Geography Level 1
GEO1 Course DescriptionTeacher in Charge: Ms J. Fletcher.
Recommended Prior LearningA reasonable level of literacy is required.
The study of humans interacting with their taiao/environments including the physical and the cultural environment.
The plan for this programme is to start with the local area, exploring the natural and cultural features of the landscape past and present, and how people have interacted with that landscape. This is expanded to a national scale through the study of settlement patterns in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Physical landscapes and the forces that shape them are viewed through both a mātauranga Māori and scientific lens, with human interaction now and in the future illustrating consequences and challenges.
The course concludes with a more outward-facing perspective looking at how relationships with other countries have shaped Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural diversity and the country’s position in the global sphere.
Main topics:
Introduction to Geography:
- How can maps represent natural (physical) and cultural (human) features of the world?
- Explore the natural and cultural features in the local area.
Settlement patterns:
- Current population distribution of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Geographies of Rivers:
- Awa and Rio: Why are rivers significant to flourishing societies?
Life’s a Beach:
- How are coastal environments formed?
Volcanic Landscapes:
- Global distribution of volcanoes.
Aotearoa New Zealand’s global connections:
- Relationships and links with other countries.
Course Overview
Term 1
Introduction to Geography
- How can maps represent natural (physical) and cultural (human) features of the world?
- Maps as a tool of colonisation, understanding, and representation.
- Mapping Aotearoa New Zealand and Brazil. Aspects that might be mapped:
- Absolute and relative locations of world countries at global/continental scales
- Global climatic zonation and explanation
- Soils and vegetation of Aotearoa New Zealand and Brazil
- Major physical landscapes (focus on erosion, transportation, and deposition)
- Location of cities and major transport routes.
Settlement patterns: a regional and country scale
* Current population distribution of Aotearoa New Zealand
- description of the pattern and how it has changed over time
- reasons for the pattern, historic and current, making links to other characteristics
- the impact of rising sea levels on current settlement patterns.
- the significance of changing settlement patterns for people
* Case Studies: Northland, New Zealand and Brazil
Field trip opportunity to the Bay of Islands.
Term 2
Geographies of Rivers: Awa and Rio: Why are rivers significant to flourishing societies?
* Mapping rivers of global significance
* Importance of rivers to people
* Cultural significance eg. water as a source of life; Mahinga Kai; transportation; rivers as tūpuna and whakapapa
* Environmental significance (water quality issues and management)
* Economic significance
* Rivers as shapers of whenua / landscapes
- Hydrological cycle: key flows, storage etc…
- Studies of fluvial erosion, transportation and deposition
- Case Studies: The Amazon and an awa of regional significance (Waihou)
A Local Awa Study
* How might a geographer research a river?
- Suggest questions a geographer be interested in about awa? (eg. what are the possible spatial foci for a river study?)
- Learning data
- Fieldtrip collecting empirical data to describe characteristics of a river (eg. for discharge or water quality studies downstream)
- Interpret data related to river study and present on map of river at selected points downstream.
Life’s a Beach
* How are coastal environments formed?
- Describing the natural and cultural features of a selection of beaches.
- Explore pūrākau of local whanga / tātahi formation.
- Explore erosional, transportation and depositional processes found on coastal environments.
- Students to research natural processes of a local beach.
- Students look into the effect on people.
- Students find out how people have responded and how could they respond in the future.
Possible fieldtrip to the East Coast Beaches
Term 3
Volcanic Landscapes: Global distribution of volcanoes
* Using pūrākau, show how Māori explained volcanism in Aotearoa New Zealand
* Understand the scientific explanation of volcanism in Aotearoa New Zealand
- natural processes forming the volcanoes
- volcanic types and distribution (Auckland volcanic field compared to Tongariro Volcanic Zone)
* Human interaction with the volcanic landscape over time, volcanic cones especially and the effect of volcanic landscapes and processes on people.
* How have people responded to volcanic landscapes and processes and explore how they could respond in the future.
* Understand the significance of the volcanoes for Māori. Field trip opportunity to Auckland Muesum.
Aotearoa New Zealand’s global connections: Relationships and links with other countries eg. trade, political, defense, sport (opportunities for inquiry)
* How might these change in the future?
* How do young New Zealanders see themselves in the world?
Term 4
Examination Revision
Pathway
This course could also lead into Level 2 - Tourism through Distance
Career PathwaysAquaculture Farmer, Urban/Regional Planner, Marine Biologist, Event Manager, Geologist, Marine Engineer, Meteorologist, Forest Manager, Travel Agent/Adviser, Geospatial Specialist
Contributions and Equipment/StationeryA 4 day trip to explore the Bay of Islands- approx $200
This trip is combined with History and Te Reo Māori.