‘Without geography, you are nowhere’
Jimmy Buffet
- gives students a holistic view of the world, combining knowledge, skills, and understanding of the natural and cultural world.
- fosters a curiosity about place and space, and provokes questions about natural and cultural environments.
- provides opportunities through fieldwork for first-hand investigations of places and human activities.
- helps students make sense of complex issues such as natural disasters, sustainable use of resources, ageing populations, land conflicts and development and impact of tourism.
- explores the relationships and connections between people and both natural and cultural environments.
- teaches students to think spatially and use maps, visual images and new technologies, including geographical information systems (GIS), to obtain, present and analyse information.
WHAT WE DO AT YEAR 11
We learn about:
- Extreme Natural Events– Volcanic Eruptions (e.g. Ruapehu) and Earthquakes (e.g. Canterbury).
- Population Issues – where do people live and why do they live there? Why do people migrate to other parts of the world and what issues does this create?
- Sustainability of resources –in what way is a resource used to minimise environmental, social and economic harm, and ensure future generations have access to the resourcee.g.dairy farming and gold mining
- Geographic Skills – using maps, photographs, diagrams, cartoons, images, statistics, keys, graphs, text, models, internet, speeches, surveys, films, TV, video clips and GIS to explain geographic information
- Research – students go out into the field to do primary research e.g. what can we discover about traffic patterns outside of Lynfield College
WHAT WE DO AT YEAR 12
We learn about:
- Natural Landscapes – The Tongariro Volcanic Plateau (involves a 3 day field trip) and the Amazon Rainforest and Basin – how they were formed and what people use these places.
- Disparities in Development - Why are some areas in Tanzania better off than others? How do we measure how developed a country is?
- Issues of Coffee Production – where is it grown and who benefits most?
- Research - students go out into the field to do primary research on a 3 day field trip to Tongariro National Park.
- Geographic Skills – using maps, photographs, diagrams, cartoons, images, statistics, keys, graphs, text, models, internet, speeches, surveys, films, TV, video clips and GIS to explain geographic information
WHAT WE DO AT YEAR 13
We learn about:
- Coastal Processes – how do the waves impact on the Muriwai coastal environment?
- Research –Students do fieldwork at Muriwai Beach.
- Tourism Development. How has tourism developed in Rotorua and Bali and what impact has this had?
- Geographic Skills -. using maps, photographs, diagrams, cartoons, images, statistics, keys, graphs, text, models, internet, speeches, surveys, films, TV, video clips and GIS to explain geographic information
- Issues – e.g. Rugby World Cup,mining, pest control, railway line to airport.