Curriculum Studies – Geography: Part B

Building upon CRS412 Curriculum Studies - Geography: Part A, this subject aims to develop pre-service teachers’ understanding and skills in critically analysing and evaluating contemporary theory, concepts and issues in Geography as applied in the classroom context, including curriculum design and evaluation, assessment, examination and reporting.

Awards offering Curriculum Studies – Geography: Part B

This unit is offered as a part of the following awards:

• Master of Teaching (Secondary)

Unit Content

Curriculum Objective

This subject, building upon CRS412 Curriculum Studies - Geography: Part A, prepares pre-service teachers to teach Geography Years 11-12 syllabi developed by NESA and ACARA. It is designed to advance knowledge in the areas of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment for senior secondary school Geography students. It also aims to develop pre-service teachers’ understanding and skills in critically analysing and evaluating contemporary theory, concepts and issues in Geography as applied in the classroom context, including curriculum design and evaluation- assessment, examination and reporting. Using the local area as a research resource and fieldwork are integral parts of this subject.

Outcomes

1. Demonstrate advanced understanding of Australian and State educational policies and priorities and their effect on implementing ‘best practice’ teaching strategies and engaging resources fulfil the aims of the ACARA Geography curriculum 11-12 and NSW Geography syllabi (Stages 6);
2. Critically analyse the Geography curriculum in its organisation, the teacher’s role involving student support, mentoring, professional development goals, curriculum administration, WHS, and engaging with parents, professional and external community organisations in the teaching of Years 11-12 Geography in Christian and alternate school contexts;
3. Develop student-centred innovative and well-designed Geography lessons including geographical content (concepts, substance and structure), tools, and skills; language, literacy and numeracy demands of the content including the general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities, and identify, apply and assess age appropriate differentiated strategies for Stage 6 geography using Board of Studies assessment requirements for the Record of School Achievement and other syllabuses studied. The full range of student abilities (including giftedness), diverse multilingual and sociocultural settings (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds);
4. Design and critically reflect upon units of work, lesson sequences, and curriculum materials using threshold concepts and skills development, knowledge acquisition and signature pedagogies that incorporate ICT, Quality Teaching Framework, and Great Teaching Inspired Learning using Understanding by Design within a high stakes environment;
5. Prepare a variety of assessment instruments using ‘best practice’ that demonstrate understanding of statistical information, assessment moderation and its application to judge student achievement through assessment of learning, for learning and in learning, and suitable for reliably reporting to parents/carers.

Subject Content

1. Geographical thinking and methodologies:; geography’s expression in schools, natural systems theory, learning skills, webquest, ICT in geography and surveying, concept building, progression in conceptual understanding, geographical learning and teaching strategies, cartography in history, multi - media based presentations, role plays, field studies, permeable classroom, geographical research techniques (qualitative, quantitative and mixed modes), aesthetic design principles and expression, cooperative learning, independent study;
2. Principles and practices of learning and teaching Stage 6 Geography,year 11- 12 Syllabus structure and content: biophysical interactions (climate and meteorology, geomorphology); global challenges (environmental, political, social, economic); senior geography project (geographical issue identification and geographical problem solving); ecosystems at risk (global warming, sustainability); urban places (demography, migration and economic development); people and economic activity (relation to sense of place, home land);
3. Concepts for geographical understanding in the Australian Curriculum – Geography – Senior Secondary: Place (central place theory,  conflict of land use); Space (special distribution of geographic phenomena, responses to space of literature, media and dance); Environment (raw materials, differing worldview); Intercommunications (systems, networks); Sustainability (attitudes, demography); Scale (hierarchies, change);
4. Learning and teaching geography from a Christian worldview: sustainability, education for shalom, servant leadership, sustainable economic development, wealth distribution, micro finance, disease mitigation, education for development, colonisation, ethnic cleansing, weapons of mass destruction, ethical economics, multinationals and global trade alliances, United Nations, national coalitions, religious conflicts;
5. Geographical Assessments; rubric construction, moderation principles and techniques, assessment strategies, preparation for tertiary study, external year 12 assessments, data collection and analysis, reporting to parents, problem based learning, resource literacy, current issues and trends related to the teaching of Geography in schools.

This course may be offered in the following formats

• Face-to-Face
• Intensive
• Distance/ Global Online

Please consult your course prospectus or enquire about how and when this course will be offered next at Alphacrucis University College.

Assessment Methods

1. Online Virtual Fieldwork (20%)
2. Lesson Plan Sequence (40%)
3. Assessing a Unit of Work (40%)

Prescribed Text

• References will include the most current curriculum requirements for schools.

Check with the instructor each semester before purchasing any prescribed texts or representative references