one or more of the following:
  • local communities, such as changing employment opportunities, demographic change
  • culture, including Indigenous cultures, such as loss of language and land, changing food styles
  • politics, such as radicalisation across the world, managing local issues
  • the environment, such as deforestation, growing local produce.

Topic 5: Transforming global inequality

Global inequality can be caused by environmental, social, economic, and political factors. Environmental factors, such as available resources, climate conditions, frequency of natural disasters, diseases, and available food sources, influence global inequality. Political instability, the status of women in society, and population trends and movements are social factors impacting on equality. Economic factors caused by globalisation have brought advantages, but are also drivers of inequality.

Students develop their knowledge and understanding in the following areas:

• indicators used to measure global inequality
• global patterns of inequality
• global economic power structures, multinational companies, and corporate responsibility
• government, non-government organisation (NGO), community, and corporate responses to global inequality.
  
  The focus of this study may include one or more contemporary case studies on the following:
  • access to health care, including access to hospitals and doctors
  • food security, including the globalisation of agriculture
  • access to education
  • sustainable development goals.

Fieldwork

Students undertake independent fieldwork on a local topic or issue of personal interest. Fieldwork topics must be independently chosen, have a geographical context, and be posed as a question or hypothesis.

The selected topic or issue should enable students to use a range of fieldwork techniques to collect primary data. Students integrate and communicate the data in a variety of spatial and graphical presentations, and analyse their findings.

When undertaking their fieldwork, students extend their ethical understanding through working with people, and preserving places and environments.

Fieldwork could include but is not limited to:

• the spatial dimension of the issue, to establish its geographical nature
• a study of the biophysical and/or human systems relevant to the issue
• the diversity of views and perceptions, including those of Indigenous peoples
• the social, economic, and environmental consequences of management responses to the issue
• an evaluation of findings, conclusions, or recommendations made
• future possibilities, including reference to sustainability.

Note: Particular attention should be paid to personal safety during fieldwork, particularly for fieldwork near water. Students should consider having an adult accompany them during data collection and taking a fully charged mobile phone.

Evidence of learning

All Stage 2 subjects have a school assessment component and an external assessment component.

The following assessment types enable students to demonstrate their learning in Stage 2 Geography.

School assessment (70%)

• Assessment Type 1: Geographical Skills and Applications (40%)
• Assessment Type 2: Fieldwork Report (30%)

External assessment (30%)

• Assessment Type 3: Examination.

Students provide evidence of their learning through six assessments, including the external assessment component. Students complete:

• four geographical skills and applications tasks
• one fieldwork report
• an examination. 

Assessment design criteria

The assessment design criteria are based on the learning requirements and are used by:

• teachers to clarify for the student what he or she needs to learn
• teachers and assessors to design opportunities for the student to provide evidence of his or her learning at the highest possible level of achievement.

The assessment design criteria consist of specific features that:

• students should demonstrate in their learning
• teachers and assessors look for as evidence that students have met the learning requirements.

For this subject, the assessment design criteria are:

• knowledge and understanding
• analysis and evaluation
• application.

The specific features of these criteria are described below.

The set of assessments, as a whole, must give students opportunities to demonstrate each of the specific features by the completion of study of the subject. 

Knowledge and Understanding 

The specific features are as follows:

Analysis and Evaluation 

The specific features are as follows:

Application 

The specific features are as follows:

School assessment

The school assessment component for Stage 2 Geography consists of:

• Assessment Type 1: Geographical Skills and Applications
• Assessment Type 2: Fieldwork Report.

Assessment Type 1: Geographical Skills and Applications (40%)

Students produce four geographical skills and applications tasks to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of geographical concepts, and to examine geographical features, patterns, and processes.

These tasks may be multimodal, written, and/or oral in form. Together, the four responses comprise a maximum of 4000 words or equivalent in oral or multimodal form. Six minutes in oral or multimodal form is equivalent to 1000 words.

The tasks must be related to aspects of the topics studied, and must include:

• one task from Topic 2: Climate change
• one task from Topic 4: Globalisation
• one task from Topic 5: Transforming global inequality
• one task from any topic or with a focus on geographical skills or fieldwork.

Examples of geographical skills and application tasks could include:

• evaluation of measures to reduce carbon emissions in a specific country
• a case study of the impact of global warming on a specific location
• comparative analysis of ecological footprints in developed and developing countries
• construction and analysis of population pyramids
• an inquiry into a specific example of economic migration or refugee movement
• mapping globalisation patterns using appropriate spatial technologies
• a report on the impact of globalisation on an Indigenous culture
• an oral or multimodal presentation about an aspect of global inequality
• a decision-making exercise evaluating possible responses by non-government organisations or corporations to an example of inequality
• a proposal or recommendation to support local business in competition with multinationals.

For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning in relation to the following assessment design criteria:

• knowledge and understanding
• analysis and evaluation
• application.

Assessment Type 2: Fieldwork Report (30%)

Students produce one individual fieldwork report. Each student is responsible for independently planning, organising, and carrying out fieldwork and completing a report.

The fieldwork should focus on a local topic or an issue of personal interest.

Students obtain, analyse, and evaluate primary data as the basis of their report, which may be supported by information from secondary sources. The main emphasis is on the quality of fieldwork and the effective integration of field data.

Students should use a wide range of data-collection techniques, and develop their skills of inquiry and analysis.

The individual fieldwork report should include:

• a hypothesis or inquiry question appropriate for fieldwork
• a description of the geographical context, using maps and spatial technologies
• a description of data-collection and fieldwork techniques used
• the integration of data collected in the field, using visual representations such as tabulating, graphing, constructing diagrams, annotating sketches and photographs, and mapping
• analysis and interpretation of fieldwork data
• reference to geographical concepts, patterns, and processes relevant to the fieldwork
• findings, recommendations, conclusions, or proposed future actions, supported by data and visual representations
• acknowledgment of sources.

The fieldwork report may be in multimodal, written, and/or oral form. A written report should be a maximum of 2000 words; an oral report should be a maximum of 12 minutes; a report in multimodal form should be of equivalent length.

For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning in relation to the following assessment design criteria:

• analysis and evaluation
• application.

External assessment

The external assessment component for Stage 2 Geography consists of an examination.

Assessment Type 3: Examination (30%)

Students undertake a 130-minute written examination consisting of two sections.

Section 1 focuses on geographical skills and Section 2 focuses on application of skills developed through the study of Topics 1 and 3.

Section 1 (approximately 50%)

In Section 1, students focus on solving problems and making decisions by applying a range of geographical skills to interpret written and visual material, including maps, provided in the examination. They draw on skills, understanding, and knowledge gained from individual and class fieldwork activities and apply this in unfamiliar contexts.

The geographical skills assessed in Section 1 are selected from the following:

• select or identify data appropriate to a geographical context or issue
• evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of fieldwork techniques
• evaluate the limitations of data collected
• identify appropriate visual representations of data
• interpret secondary sources of data and information
• use maps and spatial technologies (latitudes, longitudes, grid references, legends or keys, directions, and contours)
• interpret images, including aerial, oblique, and ground photographs, and satellite images
• understand and apply scale (enlargement, reduction, area, and distance)
• analyse and interpret statistics, fieldwork data, maps, profiles, cross-sections, and transects
• identify and analyse patterns and trends, infer relationships, and make predictions
• make recommendations, form conclusions, and solve problems
• use subject-specific terminology.

Section 2 (approximately 50%)

In Section 2, students answer open-ended questions about:

• Topic 1: Ecosystems and people
• Topic 3: Population change.

Students use examples of contemporary case studies from class activities and interpret and analyse sources provided in the examination paper. They apply their understanding of geographical information and of the complex interactions between physical and human environments.

All specific features of the assessment design criteria for this subject may be assessed in the external examination. 

Performance standards

The performance standards describe five levels of achievement, A to E. 

Each level of achievement describes the knowledge, skills, and understanding that teachers and assessors refer to in deciding how well students have demonstrated their learning on the basis of the evidence provided. 

During the teaching and learning program the teacher gives students feedback on their learning, with reference to the performance standards.

At the student’s completion of study of each school assessment type, the teacher makes a decision about the quality of the student’s learning by:

• referring to the performance standards
• assigning a grade between A+ and E– for the assessment type.  

The student’s school assessment and external assessment are combined for a final result, which is reported as a grade between A+ and E–.

Performance standards

Stage 1 performance standards for Geography can be viewed below. You can also download in Word format [DOC 323KB].

To learn more about what performance standards are, how they are used, and other general information, see performance standards and grades. 

Subject changes

Any changes to this subject will be recorded here.