Australian Curriculum: Geography Endorsed and Released

The Federal, State and Territories' Education Ministers endorsed the Australian Curriculum: Geography as a common base for the development of courses by states and territories on 10 May 2013. They supported the curriculum aims to ensure that all students develop a sense of wonder, curiosity and respect about places, people, cultures and environments throughout the world; a deep geographical knowledge of Australia, Asia and the world; and the capacity to be competent, critical and creative users of geographical inquiry methods and skills.

The GTAV welcomes this exciting initiative and thanks ACARA, the panel members, writers, VCAA and AGTA and our interstate GTAs for their work so far in bringing this curriculum to life. In particular we thank our members for their willingness to participate in and contribute to all of the consultations to inform our numerous submissions to ACARA and VCAA throughout the development of the curriculum.Since the commencement of the process in October 2008, there have been 4 advisory panels and over 10 writers who have crafted the many iterations of the curriculum leading to this final document. AGTA President Malcolm McInerney said, "The publication of the curriculum is a very important day for geography in Australia because for the first time we have a geography curriculum for all of Australia - a 21st Century curriculum deserving plaudits as a world class geography curriculum." 

On Monday 20 May 2013 ACARA released the AC:G. View this exciting and engaging course here. 

Minister for School Education Peter Garrett has this to say about the Geography Curriculum here. 
In this media release, Mr Garret says the Foundation to Year 10 Australian Curriculum: Geography will help students better understand the world they live in.
“The new Geography curriculum will give students a real sense of our place in the world, our environment, sustainability and the interconnection between places and people.
Students focus on their local area from Foundation to Year 2, then study Australia and neighbouring countries from Year 3, covering Asia, South America, Africa, Europe and North America by Year 6. In an increasingly globalised society we know how important knowledge of the world will be for the jobs of the future, so students will have the chance to focus their studies in the later years. Students can focus on West Asia and/or North Africa, Europe, the United States of America and China across Years 7–8. Throughout Years 9–10 students will be encouraged to focus on the Pacific Islands, Africa or South America. Geography is about more than just location and this curriculum reflects the richness of this subject area, covering the key concepts of place, space, environment, interconnection, sustainability, scale and change,” Mr Garrett said. 

Monica Bini at VCAA is very busy translating the AC:G into an AusVels framework to enable implementation for F-10 from 2014. VCAA Executive Director of Curriculum, David Howes, acknowledging the delay in publication of the curriculum, informed the GTAV that schools who are unable to implement in 2014 can introduce it in 2015. Details here. 

The ACARA curriculum has been written for 5% of yearly  teaching time or 25 hours for each of the Yr 7 to 10 units. There are two units for each year from Yr 7 to 10, hence 50 hours per year of Geography. Geography should comprise at least 2% for Foundation to Year 2 and 4% for Years 3 to 6. These are identical indicative times to those allocated to History for F-10. Schools are indicating that they will split each year level in half and teach a semester of History and a semester of Geography from Yr 7 to 10. In Semester two the Geography teachers would then teach the other half of the students Geography allowing a degree of specialisation and better utilisation of Geography trained teachers. Similarly the History teachers can again teach more in the discipline where they have the most expertise. 

GTAV will be providing targeted course development Professional Learning to assist schools and teachers in implementing the curriculum. The Annual Conference in August has the AC:G as a key focus with a forum each day and workshops developed to support it. All of the major publishers will be in attendance to display their AC:G resources and offer workshops on their products.The GTAV is also developing outstanding resources to support this curriculum. This will be in addition to our Scoopit, Facebook, GTAV eNews, Twitter and Webpage resources. GeogSpace is a free online resource to support the AC:G that has been developed by AGTA and ESA. It is likely to be launched on 30 May. ABC Splash Geography will provide similar high quality media rich resources to that already provided to Science and History. 

GTAV Education Officer Stephen Latham believes "With the economies of scale of a national curriculum and the advances in educational and digital technologies, we will be better resourced than ever before. Let's get behind this curriculum to implement 21st century engaging courses to continue the resurgence of Geography."

Urban Futures Geography Competition open now

2013 Annual Conference

Call for Presenters

Sunday 25, Monday 26, Tuesday 27 August 2013
Make a splash with Geography

The Call for Presenters is open and we invite and welcome you to submit a presentation abstract or summary. Geography teachers are seeking new information, new ways of engaging students, and new approaches to organising ideas.

Our theme this year is Make a splash with Geography and we are seeking workshops, presentations and fieldtrips which may include topics such as:

• Enhancing geographic skills through fieldwork and data presentation
• Australian Curriculum: Geography units and quality teaching practices
• Spatial Technologies use in the classroom or in fieldwork
• Global education
• Sustainability
• Geography related careers and courses

The conference will take place on 25 and 26 August at Karstens Conference Centre 123 Queen St Melbourne with keynotes and workshops. A Fieldwork day follows on 27 August at various sites around Melbourne and Victoria.

The GTAV welcomes and invites innovative educators, organisations and community groups to give presentations and workshops at our conference. 

To be part of this vibrant program and submit your abstract, click here before Friday, 10 May 2013. 

Please call the Education Officer Stephen Latham on 0398248355 or email eo@gtav.asn.au if you would like to discuss your proposal.

Alex Lyne Fieldwork Award

The Geography Teachers’ Association of Victoria (GTAV) is pleased to invite applications for the
Alex (Alec) Lyne Fieldwork Award 2013.
This award is in honour of Alex Lyne - founding President of the GTAV.
Alex Lyne’s passion for fieldwork is legendary and he fostered the integration of fieldwork into the Geography curriculum in Victorian schools.
Primary and secondary Geography teachers are invited to submit fieldwork tasks to be considered for this award.

1. Please submit a copy of the fieldwork task

2. In accordance with the selection criteria complete the following 4 questions and submit with your fieldwork.

• Please state the year level/target class and outline why the task was appropriate and challenging.
• Highlight some examples as to how this fieldwork reflects “best practice” Geography teaching.
• Explain how data was collected and recorded by students.
• Outline the follow up tasks - and if possible please provide an example.

Conditions of Entry:

• That the fieldwork has been published or may be published by the GTAV in the future either online or in print
• That some examples of the follow up task may be available for display or publication by the GTAV
• For privacy reasons, exact locations of fieldwork activity need not be included

Submitting your Entry:

• Please submit your application to the GTAV office@gtav.asn.au
• Applications close 5 pm on Monday 15th July, 2013

A committee will consider all fieldwork applications and the award will be presented at the GTAV Annual Conference in on 25th August 2013.

Resources on this website

Whilst in 2012 and 2013 there has been an explosion of teaching resources published and linked on our Facebook page, curated to AC:G and Global Education units on GTAV's Scoopit page, highlighted on GTAV eNews and even tweeted from @GeographyVic, there are still resources deep in this website that members should explore.  As an example, in the VCE Resources page  http://www.gtav.asn.au/Resources/VCE/global_pers_mat.php there is a wonderful resource on Malaria and Polio produced by the Rotary eClub of Greater Melbourne specifically for VCE Geography. This Rotary International website provides web links for teachers and students with information that will assist their understanding, case studies and background information about the topics End Polio Now and Rotarians Against Malaria.

Australia's engagement with Asia: Indonesia

Case studies in water, food, urbanisation and human wellbeing
Australia's engagement with Asia: Indonesia is an engaging and easy-to-use teaching resource that supports the Australian Curriculum: Geography. It includes six DVD chapters with related texts and worksheets developed by World Vision and the Australian Geography Teachers Association.

It directly addresses two cross-curriculum perspectives: Sustainability and Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia.

Access the online resources

GTAV Resource Catalogue

The latest 2013 Resource Catalogue lists all the high-quality teaching resources available from the GTAV.

Inspiring Fieldwork resources in Interaction

The latest issue of Interaction is full of brilliant fieldwork ideas and resources. One valuable inclusion is a list of all Fieldwork Interaction articles since 1973. Members must login to download the issue now.

Feature article
Using technology to develop a more efficient, teacher-friendly fieldwork process: Geoffrey Paterson

Articles
Coastal fieldwork – making the coast your classroom: Paul Cross

Kayaking the Yarra River: Kerry Bainbridge

Primary Geographer
Using stories to talk about poverty: Joelle Stoelwinder

VCE
Unit 2 Fieldwork: Melbourne: Anna Blamey

Guidelines for developing the fieldwork for Unit 2, Human Environments: Margaret Bourke

Rippon Lea: A great venue for Geography fieldwork: Christine Lower

Geog ICT 
Digital tools for fieldwork: Cameron Hocking and Bethany Leong

Back issues of Interaction are also available online to members, if you are logged in to this site. 

2013 International Geography Olympiad in Japan 

Melbourne student Brittany Simmons has been selected to represent Australia at the 2013 International Geography Olympiad in Japan. Britt won her place on the team of four geography students through her outstanding performance in last year's Australian Geography Competition.

"Wow! I'm so excited," said Britt on being offered a place on the team. "I definitely accept!"

The four students in the Australian team are: Ali Finnemore from St Mary's Anglican Girls School in Perth, Sarah Naco from Canberra Girls' Grammar School, Lachlan Peat from Brisbane Grammar School, and Britt Simmons from Canterbury Girls Secondary College in Melbourne.

The team was chosen via a selection/training event, Geography's Big Week Out, held on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.

"The teachers at Big Week Out made the experience one where we all learnt so much and they made it so much fun. It was a week which I won't forget, said Britt.

Britt is particularly looking forward to the experience of mixing with like-minded students from all over the world. Teams from thirty-four countries have applied to participate in the Olympiad, to be held in Kyoto, Japan, from 30 July to 5 August. 

Students will be competing in the 2013 Australian Geography Competition at the end of March. Senior students from this year's competition have the opportunity to make the Australian team to the 2014 International Geography Olympiad in Krakow, Poland, and younger students could be selected for the team to the 2013 National Geographic World Championship in St Petersburg, Russia.

In its 19th year, the annual Australian competition tests geography student' understanding of the subject, as well as a wide base of skills and knowledge. Between 80,000 and 90,000 students from all Australian states and territories take part in the competition each year. The competition website is at www.geographycompetition.org.au.

Welcome to the 2013 GTAV Committee

We are in safe hands with members from the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary sectors, Government, Catholic and Independent schools and also from the Corporate sector. We have a wide cross section of teachers from Graduate to Retired with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Central to this is our shared love of Geography.

Standing: Karoline Walter, Adrian Defanti, John Ramsdale, Alex Rossimel, Pat Beeson (retiring), Anna Blamey, Philip Headley (Treasurer), Matt Davidson, Melinda Rankin and Ann McKay (Vice President).

Seated: Trish Douglas (President), Kerry Bainbridge (Immediate Past President), Anne Miles (Secretary), Cleo Westhorpe, Leonie Brown (Vice President). Absent from photo are Associate Professor Ian Rutherfurd, Jane Bellamy, Lou Preston, Sue Young, Neil King and Maree Boyle.

Destination Spatial

The GTAV is an active foundation member of Destination Spatial, a focus group with representatives from the Spatial Technology industry and Universities. Destination Spatial provides young professionals to talk to school groups about relevant courses for students who love maps and all things spatial. 

Pictured clockwise from GTAV Executive Officer Libby Hillman:

• Kellee Ireland - General Manager - Spatial Industries Business Association Ltd (SIBA)
• George Havakis - Victorian Chair and Director of Spatial Industries Business Association Ltd (SIBA), Managing Director of GISSA 
• Robyn McCutcheon - Product Manager, Information Services Branch, Department of Sustainability and Environment
• Lyn Terrett - Director of Rapid Map
• Mina Jahanshahi, Spatial Scientist, GHD
• Katherine Williams, Senior Spatial Scientist, GHD
• Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse, Executive Consultant-Spatial Information & Practice Leader - Spatial Data Organisation & Management, Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM)
• Dr Mohsen Kalantari, Lecturer in Geomatics, Associate Director, Centre for SDIs and Land Administration, Department of Infrastructure Engineering Melbourne School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne
• Professor Nicholas Chrisman, Discipline Head, Geospatial Science, School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences

Water for life: Investigating water as a global issue

An outstanding new resource published by the Geography Teachers Association of Victoria Inc (Global Education Project Victoria) is now available. Chapters include: 

• How is water distributed across the world?
• How has water availability changed over time?
• How is water used by people?
• How is water used in agriculture?
• Does climate change affect water availability?
• Case study: water issues in the Asia-Pacific
• Case study: water issues in Africa
• What action can be taken to improve water availability?

>> Download Water for life

Geography promotion brochure

GTAV has produced an A3 double-sided full colour brochure Mapping your Career with Geography. It is now printed and ready for purchase at only 30 cents per copy. It is perfect for Geography promotion events in your school and the wider community. All students and their parents should have one. This will be updated with further courses and careers relevant to Geography in March 2013. View the flyer here.

A free GTAV PowerPoint for subject selection, promotion and careers events to support the Mapping your Career with Geography can be downloaded here.

A Prezi version of the PowerPoint has also been produced. Prezi software is not required to display it. To access this on the cloud, go to www.prezi.com. Using the Explore tab seach for GTAV Careers. Select our GTAV Claire Jones version or view some of the other copies and modifications that other teachers have shared. 

If you purchase the Prezi software, you can also save a Prezi display and modify it offline and also create your own. To save a copy of the GTAV Careers Prezi, download it from here.