WAGIN
DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL
SEMESTER OUTLINE
Year 9 Society and Environment Course Outline
Semester 2, 2016.
COURSE OUTLINE
This semester, our year 9’s will be focussing on Geography and Active Citizenship. Their main unit of study for
Geography will be on Biomes and Food security.
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.
The key inquiry questions 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?
In Active Citizenship, students will gain a greater understanding of how we are governed and the rights and
responsibilities of each citizen. They will examine a range of other government systems, noting their strengths and
weaknesses. Students will also gain knowledge in ‘the rule of law’ and the role of the courts in the judicial process.
To complete the unit, students will participate in a number of mock elections, identifying the different electoral
systems operating and determining what they deem to be the ‘fairest.’ Students will also have the chance to create
their own political party and run for office!
A framework for developing students’ civics and citizenship knowledge, understanding and skills at this year level is
provided by the following key questions:



What influences shape the operation of Australia's political system?
How does Australia's court system work in support of a democratic and just society?
How do citizens participate in an interconnected world?
ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS
By the end of Year 9, students explain how geographical processes change the characteristics of places.
They predict changes in the characteristics of places over time and identify the possible implications of
change for the future. They analyse interconnections between people, places and environments and explain
how these interconnections influence people, and change places and environments. Students propose
explanations for distributions and patterns over time and across space and describe associations between
distribution patterns. They analyse alternative strategies to a geographical challenge using environmental,
social and economic criteria and propose and justify a response.
Term 3
Biomes and Food Security
Wk
Focus
Geographical Skills
1-2
Concepts for developing geographical understanding.
Geographers use a range of key concepts and skills to
help investigate and understand the world. These are:
place, space, sustainability, scale, environment, change
and interconnection.
Represent the spatial distribution of
geographical phenomena by constructing
special purpose maps that conform to
cartographic conventions, using spatial
technologies as appropriate
Assessments
Revision of Climatic Graphs and Australia’s climatic
regions. What are the factors affecting climate? What is
the importance of climate?
3
Evaluating and Representing Data Visually
Focus on Topographic Maps, with skills in determining
gradient, understanding 6-figure grid referencing, and
reading contour lines.
Represent the spatial distribution of
geographical phenomena by constructing
special purpose maps that conform to
cartographic conventions, using spatial
technologies as appropriate
Skill Drill – The Kokoda Trail. Estimating gradient
and aspect on topographic maps
4
What is a biome? What are the world’s biomes?
Mapping Biomes (Polar lands, Tundra, Boreal Forest,
Mountain Vegetation, Temperate forest, Grasslands,
Desert, Tropical Rainforest). What features do they have?
Who lives in these biomes? How do people use the
biomes to provide food and shelter. How do the biomes
determine how they live?
5
Australia’s biomes. The landscapes of Australia and
landform regions.
Examining Australian Landforms (lakes, mountains,
rivers and deserts)
6
Why do some biomes produce more food than others?
Agricultural suitability. Food production in Australia
Rice – the grain of life. What is the environmental impact
of changing diets?
Topographic
Mapping test
The distribution and characteristics of
biomes as regions with distinctive
climates, soils, vegetation
and productivity
Evaluate multi-variable data and other
geographical information using
qualitative and quantitative methods, and
digital and spatial technologies as
appropriate, to make generalisations and
inferences, propose explanations for
patterns, trends, relationships and
anomalies, and predict outcomes
Evaluate sources for their reliability, bias
and usefulness, and represent multivariable data in a range of appropriate
forms, for example, scatter plots, tables,
field sketches and annotated diagrams,
with and without the use of digital and
spatial technologies
Skill Drill: Describing patterns on a Choropleth map
7
Changes to the natural Environment. What are the
environmental impacts of food production?
Student will conduct an investigation into the
environmental impact of food production, focussing on
Develop geographically significant
questions and plan an inquiry that
identifies and applies appropriate
geographical methodologies and
concepts
Interpreting and
creating a transect
diagram of
Australia
Skill Drill:
Describing patterns
on a choropleth
map
Research
Assignment – What
are the
environmental
8
how food production in a country can change the
vegetation, the water and the soil
The ways that humans in the production
of food and fibre have altered some
biomes (e.g. through vegetation
clearance, drainage, terracing,
irrigation) (ACHGK061)
Food Security: feeding a hungry world
Apply geographical concepts to
synthesise information from various
sources and draw conclusions based on
the analysis of data and information,
taking into account alternative points of
view
What is food security? What are the main threats to food
security? How can we improve food security?
Skill Drill : Developing Geographical Questions. Food
insecurity in the Horn of Africa.
Scarcity of water, competition for land. Mapping
predicted changes in food production due to climate
change.
The environmental, economic and
technological factors that influence crop
yields in Australia and across the world
(e.g.climate, soils, landforms,
water resources, irrigation, accessibility,
labour supply, agricultural technologies)
(ACHGK062)
Skill Drill: Analysing satellite images
9
Field Trip
Preparation for our field trip to Puntapin Rock. Revise
field sketches and posing inquiry questions.
Plan, Conduct and Inquire.
10
(Some
students
will be at
country
week)
Genetically modified food- the main benefits and
opposition to GM foods. Conservation agriculture.
An increasingly popular way for geographers to present
their findings and data is to prepare an infographic.
Students will create their own infographic on a topic they
wish to communicate to an audience
impacts of food
production?
End of Unit Test
Present findings, arguments and
explanations in a range of appropriate
communication forms, selected for their
effectiveness and to suit audience and
purpose; using relevant geographical
terminology, and digital technologies as
appropriate
Develop geographically significant
questions and plan an inquiry that
identifies and applies appropriate
geographical methodologies and
concepts.
The effects of anticipated future
population growth on global food
production and security; the capacity for
Australia and the world to achieve food
security; the implications for agriculture,
agricultural innovation and
environmental sustainability(ACHGK064)
Skill Drill: Visual
representations
Create an
infographic.
Term 4
Active Citizenship
Wk
Focus
Skills
1
Democracy: What is a democracy? How is Australia’s
democracy similar to others? What are the differences?
What is a constitution? How does a constitution protect
citizens? What is the history of Australia’s constitution?
Identify, gather and sort
information and ideas from a
range of sources and reference as
appropriate
2
Identify and explain different types of governments:
Democratic, Communist, Fascist, Socialism, Monarchy.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?
Develop, select and evaluate a
range of questions to investigate
Australia's political and legal
systems
Read extracts from history – provide written responses.
Critically evaluate information
and ideas from a range of sources
in relation to civics and
citizenship topics and issues
Read extracts from ‘Animal Farm’
Assessments
Field Trip – inquiry
report
View ‘Lord of the Flies’
3
How social media is used to influence people's
understanding of issues (ACHCK076). Examine how
social media has influenced the issues of Refugees and
Terrorism in Australia.
Account for different
interpretations and points of view
Short answer
responses – using
evidence to help
support an
argument.
Skill Drill – Written responses
4
5
What are the origins and features of Australia’s
Government?
- Three levels of government
- Separation of powers
Westminister system, links to Britain
Justice: What is justice? What is a law? Explain the rule of
law. What is the presumption of innocence? Explain the
right of appeal. Who makes the law? What role does
parliament have in making laws? What laws are made by
local government, state government and federal
government?
Participate in Mock trials.
The role of political parties, and
independent representatives in
Australia's system of government,
including the formation of
governments (ACHCK075)
Identify, gather and sort
information and ideas from a
range of sources and reference as
appropriate
Recognise and consider multiple
perspectives and ambiguities, and
use strategies to negotiate and
resolve contentious issues
The key principles of Australia's
justicesystem, including equality
before the law, independent
judiciary, and right of appeal
(ACHCK078)
View ‘The Castle’ to view the ‘appeals’ process in
Australian Courts.
6
7-8
Civic Responsibility: Define the concept of civic
responsibility. What are your rights and responsibilities
as an Australian citizen?
Critically evaluate information
and ideas from a range of sources
in relation to civics and
citizenship topics and issues.
What are the factors that can undermine the application of
the principles of justice (e.g. bribery, coercion of witnesses,
trial by media, court delays)
The factors that can undermine
the application of the principles
of justice (e.g. bribery, coercion
of witnesses, trial by media, court
delays) (ACHCK078
Elections! What are the different types of electoral systems?
Preferential, First Past the Post and Proportional. What are
the strengths and weaknesses of each?
Present findings, arguments and
explanations in a range of
appropriate communication
forms, selected for their
effectiveness and to suit audience
and purpose; using relevant
geographical terminology, and
How citizens' choices are shaped at election time (e.g. public
debate, media, opinion polls, advertising, interest groups,
Investigation
Report:
Discuss how laws
come about, with
reference to a
particular law in
Australia’s history.
End of Unit Test
Group Presentation:
Create a Political
political party campaigns) (ACHCK076)
digital technologies as
appropriate
9
Crime Statistics: Evaluate graphs relating to crime
statistics in Australia. Create own graphs from
information provided. Newspaper analysis activities.
Read informational texts/ graphs.
Discuss trends and provide
written responses
10
Elections! What is a ‘party platform?’ What happens once a
government is in power?
Party and run for
Government.
Please note that dates are a guide only and may change to suit teacher/student needs.