Geography Overview
Year 4 Term ?
Allocated allowance: 20 hours
Unit Title:
Achievement
Standard
Geographical
Concepts
Place
Space
Environment
Interconnection
Sustainability: A global problem that start in your backyard!
By the end of Year 4, students describe and compare the characteristics of places in different locations at the national scale. They
identify and describe the interconnections between people and the environment. They describe the location of selected countries in
relative terms and identify simple patterns in the distribution of features of places. Students recognise the importance of the
environment and identify different views on how to respond to a geographical challenge.
Students develop geographical questions to investigate and collect and record information and data from different sources to
answer these questions. They represent data and the location of places and their characteristics in simple graphic forms, including
large-scale maps that use the cartographic conventions of scale, legend, title and north point. They describe the location of places
and their features using simple grid references, compass direction and distance .Students interpret data to identify spatial
distributions and simple patterns and draw conclusions. They present findings using geographical terminology in a range of texts.
They propose individual action in response to a local geographical challenge and identify the expected effects of their proposed
action.
Content Descriptions
Knowledge and Understanding
 The location of the major countries of Africa and South America in
relation to Australia, and their main characteristics, including the
types of natural vegetation and native animals in at least two
Assessment (A)
Assessment For/As/Of Learning:
Assessment will be comprised of a folio of work gathered
throughout the term:
Please see task sheet for a detailed explanation of the items
Sustainability
Scale
Change
countries from both continents (ACHGK020)
 The types of natural vegetation and the significance of vegetation
to the environment and to people (ACHGK021)
 The importance of environments to animals and people, and
different views on how they can be protected (ACHGK022)
Inquiry and Skills
Collecting, recording, evaluating and representing
 Represent data by constructing tables and graphs (ACHGS028)
 Represent the location of places and their features by constructing
large-scale maps that conform to cartographic conventions
including scale, legend, title and north point, and describe their
location using simple grid references, compass direction and
distance (ACHGS029)
Interpreting, analysing and concluding
 Interpret geographical data to identify distributions and patterns
and draw conclusions (ACHGS030)
Communicating

Learning Framework
Cross Curricula
Priorities
General Capabilities
required.
Present findings in a range of communication forms, for example,
written, oral, digital, graphic, tabular and visual, and use
geographical terminology (ACHGS031)
Community Contributor
Leader and Collaborator
Catholic Ethos
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Histories and Cultures
Literacy
Critical and Creative Thinking
Active Investigator
Effective Communicator
Social Emotional Learning
Asia and Australia’s Engagement with
Asia
Numeracy
Ethical Behaviour
Designer and Creator
Quality Producer
Inclusive Education
Sustainability Education
Information and Communication
Technology
Personal and Social Competence
Links to other LA’s
English, Maths, Science
Learning and Teaching Strategies
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Cross Curricular Priorities

Sustainability Education, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
General Capabilities

Information and Communication Technology
Engage ⇒
Explore ⇒
Explain ⇒
9
Elaborate ⇒
10
Evaluate
ENGAGE
Activity 1
Engage in a class discussion about the following quote:
“We are living as if we have an extra planet at our disposal. We are using 50 per cent more
resources that the Earth can sustainably produce and unless we change course, that number
will grow fast — by 2030 even two planets will not be enough.”
Quote from Jim Leape, Director General of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International, available on the home page of the Living Planet
Report 2012 website (see Resources).
Activity 2
As a class, watch the YouTube clip Sustainability explained through animation (see Resources). Discuss the visual representation of the
key ideas about this concept.
Activity 3
Use a concept map, a KWHL (What I know, Want to know, How I will learn, Learning) or a word wall, to identify the big ideas about the
concepts “the environment” and “sustainability”, e.g. resources, animals, vegetation, forests, settlements, agriculture, wellbeing,
future, land management. Display this concept map for students to refer to during the unit.
Resources





WWF, Living Planet
Report 2012,
www.wwf.org.au/our
_work/people_and_t
he_environment/hum
an_footprint/living_pl
anet_report_2012/
Sustainability
explained through
animation,
www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=B5NiTN0chj0
www.scribblemaps.c
om
Google Maps
Australia Geography
Teachers Association
2008, Keys to
Geography: Essential
skills and tools,
Macmillan, South
Yarra.
Activity 4 Teacher Background Information
Indigenous Australians gave names to places which were within the territories
in which they lived. These names sometimes described natural features of the landscape, important events in a clan’s history, or notable
people. Indigenous place names are telling of their significance, and were often handed down in Dreaming stories, songs and art from
generation to generation.
When the Europeans arrived in Australia, they often called the new places in which they settled by their indigenous names. But they
also changed many of the original names to remind them of places and people in Europe. Indigenous place names connect Australians
to the rich culture of Indigenous Peoples who have witnessed the changes in the Australian
landscape for over forty thousand years.
The Committee of Geographical Names of Australasia has been given the task of helping to preserve original place names in Australia
and making sure that the names are spelled and pronounced correctly.
In class, examine a map of their local area. Ensure the map that you have selected has BOLTSS (BORDER, ORIENTATION, LEGEND,
TITLE, SCALE, SOURCE, Keys to Geography: Essential Skills and Tools, Australian Geography Teachers Association). Have the students
make observations about the local environment in a field trip around the school grounds or to a neighbouring area. Identify the
environmental features of the place, the living and non-living things and the landform features. Ask the students: What makes this
environment special? The poem “We are Going” by the Indigenous poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1990-1993) could be used to support
this discussion:
We belong here, we are of the old ways.
We are the corroboree and the bora ground,
we are the old sacred ceremonies, the laws of the elders.
We are the wonder tales of the Dream Time, the tribal legends told.
We are the past, the hunts and the laughing games, the wandering camp fires.
We are the lightning-bolt over Gaphembah Hill
quick and terrible
and the Thunder after him, that loud fellow.
http://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/noonuccal-oodgeroo/we-are-going-0719054
Teacher Background Information
Indigenous Australians gave names to places which were within the territories in which they lived. These names sometimes described
natural features of the landscape, important events in a clan’s history, or notable people. Indigenous place names are telling of their
significance, and were often handed down in Dreaming stories, songs and art from generation to generation.

When the Europeans arrived in Australia, they often called the new places in which they settled by their indigenous names. But they
also changed many of the original names to remind them of places and people in Europe. Indigenous place names connect Australians
to the rich culture of Indigenous Peoples who have witnessed the changes in the Australian landscape for over forty thousand years.
The Committee of Geographical Names of Australasia has been given the task of helping to preserve original place names in Australia
and making sure that the names are spelled and pronounced correctly.
Geographical Language
Sustainability, resources, vegetation, forests, settlements, agriculture, wellbeing, future, management, border, orientation, legend,
title, scale, source, local, environment, landform, features, neighbour country, place, natural, landscapes, culture, field trip,
Reflection
Assessment
Opportunities
Concept Map
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Cross Curricular Priorities

Sustainability Education, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
General Capabilities



Information and Communication Technology
Numeracy
Information and Communication Technology
Engage ⇒
Explore ⇒
Explain ⇒
9
Elaborate ⇒
10
Evaluate
EXPLORE
Activity 1
Download a MapMaker kit from the National Geographic website (see Resources) and assemble a wall-sized outline map of the world.
Alternatively, use another outline world map. Ask the students to represent locations in Australia, South America and Africa on the
same latitude using a political world map. As a class, use Google Earth to create a map and label each location. Download images
related to each of the locations selected for study and classroom display. It is advised that teachers familiarise themselves with the
process of making maps on Google Earth prior to beginning this lesson.
Activity 2
TEACHER BACKGROUND
INDIGENOUS DISTRIBUTION
For forty thousand years before Europeans settled in Australia, Indigenous Australians lived in the lands near the Murray River. The
river land provided people with the things that they needed to live: fish, water,birds and mammals for food, wood and reeds for
making artefacts and kangaroo skins to keep warm.
Offer students a brief explanation of the term “biome”. As a class, identify the natural vegetation, including rainforests, savannah,
grassland, woodland and desert, in the locations that were discussed in Activity 1, by referring to the Blue Planet Biomes website:
blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm. Edit the Google Earth map to include an image of features in the areas that were selected,
such as major rivers and cities
Resources






National Geographic,
World Political
MapMaker Kit,
education.nationalge
ographic.com/educati
on/maps/worldpolitical-mapmakerkit/?ar_a=1
Google Earth
www.scribblemaps.c
om
Blue Planet Biomes
website:
blueplanetbiomes.org
/world_biomes.htm.
WWF website at
www.panda.org
www.worldclimate.c
om
Activity 3
Provide students with a list of countries in South America and another list of countries in Africa. Restrict this list to countries that will
have enough information for students when researching their countries in activities to follow. If the students pick more obscure
countries, they may struggle to find the information that is needed. The two countries that they select will be the basis of most of the
pieces of work that will be assessed during this unit. A sample list of countries is provided below. Have the students use the Blue
Planet Biomes or Living Planet websites to collect data about the types of native animals that exist in the their selected locations of
South America and Africa. Ask: How are species of plants and animals unique to each environment?
South America
Africa
Brazil
Algeria
Venezuela
Niger
Columbia
Chad
Peru
Morocco
Bolivia
Mali
Please note that the countries featured in the list of African nations above are all made up of large areas of desert. This will allow for
easier and more effective comparison with the countries in South America and their rainforests.
Activity 4
Provide students with access to internet, Britannica and the library. Ask the students to collect and represent data and information
about the resources that are available in the two countries that they have selected (One in Africa, one in South America), such as
forestry, food production, grazing, fishing, mining, and to classify them in a table as renewable and non-renewable. How the research
is conducted is at the teacher’s discretion and will depend upon the resources available within each school. There are some helpful
webistes such as www.factmonster.com and www.kids.net.au. A sample table is featured below.
Country
Non Renewable Resources
Renewable Resources
Activity 5
Have students gain access WWF website at www.panda.org. In groups students use the site to research a critical species or a priority
place/habitat. As “experts”, the group will then report back to the class. Each group will provide an image of their species or place.
The images with then be placed on the wall world outline map.
Activity 6
Have the students create climate graphs (temperature and rainfall) for each of locations that they previously selected (use a suggested
resource such as Macmillan’s Keys to Geography, p. 86–87), using data collected from www.worldclimate.com. Please note that this
website provides excellent information, however it is not easy to navigate. Some students may need assistance. To find the
information that they need on the site, they must know the capital city of each of the countries that they selected.
Geographical Language
biome, river, city, tundra, taiga, grasslands, deciduous forest, chaparral, desert, desert-scrub, savannah, rainforest, alpine, biome,
industry, renewable, non-renewable, species, climate, temperature, rainfall, endangered
Reflection
Assessment
Opportunities
The table completed in
Activity 4 will form a
part of their work
portfolio.
The graph completed in
Activity 6 will form a
part of their work
portfolio.
Week
1
2
3
4
5
Cross Curricular Priorities

Sustainability Education
General Capabilities



Critical and Creative Thinking
Information and Communication Technology
Literacy
Engage ⇒
Explore ⇒
Explain ⇒
6
7
8
9
Elaborate ⇒
EXPLAIN
Activity 1
Explore the maps in the Living Planet Index (LPI) included in the Living Planet Report 2012 on WWF website (see Resources). Use the
time filter to show how the world distribution of environments has changed from the past to present and ask the class to draw
conclusions about this spatial change. Students will draw the conclusion that tropical and temperate areas have seen different rates
and timing of habitat loss. It is recommended that teachers read “Biodiversity: Tropical vs Temperate” on WWF wesite (see Resources)
in the Living Planet Report 2012, so that they have adequate background knowledge.
Activity 2
Play the class the YouTube clip Earth views from the International Space Station. Please note that this clip is quite long. Ask the
students: What do the images of the Earth reveal about its environment? What are the advantages of using satellite images? (see the
explanation of uses of satellite images on p.70 of Macmillan’s Keys to Geography). Students can complete Activity 3.10 on p.70.
Activity 3
On a basic map marked with continents, the equator, Tropic of Capricorn, Tropic or Cancer and the Oceans, identify the regions with
rainforest and desert. Colour these accordingly. Ensure the map that you have selected has BOLTSS (BORDER, ORIENTATION,
LEGEND, TITLE, SCALE, SOURCE, Keys to Geography: Essential Skills and Tools, Australian Geography Teachers Association). Describe
the location of the rainforests and deserts (Use an atlas for assistance). Locate the two countries chosen previously in the unit on this
map using grid references, compass direction and distance from current location. Examine the climate graph completed in the Explore
10
Evaluate
Resources
 WWF, Living Planet
Report 2012,
www.wwf.org.au/our_
work/people_and_the_
environment/human_f
ootprint/living_planet_
report_2012/
 International Space
Station,
www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=aC1Xhhi2iw&list=PL774
8474C1C07D1DA&inde
x=4
 Australia Geography
Teachers Association
2008, Keys to
Geography: Essential
skills and tools,
Macmillan, South Yarra.
phase and draw conclusions. Draw conclusions based on patterns observed. Write a paragraph detailing the conclusions drawn.
Activity 4
When thinking about sustainability it is vital that we think about where things come from and how they get to us. Is it more
sustainable to eat oranges from the Australia or from the US? The answer is Australia, unless you live in the Us. To get to Australia, an
orange from the US has travelled thousands of miles and used up a lot of energy in aeroplanes, ships and trucks to get to the
supermarket! Buying food from far away places uses up non-renewable fossil fuels and adds to pollution. Read the article about food
miles or the Choice website. http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/food-and-health/labelling-andadvertising/sustainability/food-miles.aspx. More information on food miles can be found at http://www.foodfairnessillawarra.org.au.
Have students take an excursion to a local submarket. Provide them with a list of ingredients for a recipe of the teacher/student’s
choosing. By reading packaging and labels the students are to record where each of the items originates from so that when they are
back at school they can calculate the food miles required to make the recipe. Mark the origin of each item on a world map using an
atlas for assistance. Ensure students follow correct mapping procedures, BOLTSS (BORDER, ORIENTATION, LEGEND, TITLE, SCALE,
SOURCE- Keys to Geography: Essential Skills and Tools, Australian Geography Teachers Association).
 Altas
 http://www.choice.co
m.au/reviews-andtests/food-andhealth/labelling-andadvertising/sustainabili
ty/food-miles.aspx
 http://www.foodfairne
ssillawarra.org.au
Geographical Language
Assessment
Opportunities
tropical , temperate, continents, the equator, Tropic of Capricorn, Tropic or Cancer, oceans, fossil fuel, food miles



Work samples
from Activity 3 (map
with shading and
marked countries).
Students must
write a short
paragraph
explaining their
conclusions about
the relationships
between climate
and environmental
features.
Google image
search with
annotations.
Reflection
Week
1
2
3
4
5
Cross Curricular Priorities

Sustainability Education
General Capabilities




Critical and Creative Thinking
Information and Communication Technology
Ethical Behaviour
Literacy
Engage ⇒
Explore ⇒
Explain ⇒
6
7
8
9
Elaborate ⇒
10
Evaluate
ELABORATE
Activity 1
Have students complete a Google Image search for both of the countries that they had previously selected. Have students choose four
images from their search and copy and paste them into a word document. The students must then annotate them to explain what
they see and to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of that environment to those people.
Activity 2
Have students choose priority place/habitat from Activity 5 in the Explore phase. Students are to report on the types of vegetation in
the priority place e.g. desert, rainforest. Students are to explain the significance of the vegetation type to the local people of the
place/habitat. Students are to further research the threats facing this place/habitat. They will then propose actions that could be
taken to conserve/protect this place/habitat. The WWF website at www.panda.org is again an excellent place to begin their research.
This student will use their findings and proposals for action to write a short written report.
Resources



Google
Word
www.panda.org
Geographical Language
Conserve, protect, habitat
Reflection
Assessment
Opportunities

Report on priority
place/habitat
Week
1
2
3
4
5
Cross Curricular Priorities

Sustainability Education
General Capabilities




Ethical Behaviour
Critical and Creative Thinking
Information and Communication Technology
Literacy
Engage ⇒
Explore ⇒
Explain ⇒
6
7
8
9
Elaborate ⇒
10
Evaluate
EVALUATE
Activity 1
Though sustainability and conservation are global issues. Students need to understand that they can make a difference on a local
level. Here’s a great rule to help understand what sustainability is about -
‘Leave the world better than you found it, take no more than you need,
try not to harm life or the environment, make amends if you do.’
Have students create a poster or multi-media display promoting the importance of sustainability and actions children can take to live
more sustainably.
Activity 2
Students are to research and then present ways of reducing their food miles. Teachers can find excellent background information
online at http://www.ecostreet.com/10-ways-to-reduce-food-miles/ or http://www.gardenabcs.com/uploads/foodmiles.pdf. Children
must then report back to the class at the conclusion of the unit to reflect on how they have taken action to reduce their food miles.
Activity 3
Plant a vegetable/fruit garden to supply the school canteen to reduce food miles at school.
Resources



http://www.eco
street.com/10ways-to-reducefood-miles/
http://www.gar
denabcs.com/up
loads/foodmiles.
pdf
Gardening
Supplies
Geographical Language
Sustainable, global, food miles
Assessment
Opportunities


Reflection
Poster or
multimedia
display
Food miles
report – Oral
report (Teachers
may like to
design a
separate criteria
sheet for this
activity or you a
basic oral report
criteria sheet)
Planning for Differently Abled Students
Student/s
Different Ability
Australian Curriculum
Content Descriptions
being addressed
Learning and Teaching Strategies
Assessment Strategies
St Somewhere’s School, Somewhere
Insert logo
Assessment Task Sheet
Student Name:
Year Level:
Name of Task:
Geography Portfolio
Learning Area/s:
Geography
Date Commenced:
Teacher:
Date Due:
Type of Task:
Oral
Written
Other
Task Conditions:
Individual
Pair
Group Work
In Class
Homework
Other
Opportunity
Access:
to
Assessed By:
Books
Notes
Library
Self
Peer
Teacher
Technology
Task Description:
Throughout this unit you will complete many different activities. Ensure you put effort into
each one, as a selection of these activities will become part of a portfolio of work. Your teacher
will use this portfolio of work to assess your learning.
Procedure:
Gather together the following items:
EXPLORE PHASE
1. Your table (and any notes) that shows the information about the resources that are
available in the two countries that you have selected (one in Africa, one in South America).
2. Your climate graph
EXPLAIN PHASE
1. Your basic world map on which you identified the regions with rainforest and desert. Also
include the short paragraph that you wrote explaining your conclusions about the
relationships between climate and environmental features.
2. The Google Image Search you completed for both of the countries you selected (one in
Africa, one in South America). You should have 4 images for each country, eight images in
total. You must include the observations that you wrote about each image.
Catholic Education Services Diocese of Cairns
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ELABORATE PHASE
1. Your report about the priority place/habitat. Ensure that you have identified the types of
vegetation in this place/habitat, explained the significance of the vegetation type to the
local people of the place/habitat and explained the threats facing this place/habitat. Also
make sure that you have proposed actions that could be taken to conserve/protect this
place/habitat.
EVALUATE PHASE
1. Your poster or multi-media display promoting the importance of sustainability and actions
your peers can take to live more sustainably.
2. The notes from your “Food Miles” report (oral report).
Catholic Education Services Diocese of Cairns
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Insert logo
St Somewhere’s School, Somewhere
Year Four Geography Portfolio
Content Description
Criteria
The location of the major
countries of Africa and
South America in relation
to Australia, and their main
characteristics, including
the types of natural
vegetation and native
animals in at least two
countries from both
continents (ACHGK020)
The types of natural
vegetation and the
significance of vegetation
to the environment and to
people (ACHGK021)
Characteristics
of places in
different
locations
The importance of
environments to animals
and people, and different
views on how they can be
protected (ACHGK022)
Interconnection
/Sustainability
Highly Competent
Competent
Support Required
You can independently describe and
compare the characteristics of places
in different locations, making
inferences based on observations and
comparisons.
You can independently describe and
compare the characteristics of places in
different locations.
You required teacher help to
describe and compare the
characteristics of places
in different locations
You can independently identify the
natural vegetation and describe in
detail with examples, the significance
of the vegetation to the environment
and the people.
You can independently identify the
natural vegetation and describe the
significance of the vegetation to the
environment and the people.
You were able to independently
identify and describe the
interconnections between people and
their environment and provide
detailed information about ways that
You were able to independently identify
and describe the interconnections
between people and their environment
and provide information about ways that
they can be protected.
You required teacher help to
identify the natural
vegetation and describe the
significance of the
vegetation to the environment
and the people.
With teacher help you were able
to identify and describe the
interconnections between people
and the environment.
Catholic Education Services Diocese of Cairns
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St Somewhere’s School, Somewhere
Represent data by
constructing tables and
graphs (ACHGS028)
Data
representations
Interpret geographical data Interpreting
to identify distributions and Data
patterns and draw
conclusions (ACHGS030)
Present findings in a range
of communication forms,
for example, written, oral,
digital, graphic, tabular and
visual, and use
geographical terminology
(ACHGS031)
Presenting
findings and
proposing
action
Mapping
Represent the location of
places and their features by
constructing large-scale
maps that conform to
cartographic conventions
including scale, legend, title
and north point, and
describe their location
using simple grid
references, compass
they can be protected.
You were able to construct tables and
graphs to display information about
your selected countries and analyse
the data to present a viewpoint.
You were able to construct tables and
graphs to display information about your
selected countries.
With teacher help you were
able to use tables and graphs to
display information about your
selected countries.
You were able to interpret and
analyse data when identifying
distributions and patterns. You were
able to draw your own conclusions
based on your analysis.
You were able to effectively present
your findings in a range of forms
using effective geographical language.
You were able to propose a clear
course of action based on your
findings.
You were able to interpret data to
identify distributions and patterns and
draw conclusions.
You were able with teacher help
to interpret data to find patterns.
You were able to present your findings in
a range of forms using some
geographical language and propose an
action plan based on these findings.
You were able to present your
findings using some geographical
language.
You were able to locate places on a
map using the BOLTSS conventions,
describing your location using simple
grid references, compass direction
and distance. You were able to place
additional information on your map.
You were able to locate places on a map
using the BOLTSS conventions describing
your location using simple grid
references, compass direction and
distance.
You were able to locate places on
a map with teacher help.
Catholic Education Services Diocese of Cairns
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St Somewhere’s School, Somewhere
direction and distance
(ACHGS029)
Feedback
Signed:
Date:
Catholic Education Services Diocese of Cairns
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St Somewhere’s School, Somewhere
Catholic Education Services Diocese of Cairns
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St Somewhere’s School, Somewhere
Catholic Education Services Diocese of Cairns
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