Irene McCormack Catholic College
Year 9 Geography
Scheme of Work
Year 9 Level Description
There are two units of study in the Year 9 curriculum for Geography: Biomes and food security and Geographies
of interconnections.
Biomes and food security focuses on investigating the role of the biotic environment and its role in food and
fibre production. This unit examines the biomes of the world, their alteration and significance as a source of
food and fibre, and the environmental challenges and constraints on expanding food production in the future.
These distinctive aspects of biomes, food production and food security are investigated using studies drawn
from Australia and across the world.
Geographies of interconnections focuses on investigating how people, through their choices and actions, are
connected to places throughout the world in a wide variety of ways, and how these connections help to make
and change places and their environments. This unit examines the interconnections between people and places
through the products people buy and the effects of their production on the places that make them. Students
examine the ways that transport and information and communication technologies have made it possible for an
increasing range of services to be provided internationally, and for people in isolated rural areas to connect to
information, services and people in other places. These distinctive aspects of interconnection are investigated
using studies drawn from Australia and across the world.
The content of this year level is organised into two strands: Geographical Knowledge and Understanding and
Geographical Inquiry and Skills. These strands are interrelated and should be taught in an integrated manner, and
in ways that are appropriate to specific local contexts. The order and detail in which they are taught are
programming decisions.
Key inquiry questions
A framework for developing students’ geographical knowledge, understanding and skills is provided through
the inclusion of inquiry questions and specific inquiry skills, including the use and interpretation of maps,
photographs and other representations of geographical data.
The key inquiry questions for Year 9 are articulated below.
• What are the causes and consequences of change in places and environments and how can this change be
managed?
• What are the future implications of changes to places and environments?
Why are interconnections and interdependencies important for the future of places and environments?
Unit 1: Biomes and food security
W
Content Descriptions
e
(AC)
Key Learning Areas
Resources
e
k
1
The distribution and

characteristics of biomes as
regions with distinctive
climates, soils, vegetation
and productivity
(ACHGK060)

Definition of biome and
Biomes Introduction
ecosystem
powerpoint
http://kids.nceas.ucsb.ed
u/biomes/index.html
Identify the different biomes in
Australia and the world

Spatial distribution of biomes

http://www.essentialhumanities.net/worldWhat effect does climate have on
history/history-of-subbiomes
saharan-africa/

Why is the preservation of
http://www.geographyp
Assessments
biomes important?
ods.com/globalbiomes.html
Class booklet
2
The human alteration of

Crop yields in different biomes
Green Revolution
Educational brochure
biomes to produce food,

What factors affect crop yields?
Powerpoint
on Green Revolution
industrial materials and

Green Revolution in India
o What was it?
fibres, and the
o Why was it needed?
environmental effects of
o Successes
these alterations
(ACHGK061)
Assessment Outline
o Failures

How has the Australian landscape
been altered (week 5)
Class booklet
3
The environmental,
economic and
technological factors that
influence crop yields in
Australia and across the
world(ACHGK062)

Which biomes are most
productive

Spatial distribution of
productivity

Source analysis
Class booklet
4
The challenges to food

production, including land
“A tale of two islands”
production of Bali and Sumba
World Vision worksheet
and video
and water degradation,

Why are there inequalities?
shortage of fresh water,

What food security threats are
competing land uses, and
climate change, for
Australia and other areas of
there to the islands?

What food security strategies
have been implemented

How successful have they been?
Class booklet
The capacity of the

What does the world eat?
“How can we feed the
world’s environments to

Traditional farming
world” powerpoint and
sustainably feed the

Increases in production –
videos
the world (ACHGK063)
5
Comparisons of the climate and
environmental, trade and
projected future population
to achieve food security for
Australia and the world
(ACHGK064)
economic factors

How are biomes modified to
produce food?
Class booklet
Unit 2: Geographies of interconnections
W
Content Descriptions
e
(AC)
Key Learning Areas
Resources
e
k
1
The perceptions people have

How do different people
of place, and how this
in the class perceive
influences their connections
different places?
to different places
(ACHGK065)

Where do we get our
perceptions from?

Are external influences
on our perceptions
harmful?
2
The way transportation and

What is globalization?
information and

What impact does social
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
world-africa-24271969
http://www.theguardian.co
m/world/2013/sep/25/kenya
-mallbritishman-arrested-nairobi
Class booklet
Class workbook
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/
ks3/geography/interdependenc
e/globalisat
Assessments
media have worldwide?
communication technologies
ion/revision/2/
are used to connect people to  How has the social media http://www.geographypods.co
m/2-changing-space---theusage changed over
services, information and
shrinking-world.html
time?
people in other places
 Are global
http://www.geographypods.co
(ACHGK066)
interconnections good or m/1-measuring-globalinteractions.html
bad?
Class booklet
3
The ways that places and

people are interconnected
with other places through

Is the world getting
James May – friction of
Assessment: essay on
smaller?
distance video
aviation and
What changes have
http://www.teachushistory.org globalisation
/detocqueville-visitunitedstates/
articles/historical-backgroundtraveling-early-19th-century
happened to
trade in goods and services,
transportation since the
at all scales (ACHGK067)
1940’s?

Assessment – essay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H
istory_of_transport
http://people.hofstra.edu/geotr
ans/eng/ch3en/conc3en/ch3c5
en.html
http://kids.discovery.com/tellme/machines/land-
transportation
http://amhistory.si.edu/onthem
ove/
http://www.historylearningsite
.co.uk/transport_1750_to_190
0.htm
Class booklet
4
The effects of the production

and consumption of goods
on places and environments

throughout the world and

including a country from
North-East Asia (ACHGK068)


5
The effects of people’s

McDonaldization worksheet
TNC’s?
Class booklet
Identification of TNC’s
http://www.coolgeography.c
o.uk/GCSE/Year11/Econom
What impact have TNC’s
icGeog/I
had globally?
ndustry/TNCs/advantages_a
nd_disadvantages%20TNC.
Do we connect to the
htm
countries that produce
http://www.sthe goods we purchase?
cool.co.uk/gcse/geography/i
Mobile phone production ndustry/reviseit/
industry-in-the-developingworld
http://www.youtube.com/wa
What are the effects of
tch?v=R-OC1ANy2I8
global tourism?
travel, recreational, cultural or
leisure choices on places, and
What are MNC’s and

Is global tourism
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoo
sustainable?
the implications for the future
of these places (ACHGK069)

Case study inquiry into
effects of tourism
ls/gcsebitesize/geography/to
urism/
tourism_ledc_rev2.shtml
Class booklet