VCE Geography
Aim
Discover the World with VCE Geography!
Why Choose VCE Geography?
VCE Geography lets you dive into the study of our world by exploring the characteristics of various places and understanding the forces that shape them. You'll ask intriguing questions like:
What is here?
Why is it here?
How is it changing?
How does it compare to other places?
Exciting Fieldwork in Every Unit!
Each unit in VCE Geography includes at least one fieldwork activity, giving you hands-on experience to explore and understand geographic phenomena directly in the field. Imagine analysing urban landscapes, investigating natural environments, and discovering the intricate connections between human activities and nature.
Key Themes and Concepts
Throughout the course, you'll encounter key geographic concepts such as:
Change: Understanding how places and environments evolve over time.
Interconnection: Exploring the connections between different places and phenomena.
Sustainability: Learning about the balance between human needs and environmental protection.
Skills You'll Develop
Geospatial and Digital Technologies: Use the latest tools to gather and analyse geographic data.
Investigative Skills: Conduct surveys, observe environments, and collect data during fieldwork.
Interpretative and Analytical Skills: Learn to interpret maps, graphs, and diagrams, and critically evaluate information.
Communication Skills: Present your findings creatively and effectively using geographic terminology.
Why Geography Matters
By studying geography, you’ll gain a better understanding of your place in the world and develop a global perspective. This course integrates historical, economic, ecological, and cultural viewpoints to deepen your knowledge of how humans interact with their environments.
Career Opportunities
The skills you develop in VCE Geography are in high demand. Careers in the geospatial industry, environmental management, urban planning, and more await you. With the rise of digital and spatial technologies, your geographic skills will open doors to numerous exciting career pathways.
Please review the study design for more information (this link will download a word document).
Assessments
Units 1 and 2: Demonstration of achievement of outcomes and satisfactory completion of a unit is determined by evidence gained through the assessment of a range of learning activities and tasks.
Units 3 and 4: School assessed coursework (50%)
End-of-year Examination (50%)
UNIT 1: Hazards and disasters | UNIT 2: Tourism: Issues and Challenges |
Dive into the Thrilling Study of Hazards! In this unit, you'll explore how people respond to various hazards and disasters. From local dangers like fast-moving traffic to global threats such as infectious diseases, you'll learn about the potential for harm and how communities are affected when disasters strike.
Fieldwork Adventure Awaits! Get ready to step out of the classroom and into the field! Fieldwork is a crucial part of this unit, where you’ll investigate real-world hazards and produce detailed fieldwork reports. Experience the excitement of analysing hazards firsthand and understanding their impacts on communities.
What You’ll Learn Overview of Hazards: Start with a broad look at different types of hazards before diving into two contrasting examples. Processes and Impacts: Examine the causes and effects of hazard events, including how human activities and natural phenomena are interconnected. Human Responses: Learn how people respond to and manage hazards and disasters, with a special focus on the role of climate change.
Types of Hazards You’ll Study Geological Hazards: Volcanic activity, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and avalanches. Hydro-Meteorological Hazards: Droughts, floods, storms, storm surges, and bushfires. Biological Hazards: Infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria, animal-transmitted diseases, waterborne diseases, and invasive species such as blackberries and cane toads in Australia. Technological Hazards: Human-induced hazards like oil spills, air pollution, radiation leaks, and climate change effects such as rising sea levels and severe weather events.
Fieldwork Experience Hands-On Investigation: Conduct fieldwork to study hazards and their impacts directly. Produce a Fieldwork Report: Compile your findings into a comprehensive fieldwork report, showcasing your understanding and analysis of real-world hazards.
Why Study Hazards and Disasters? Understanding hazards and disasters is essential for protecting communities and managing risks. By studying this unit, you'll gain valuable insights into the complex interactions between natural and human systems and the skills to analyze and respond to these challenges effectively. Global Health and Managing Interactions Studying hazards and disasters extends beyond local impacts to encompass global health and the management of social, environmental, and economic interactions. By exploring these areas: Understand Global Health Implications: Learn how hazards and disasters influence global health, including the spread of infectious diseases and the impact on healthcare systems. Develop Management Skills: Gain insights into managing the social, environmental, and economic challenges associated with hazards. Interdisciplinary Approach: Understand how to integrate social, environmental, and economic perspectives in hazard management to create comprehensive solutions. These skills are invaluable for a range of careers, from public health and emergency management to environmental planning and international development. With a growing need for professionals who can navigate the complexities of hazards and disasters, your knowledge and skills will be in high demand, opening doors to various exciting career pathways. | Explore the Fascinating World of Tourism! In this unit, you’ll delve into the characteristics of tourism: where it has developed, its various forms, how it evolves, and its impact on people, places, and environments. You’ll investigate contrasting examples of tourism within Australia and around the world, discovering the diverse and dynamic nature of the travel industry.
Fieldwork Adventure Awaits! Fieldwork is an essential component of this unit. You'll get the chance to explore tourism in action, conduct on-site investigations, and produce comprehensive fieldwork reports. This hands-on experience will help you understand the real-world implications of tourism on various scales.
What You’ll Learn Development and Evolution of Tourism: Study how tourism has developed over time and its various forms. Impacts of Tourism: Analyze the effects of tourism on local, regional, and global environments, economies, and cultures. Ethical Tourism: Explore the issues and challenges associated with ethical tourism and sustainable practices.
Key Concepts in Tourism Tourism Dynamics: Learn about the movement of people for tourism, defined as travel outside their usual environment for more than 24 hours but less than a year. Global Impact: Understand the significant role tourism plays in global GDP and employment. Interconnections: Discover how climate, landforms, culture, and infrastructure interconnect to shape tourism destinations and experiences.
Fieldwork Experience Hands-On Investigation: Engage in fieldwork to study tourism firsthand, analyzing its impacts and sustainability. Produce a Fieldwork Report: Use the provided structure to compile your findings into a detailed fieldwork report, showcasing your investigative skills.
Why Study Tourism? Tourism is a major global industry that affects many aspects of our world. By studying tourism, you'll gain insights into its economic, cultural, and environmental impacts and learn how to manage tourism sustainably. Business Insights and Career Opportunities Understanding tourism is crucial not just for those directly involved in the industry, but also for anyone interested in running a business. Tourism influences local economies, generates jobs, and requires strategic management to balance growth with sustainability. Understanding the social, environmental, and economic implications of tourism is invaluable for a range of careers, from tourism management and hospitality to business development and environmental planning. With the rise of global tourism, your knowledge and skills will be highly sought after, opening doors to a variety of exciting career pathways. |
UNIT 3: Changing the land | UNIT 4: Human population: Trends and Issues |
Uncover the Dynamics of Land Cover and Land Use! In this unit, you'll investigate the fascinating changes in our world's landscapes, focusing on land cover and land use. You'll explore various biomes, from forests and grasslands to tundra and wetlands, and understand how natural and human processes alter these environments.
Fieldwork Adventure Awaits! Fieldwork is a cornerstone of this unit, allowing you to explore changes in land use and land cover firsthand. You'll conduct on-site investigations and produce comprehensive fieldwork reports, enhancing your understanding of these dynamic processes.
What You’ll Learn Land Cover Change: Study natural land cover, including forests, grasslands, and wetlands, and how they are altered by natural and human processes. Major Processes of Change: Investigate melting glaciers and ice sheets, and deforestation, understanding their distribution, causes, and impacts. Land Use Change: Explore how humans modify land cover for housing, resources, communication, and recreation, examining changes in both urban and rural settings.
Key Concepts in Land Cover and Land Use Biomes and Natural State: Understand biomes and how climate, soils, landforms, and flora and fauna interconnect to form natural land cover. Human Impact: Learn about the significant impact human activities have on natural land cover through processes like deforestation and urbanization. Spatial and Temporal Scales: Examine changes at different spatial and temporal scales, from local neighbourhoods to global regions.
Fieldwork Experience Hands-On Investigation: Engage in fieldwork to study land use changes locally, using appropriate techniques and secondary sources. Produce a Fieldwork Report: Use the provided structure to compile your findings into a detailed fieldwork report, showcasing your investigative skills.
Why Study Land Cover and Land Use Change? Understanding changes in land cover and land use is essential for managing our environments sustainably. By studying this unit, you'll gain insights into how natural and human processes shape our landscapes and the skills to analyse and respond to these changes effectively.
Global Perspectives and Sustainable Management Studying land cover and land use change provides crucial insights into managing social, environmental, and economic interactions at various scales. By exploring these areas: Global Health and Environmental Impact: Understand how changes in land cover and use affect global health, ecosystems, and biodiversity, including the impacts of deforestation and climate change. Develop Management Skills: Learn to manage land resources sustainably, balancing the needs for housing, agriculture, and recreation with environmental conservation. Interdisciplinary Approach: Integrate social, environmental, and economic perspectives to address the challenges of land use change comprehensively. These skills are invaluable for a range of careers, from urban planning and environmental management to public health and international development. With a growing need for professionals who can navigate the complexities of land cover and land use changes, your knowledge and skills will be in high demand, opening doors to various exciting career pathways.
| Explore the Dynamics of Human Population: Trends and Issues! In this unit, embark on a captivating exploration of the geography of human populations, unravelling the intricate patterns of population change, movement, and distribution across the globe. Delve into the multifaceted responses of governments, organizations, and individuals to these demographic shifts, gaining invaluable insights into the complex interplay between human societies and their environments.
Key Learning Objectives: Understanding Population Dynamics: Delve into the complex dynamics of human populations, examining the factors driving growth and decline in fertility and mortality rates, as well as the impact of migration on population structures. Investigating Significant Trends: Undertake a comprehensive investigation into two significant population trends emerging in different parts of the world, analysing their environmental, economic, social, and cultural ramifications on local communities and global landscapes. Navigating Population Growth: Grapple with the unprecedented growth of the world's population, from 2.5 billion in 1950 to over 7 billion since 2010, exploring the implications of this demographic surge, particularly within developing countries, and the contrasting demographic trajectories observed in many developed nations. Frameworks for Analysis: Utilise powerful analytical frameworks such as the Demographic Transition Model and population structure diagrams to dissect the key dynamics of population change, providing a robust foundation for your investigative inquiries. Unravelling Population Movements: Explore the complexities of population movements, ranging from voluntary migrations to forced displacements, and examine their profound implications for population structures, as well as the environmental, economic, social, and cultural fabric of societies. Factors Shaping Population Change: Analyse the myriad factors driving population change, including government policies, economic conditions, conflicts, political boundary shifts, and hazard events, unravelling the intricate interconnections between these multifaceted drivers. Evaluating Response Strategies: Critically evaluate the diverse strategies developed in response to population issues and challenges, ranging from policies addressing growing population trends in one country to the complex dynamics of aging populations in another, spanning different regions of the world.
Why Study Human Population Trends and Issues? Grasping the nuances of human population dynamics is paramount for fostering sustainable development and informed decision-making. By delving into this unit, you'll acquire a profound understanding of how demographic shifts shape our world, equipping you with the analytical skills and interdisciplinary perspectives needed to navigate the complex challenges of the 21st century.
Global Perspectives and Sustainable Solutions: Gain insights into the global ramifications of population trends, from their impacts on public health and environmental sustainability to their implications for social cohesion and economic development. Develop Strategic Management Skills: Cultivate the expertise to formulate and implement effective population management strategies, balancing demographic imperatives with environmental conservation and social equity. Embrace an Interdisciplinary Approach: Harness the power of interdisciplinary perspectives, integrating insights from geography, economics, sociology, and beyond to craft holistic solutions to population-related challenges.
Pave the Way for Rewarding Career Pathways: With a deep understanding of human population dynamics and the ability to navigate the complexities of demographic trends, you'll be well-positioned to pursue a range of impactful careers, from urban planning and public health to international development and beyond. |