Geography: What is it for?

Teaching and Learning in South Australia

13 Oct 201304:29

Summary

TLDRThis script explores the multifaceted role of geography, emphasizing its significance beyond mere cartography. It underscores geography's capacity to reveal the intricate connections between people and places, and its application in understanding complex phenomena like the Olympics. The Australian Curriculum is highlighted, showcasing how it intertwines knowledge and inquiry skills, and uses seven key concepts to foster a holistic geographical perspective. The narrative illustrates how a student, Karra, can apply geographical thinking to real-world scenarios, like a local park-and-ride proposal, to become an informed and active citizen.

Takeaways

🌍 Geography is about more than just maps; it's a way to explore and understand our world deeply.
🏅 The Olympics serve as an example to illustrate how geography can reveal the characteristics and stories of different countries.
🤔 Geography encourages critical thinking, such as questioning why certain countries excel in specific sports or have fewer competitors.
🔗 It helps us see the interconnections between people and places, which is crucial for making informed decisions about the future.
🧐 Geographers are driven by curiosity to understand the world and its spatial relationships, beyond just locating places.
🌐 Geography uses modern technological tools to analyze and explore the world's spaces, emphasizing the importance of interconnections.
🏞 The meaning of a place and its significance to people's identity is a key area of interest for geographers.
📚 The Australian Curriculum for geography has two strands: Geographical knowledge & understandings and Geographical inquiry and skills.
🔍 Students learn through seven geographical concepts: place, space, environment, scale, change, interconnection, and sustainability.
👧 Karra, a hypothetical student, is an example of how geography can be taught to encourage active and informed citizenship.
📈 Geography education aims to develop students' capacity to analyze data and form well-informed views on local and global issues.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of geography according to the script?
-The primary purpose of geography is to explore and understand our world in a particular way, going beyond just knowing where people and places are located on a map.
How does geography help in understanding the Olympics?
-Geography helps in understanding the Olympics by investigating the location of participating countries, researching their notable characteristics, and considering the stories of these people and places to gain a deep understanding of their life and place in the world.
What questions might geography encourage us to ask about countries participating in the Olympics?
-Geography might encourage us to ask why some countries have just a few competitors, and why some excel at particular sports while others do not.
How does geography enable us to see the interconnections between people and places?
-Geography allows us to see the interconnections between people and places by understanding the spatial relationships and using that understanding to inform our decisions for the future.
What drives geographers to be inquisitive about our world?
-Geographers are driven by a desire to locate the amazing places of the world and to understand that people and places don't exist in isolation but are interconnected.
How does thinking geographically develop an understanding of the world?
-Thinking geographically develops an understanding that people and places are interconnected and exist in spatial terms, which is explored and considered in geography.
What modern technological tools does geography use to explore the world?
-Geography uses a range of modern technological tools to identify and explore the spaces of the world, although the specific tools are not mentioned in the script.
What are the two interwoven strands in the Australian Curriculum for geography?
-The two interwoven strands in the Australian Curriculum for geography are Geographical knowledge & understandings and Geographical inquiry and skills.
What are the 7 geographical concepts students view and analyze the world through?
-The 7 geographical concepts are place, space, environment, scale, change, interconnection, and sustainability.
How might a teacher interweave the two strands of Geography for a student like Karra?
-A teacher might interweave the two strands by encouraging Karra to know where places are on a map, explore the nature of places, understand why places are where they are, and analyze the impact places have on people and vice versa.
What does the script suggest Karra's teacher should do when the sand dunes near her school are identified for development?
-The script suggests that Karra's teacher should engage Karra to think geographically, empowering her to influence the future of her world by developing her own response using her geographical knowledge, skills, and thinking.
What is the ultimate goal for Karra in thinking geographically about the sand dunes?
-The ultimate goal is for Karra to develop her capacity to be an active and informed citizen in her community and beyond by thinking geographically and considering all possible options and actions for the future of the sand dunes.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Understanding Geography's Purpose and Scope

This paragraph delves into the significance of geography as a discipline. It emphasizes that geography is not just about locating places on a map but also about understanding the world's complexities. The text uses the Olympics as an example to illustrate how geography can uncover the stories and characteristics of different countries and their people. It raises questions about disparities in participation and sporting excellence, suggesting that geography helps us explore these issues. The paragraph also touches on geography's role in revealing the interconnections between people and places and its importance in shaping our decisions for the future. It ends by defining the core elements of geographical education, including the Australian Curriculum's focus on geographical knowledge and inquiry skills, and the seven key geographical concepts that students must consider.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Geography

Geography is the study of the Earth's landscapes, peoples, places, and environments. It is central to the video's theme as it explores how geography helps us understand the world beyond just the physical locations. For instance, the script mentions geography's role in investigating the location of participating countries in the Olympics and understanding their characteristics.

💡Interconnections

Interconnections refer to the relationships and links between different geographical elements, such as people, places, and environments. The video emphasizes geography's ability to reveal these connections, as seen when discussing the reasons behind the varying numbers of competitors from different countries in sports events.

💡Geographical knowledge & understandings

This concept encompasses the body of information and insights about the world that geography provides. It is a key strand in the Australian Curriculum for geography, which the video uses as a framework to discuss how students can develop a deeper understanding of the world.

💡Geographical inquiry and skills

This refers to the methods and competencies used in geography to investigate and analyze spatial information. The video highlights the importance of these skills in enabling students like Karra to think critically about geographical issues, such as the proposed park-and-ride location near her school.

💡Spatial terms

Spatial terms relate to the way geography examines the distribution, location, and arrangement of features across the Earth's surface. The script illustrates this by discussing how geographers explore interconnections in spatial terms, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the world.

💡Modern technological tools

The video mentions the use of modern technological tools by geographers to identify and explore the world's spaces. This underscores the contemporary approach to geography, integrating technology with traditional methods to enhance understanding and analysis.

💡Place

In the context of the video, 'place' represents a specific location with unique characteristics and meanings. It is one of the seven geographical concepts used to analyze and understand the world. The script uses the example of Karra's school and the adjacent sand dunes to discuss the significance of place in geographical thinking.

💡Identity

Identity, as discussed in the video, is the sense of self or collective belonging that is often tied to a particular place. Geographers explore how places contribute to people's identities, as seen in the script's discussion of the meaning of a place to people.

💡Interwoven strands

The term 'interwoven strands' in the video refers to the integration of geographical knowledge and understanding with geographical inquiry and skills. This integration is essential for developing a holistic geographical perspective, as illustrated by the script's discussion on the Australian Curriculum.

💡Karra

Karra is a hypothetical student in the video used to exemplify how geographical concepts and skills can be applied in real-life scenarios. Her story about the sand dunes near her school demonstrates the practical application of geographical thinking.

💡Active and informed citizen

The video encourages the development of geographical thinking to empower individuals like Karra to become active and informed citizens. This concept is highlighted through Karra's potential involvement in the decision-making process regarding the future of the sand dunes, showcasing the relevance of geography in civic engagement.

Highlights

Geography helps us explore and understand our world in a particular way.

Geography is more than just knowing where people and places are located on a map.

Geography allows investigation into the location and characteristics of participating countries in events like the Olympics.

Understanding the stories of people and places is crucial for gaining a deep understanding of their life and place in the world.

Geography helps question disparities in the number of competitors and sports excellency among different countries.

Geography enables us to see the interconnections between people and places and use that understanding for informed decision-making.

Geographers are driven by an inquisitive nature about our world, going beyond just locating places.

Thinking geographically develops an understanding that people and places are interconnected and not isolated.

Geography explores interconnections in spatial terms using modern technological tools.

Geographers are interested in the meaning of places to people and its importance to their identity.

The Australian Curriculum for geography consists of two interwoven strands: Geographical knowledge & understandings and Geographical inquiry and skills.

Students analyze the world through 7 geographical concepts: place, space, environment, scale, change, interconnection, and sustainability.

Geographical thinking requires considering both content strands and geographical concepts.

A teacher can interweave the strands of Geography to encourage students like Karra to think geographically.

Geographical education aims to develop students' capacity to understand the nature of places and their impact on people.

Geography empowers students to influence the future of their world through geographical knowledge, skills, and thinking.

Geography encourages students to collect, represent, and analyze data to develop views on possible options and actions for the future.

The goal of geographical education is to develop students into active and informed citizens in their community and beyond.

Interweaving key geographical concepts with the two strands shows that geographical thinking extends beyond just places on a map.