Further Links Contact Us Search Help

Syllabus | Exams | Glossary | Resources | Careers | Teachers

Geography

Home > Geography > Introduction > Syllabus overview > Syllabus overview

Syllabus overview

1. The importance of outcomes
2. The importance of key concepts or ideas in each course topic
3. Ecological and spatial dimensions, and a geographical perspective
4. Geographical patterns and processes
5. Global and local forces
6. Links between the Preliminary and HSC courses
7. Change and future trends
8. The importance of inquiry
9. Contemporary issues
10. Case studies and illustrative examples
11. Geography and the workplace
12. Links between and across course topics

By the time you reach the examination period at the end of the year you should have a thorough knowledge of the Stage 6 Geography Syllabus. The page of Contents in the Syllabus (page 3) lists the main items covered in the document, such as the aims, objectives, course structure, content and the rest. If you don't have a copy of the syllabus, it would be a good idea to download one now (go to the button on the top left of this page or the hyperlink above) and to have it next to you whilst we work through the following points.

1. The importance of outcomes

Probably the most important point to make is that the syllabus is all about outcomes, and this applies to all of the HSC syllabuses and not just geography. What this means is that the focus is on what you as the learner are intended to learn as a result of studying the syllabus. These outcomes are so important that they are listed twice in the syllabus. They are listed in summary form for the Preliminary and HSC courses on pages 10-11, and, at the beginning of each topic description the outcomes that relate specifically to the topic are listed.

There are 13 HSC Geography Outcomes (H1-H13). Of the 13 outcomes, H1-H7 are "knowledge and understanding" outcomes which are largely related to the ‘learn about’ material for each topic. For example H2: "Explains the factors which place ecosystems at risk and the reasons for their protection" is specific to that topic. Some outcomes, however, are addressed by more than one topic, and may be addressed by all three topics (e.g. H1/H5/H6/H7). Outcomes H8-H13 are "skills" outcomes related to geographical investigation and communication, geographical skills and tools, and geographical methods in the workplace, which are referred to as ‘learn tos’.

What's more, it is very likely that the examination questions will actually use phrases taken directly from the outcomes. For example, Question 20 in the specimen examination paper for geography ,(it's worth downloading if you haven't done so already) says "Analyse the impact of an urban dynamic operating in a country town or suburb". The corresponding outcome in the syllabus is H3: "Analyses contemporary urban dynamics and applies them in a specific context". If you were to highlight the phrases in these two sentence which are similar, you will see that they are pretty much identical. You will find more advice about the examination and assessment in the buttons at the top of the page.

In short, keep referring to the syllabus outcomes to check whether your geography studies are on the right track.

2. The importance of key concepts or ideas in each course topic

When you read the outcomes and the content for each course topic, you will see that there are a number of important terms that you will need to know. These important terms are the key ideas or key concepts that will help you understand what the topic is all about. For example in the topic, Urban places the major headings are World Cities, Mega Cities and Urban Dynamics. When you are studying the Urban Dynamics section, you should be able to define the concepts listed on page 31 (such as suburbanisation, spatial patterns of advantage and disadvantage, residential land, streetscape, ecological sustainability and all the rest). You should be able to describe and discuss a real-world example of each concept or term. The Glossary of terms on pages 44-46 of the syllabus will help you to define some of these terms.

3. Ecological and spatial dimensions, and a geographical perspective

The Aim of Geography Stage 6 ( Syllabus p. 8) refers to studying the spatial and ecological of phenomena in the world, and one of the objectives (same page) is to understand " the contribution of a geographical perspective".

In geography “spatial” means how things vary, or interconnect, from one place to another on the earth's surface. That might mean how places are different from each other, or it might mean how they are similar to each other, or it might mean how places interact or interconnect with each other. For example, you might say that, as large urban centres, Newcastle and Wollongong are similar to each other in some respects, such as population size, retailing outlets, etc. On the other hand you might say that they are different from each other in terms of their employment structures. Or again you might say that they are both connected to Sydney by a range of transport facilities. All of these comments are “spatial” in nature in that they are statements about how places vary or how they interact.

The ecological dimension is a bit different. It refers to the interactions between people and their environments or surroundings. So if you live in a suburb, your environment or surroundings include the ground or terrain plus the vegetation cover (which might comprise natural and introduced species) plus the physical structures which people have created, such as roads and buildings etc. How people interact with those surroundings will be influenced by how they perceive the features in their biophysical and built environment, plus the kind of political economic and cultural milieu they occupy. For example, someone developing a new suburb on the edge of town will take into account the physical and biophysical nature of the site, and weigh up the economic costs and income, plus dealings with local government for a potential development. This sort of description and analysis is all part of what the syllabus refers to as the ecological dimension.

A geographical perspective could involve just the spatial dimension or just the ecological dimension. However, in the above example, it could be that on the other side of town another developer is creating another suburb. If you were to study how these two new suburbs are similar of different and why, then you are looking at both the ecological and the spatial dimensions, and the two together represent the most comprehensive interpretation of what a geographical perspective is.

4. Geographical patterns and processes

A related idea to the ecological and the spatial is the reference in the syllabus to geographical patterns and processes. One of the objectives (Syllabus p. 8) talks about understanding “the processes that form and transform the features and patterns of the environment", and Outcome H12 (p.11) refers to "explaining geographical patterns, processes and future trends........." So what are geographic patterns and processes? Let's try an example.....................

One of the best ways of starting a geographical study is to draw a map of what you are studying, or to collect the information that will enable you to draw the map. It could be a map of fast-food outlets in your country town or suburb, or a map of world cities, or a map of rainforests in Eastern Australia, or a map of health resorts in NSW, or a map of who sits where in your class, or ....... well, just about anything you want to think of. What the map shows you is a geographical or spatial pattern.

Explaining why that pattern is the way it is will require you to think about the factors or processes that have made it that way. So if you are looking at a map, or geographical pattern, of fast food outlets, then part of the explanation will lie in the closeness to road traffic. In other words, the process partly explaining the pattern will be customer accessibility. On the other hand if you were looking at a map or pattern of health resorts, then the explanation for the pattern might partly be distance from road traffic or remoteness.

5. Global and local forces

One of the objectives of the syllabus (p.8) is to develop your understanding of "the global and local forces which impact on people, ecosystems, urban places and economic activity". This reference to the global and the local is a major part of the topic, People and economic activity. It is also made explicit in the topic, Urban places especially with reference to global networks and the interactions between urban centres of different sizes; and it may also be included in your studies of Ecosystems at risk.

What it means is that when we try to describe and explain what is going on, let's say, in the local economy, it may be necessary to look at the bigger picture of what is going on in the wider world. For example if there is a world-wide trend for governments in developed countries to adopt free trade policies and Australia follows this trend, then the tariffs on imported goods will be reduced. That may bring down prices within Australia and make it harder for locally produced goods to compete, forcing businesses to close, or make changes in production methods or location. The global trend would have repercussions on the local economic landscape.

Or another example might be the effect of global warming on the particular ecosystem at risk you are studying.

6. Links between the Preliminary and HSC courses

As you will know already by now, one of the topics in the Preliminary course is called Global challenges. It is very likely that you will be able to use your studies of that topic in your HSC course. For example, everyone will have studied world population trends as part of the topic, Global challenges. You will find that information essential to understand "the nature, character and spatial distribution of mega cities in the developing world" in the topic, Urban places (Syllabus p.30). The key ideas in the Preliminary course are re-visited and refined in the HSC course, so it will be appropriate to frequently refer to your notes on Global challenges.

You may also be able to draw on the optional sub-topics you have studied. For example, if you have studied the option, Natural resource use, then that might help you with your studies of a primary economic activity in the topic, People and economic activity for the HSC course. Or again, your studies of Biophysical interactions in the Preliminary course should feed directly into your studies of Ecosystems at risk in the HSC course.

7. Change and future trends

As you study each topic in the HSC course, make sure that you pay attention to the processes of change. Change appears in outcomes H1, H4, H6, H7 and H12, as well as in the content of each of the course topics, in the Rationale (p. 6) and in the reference to a "changing world "in the course aim (p. 8). You might, for example, study:

• how the nature and rate of change are factors which affect the functioning of ecosystems (Ecosystems at risk), or
• explain how the geography of a large city changes over time (Urban places) or
• how global economic changes are affecting a local economic enterprise (People & economic activity), or
• the future direction of a selected economic activity (People & economic activity).

8. The importance of inquiry

The first sentence of Section 8.1 on p.15 of the Syllabus leads off by saying: "Geographical inquiry is fundamental to all topics in the Preliminary and HSC courses". In other words, studying geography is not intended to be a passive exercise, where you merely copy out notes or absorb information from your teacher. You are encouraged to be active learners, working out how to ask Geographical questions and answer them, and learning how to apply the tools and skills used by Geographers. There's more on Inquiry by clicking the Inquiry methodologies heading.

9. Contemporary issues

There's no separate section in the syllabus on contemporary issues, but you are expected to be knowledgeable about what is going on in the world. The rationale indicates that one reason for studying the course is to develop the understanding, skills and attitudes which enable you to participate actively as informed citizens in exploring issues in a changing world (p. 6). More specifically, on p.15, you are encouraged to "become critical and creative thinkers about contemporary geographical questions and issues", and to apply your "knowledge and understanding to contemporary issues".

One minor difficulty here is working out what is meant by a contemporary issue in geography. The difficulty lies in what is meant by an "issue". There are two different but equally valid interpretations:

• A contemporary issue in geography is a problem without which we (society) would be better off, but as yet there is no agreed solution to the problem. It is also a problem that can be studied geographically. For example we could geographically investigate soil salinisation as a rural problem, possibly by a combination of fieldwork, media reports and use of reference material. This is probably the more usual interpretation.
• A contemporary issue in Geography is a geographical question to which there is as yet no agreed answer. For example it could be a question like “What are the effects on local retailing and shopping patterns of the new supermarket that has opened at.......?” In this case the question is not about a commonly accepted problem, but is about a significant change that has occurred.

Students who are able to enrich their discussion of the subject matter by relating it to relevant contemporary examples of the geographical phenomena will have their efforts rewarded. You will, for example, be able to demonstrate: the depth of your conceptual understanding; your awareness of how theoretical knowledge can manifest itself in the “real world”; and your ability to use the media as a source of geographical information. There's a separate file available on contemporary issues and the media that can be found by clicking the Inquiry methodologies heading.

10. Case studies and illustrative examples

In your studies of the content of the Syllabus you will be able to draw on a range of contemporary issues in the real and changing world. You will be making use of case studies and of illustrative examples to explain and discuss the key ideas or concepts you are using.

Case studies are substantial and detailed instances of a particular concept and you should follow the detailed instructions given in each course topic about what to cover in each case study:

• Ecosystems at risk asks you to prepare two case studies of different ecosystems
• Urban places asks you to prepare one case study of urban dynamics from a large city in the developed world, plus one case study of an urban dynamic operating in a country town or suburb
• People and economic activity asks you to prepare a case study of the geography of a local economic enterprise

In other parts of the course, you will need to be able to describe or discuss specific examples of the concepts or ideas you are covering, to demonstrate your understanding of the subject material. For example, in the Mega cities part of the topic, Urban places you could cite examples from several different cities of the challenges and responses of living in mega cities. So you might talk about traffic-related challenges and responses in Bangkok, housing challenges and responses in Mumbai (Bombay), energy challenges and response in Manila etc. On the other hand you could also illustrate all of these concepts by reference to just one mega city.

The materials used for illustrative examples can be drawn from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including: newspapers, magazines, journals, television documentaries and news programs, fieldwork, published texts, guest lecturers, library information services, government departments and non-government agencies, CD-ROM data bases and the Internet.

It could be useful to develop your own media portfolio, incorporating a range of items related to the subject matter of the course. You will need to select the most relevant of these items and prepare a short written synopsis of each. The synopsis should outline the nature of the issue being examined and demonstrate how it relates to a particular geographical concept or idea. You could share your portfolio with others in the class, thereby covering a range of media.

Illustrative examples don't need to be very detailed. They may, for example, involve a brief examination of a newspaper extract or the viewing of a television news item. Others may extend over two or three lessons and involve the study of a journal article or a textbook-based study; or they may be derived from studies undertaken in the field or from the research you carried out for the Senior Geography Project.

11. Geography and the workplace

A very new element in this Syllabus is the emphasis given to the contributions that geographers can make to the world of work. You can find more on this by clicking the Geography and the workplace heading.

12. Links between and across course topics

Finally in this overview you should be aware of the links between and across the three course topics in the HSC course. Two points are worth making

• The first Learning Outcome H1 refers to explaining " the changing nature, spatial patterns and interaction of ecosystems, urban places and economic activity". That means
• the changing nature of ecosystems, urban places and economic activity
• the spatial patterns of ecosystems, urban places and economic activity, and
• the interactions among ecosystems, urban places and economic activity

The last point refers to the links between the three course topics. As you study each topic it will be useful to consider the links between that topic and the other two. For example, your study of an economic activity like Tourism could also involve thinking about the effects on a particular Ecosystem at risk, and thinking about how Tourism fits in with the notion of world cities as centres of economic authority.

• The other point is that many of the learning outcomes are common across all three course topics (H6-H13... see p. 14 of the Syllabus). So you could have an examination question on one or more of these outcomes which asks you to use information from all three course topics. For example Outcome H7 is about justifying Geographical methods in the workplace, so you could have an examination question which asks you to discuss how geography is relevant to the workplace and to illustrate your answer with reference to studies of Ecosystems at risk, and to Urban places and to People and economic activity .