Why Study Geography?

VCE Geography enables students to examine natural and human phenomena, how and why they change, their interconnections and the patterns they form across the Earth’s surface. In doing so, they develop a better understanding of their own place and its spaces and those in other parts of the world. These spatial perspectives, when integrated with historical, economic, ecological and cultural perspectives, deepen understanding of places, environments and human interactions with these.

Interpretative and analytical skills enable students to interpret information presented in a variety of formats including maps, graphs, diagrams and images.

Structure

The study is made up of four units:

Unit 1: Hazards and disasters

Unit 2: Tourism

Unit 3: Changing the land

Unit 4: Human population – trends and issues

 

Unit 1: Hazards and disasters

In this unit students undertake an overview of hazards before investigating two contrasting types of hazards and the responses to them by people.

Hazards include a wide range of situations including those within local areas, such as fast moving traffic or the likelihood of coastal erosion, to regional and global hazards such as drought and infectious disease. Students examine the processes involved with hazards and hazard events, including their causes and impacts, human responses to hazard events and interconnections between human activities and natural phenomena. This unit investigates how people have responded to specific types of hazards, including attempts to reduce vulnerability to, and the impact of, hazard events.

Area of Study 1

Characteristics of hazards

Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse, describe and explain the nature of hazards and impacts of hazard events at a range of scales.

Area of Study 2

Response to hazards and disasters

Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse and explain the nature, purpose and effectiveness of a range of responses to selected hazards and disasters.

Unit 2: Tourism

In this unit students investigate the characteristics of tourism, with particular emphasis on where it has developed, its various forms, how it has changed and continues to change and its impacts on people, places and environments.

The study of tourism at local, regional and global scales emphasises the interconnection within and between places. There is an interconnection between places tourists originate from and their destinations through the development of communication and transport infrastructure, employment, together with cultural preservation and acculturation. The growth of tourism at all scales requires careful management to ensure environmentally sustainable and economically viable tourism. Students undertake fieldwork in this unit and report on fieldwork using the structure provided.

Area of Study 1

Characteristics of tourism

Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse, describe and explain the nature of tourism at a range of scales.

Area of Study 2

Impact of tourism

Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse and explain the impacts of tourism on people, places and environments and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies for managing tourism.

Unit 3: Changing the land

This unit focuses on two investigations of geographical change: change to land cover and change to land use.

Students investigate three major processes that are changing land cover in many regions of the world.

Students investigate the distribution and causes of these three processes. At a local scale students investigate land use change using appropriate fieldwork techniques and secondary sources. They investigate the scale of change, the reasons for change and the impacts of change. Students undertake fieldwork and produce a fieldwork report using the structure provided.

Area of Study 1

Land use change

Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse, describe and explain land use change and assess its impacts.

Area of Study 2

Land cover change

Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse, describe and explain processes that result in changes to land cover and discuss the impacts and responses resulting from these changes.

Unit 4: Human population – trends and issues

In this unit students investigate the geography of human populations. They explore the patterns of population change, movement and distribution, and how governments, organisations and individuals have responded to those changes in different parts of the world.

Population movements such as voluntary and forced movements over long or short terms add further complexity to population structures and to economic, social, political and environmental conditions.

Area of Study 1

Population dynamics

Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse, describe and explain population dynamics on a global scale.

Area of Study 2

Population issues and challenges

Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse, describe and explain the nature of significant population issues and challenges in selected locations and evaluate responses.

Assessment

Satisfactory completion

The award of satisfactory completion for a unit is based on a decision that the student has demonstrated achievement of the set of outcomes specified for the unit. This decision will be based on the teacher’s assessment of the student’s performance on assessment tasks designated for the unit.

Levels of achievement

Units 1 and 2
School based Assessment Tasks and Exams.

Units 3 and 4
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority supervises the assessment of all students undertaking Units 3 and 4.

Percentage contributions to the study score in VCE Geography are as follows:

Unit 3 School-assessed Coursework	25%
Unit 4 School-assessed Coursework	25%
End-of-year examination	50%