Your school and the Geography K–10 Syllabus

An empty road disappears over a low hill with rugged escarpment in the background
Kimberly region, Western Australia

© G Braiding

Welcome to Your school and the Geography K–10 Syllabus. This course examines the features of Geography K–10 Syllabus and provides activities which will develop your capacity to use the syllabus with purpose.

The course deliverable is a brief geographical inquiry using an image as stimulus with reference to geographical concepts and tools. This task is supported by the information and activities in the course.

There are three registered online professional development courses to support the implementation of the Geography K–10 Syllabus (2015):

  1. Your school and the Geography K–10 Syllabus (3 hours)

  2. Planning to teach geography K–10 (3 hours)

  3. Programming for geographical inquiry (3 hours)

You can choose to do the courses formally for accreditation or access them informally as required to support using and teaching the geography syllabus.

This course has no prerequisites. However, it will be helpful to have completed the following courses available from the Professional learning/Curriculum page on the DoE Intranet:

This course assumes that you are familiar with Quality teaching in NSW public schools (.pdf) (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2003).

At the completion of this course, you will have:

  • examined the syllabus features and elements which describe student achievement in the Geography K–10 Syllabus

  • developed an understanding as to how the geographical concepts, skills and tools are integrated throughout the syllabus and their role in supporting geographical understandings

  • understood the relationship between geographical outcomes, content, concepts, tools and skills in the geographical inquiry process

  • developed an understanding of the significance of geographical inquiry included in the syllabus.

It is preferable to collaborate with a small team of colleagues when engaging with this course as discussion enriches understandings. A more experienced teacher or supervisor may lead a group of teachers through this course as a presenter. Presenter notes are available below (see Course materials).

Summary of course requirements
Section Indicative time Description Activities

Overview

5 minutes

Orientates teachers to the course/website.

Syllabus

30 minutes

Provides an introduction to the syllabus including its elements and features, and geographical terminology.

Activity 1: Why teach geography?

Activity 2: Teaching geography

Geography K–10

70 minutes

Explores thinking and working geographically. Geographical concepts, inquiry skills and tools are examined as well as embedded learning across the curriculum content and the continuum of learning across stages.

Activity 3: Geographical concepts

Activity 4: Geographical inquiry skills

Activity 5: Geographical tools checklist

Activity 6: Geographical tools continuum

Activity 7: Embedded learning across the curriculum content

Activity 8: Continuum of learning

Inquiry

45 minutes

Looks at the process of geographical inquiry and the use of geographical tools to acquire, process and communicate information.

Activity 9: Geographical questions

Activity 10: Acquire data and information

Activity 11: ‘5 Seasons’

Wrap up

30 minutes

Guides participants through developing and submitting the deliverable and attaining accreditation for the course hours. It also identifies further opportunities for professional learning.

Deliverable: A geographical inquiry

  • Complete course checklist

  • Submit deliverable

This course has been developed to cater for the diverse needs of teachers. Readings are recommended to develop knowledge and understanding of programming for quality teaching and learning.

Download and save the Activity booklet (available from within Course materials below) and add to it as you work through the course.

The following icons are used throughout this course:

This DoE course (code RG00440) is registered professional development under the terms of the BOSTES NSW Continuing Professional Development policy.

Completion of this course will contribute three hours of QTC Registered PD addressing the standard descriptors in the table below from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.

Standard addressed by course Description of course content and how it addresses the Standard / Descriptor

Standard 2: Know the content and how to teach it

Descriptor 2.1.2 Apply knowledge of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area to develop engaging teaching activities.

Participants will apply knowledge of the purpose, structure and content of the Geography K–10 Syllabus to create a course deliverable of a small geographical inquiry to demonstrate their syllabus knowledge.

Standard 2: Know the content and how to teach it

Descriptor 2.2.2 Organise content into coherent, well sequenced learning and teaching programs.

Participants will examine the syllabus aim and rationale, the concepts, skills, tools, objectives, outcomes continuums and examine the geographical inquiry process K–10. This learning will be applied in the activities leading up to and involved in the preparation of the course deliverable.

Standard 6: Engage in professional learning

Descriptor 6.2.2 Participate in learning to update knowledge and practice targeted to professional needs and/or system priorities.

Participants will:

  • engage in discussion, activities, reflection and answer questions designed to strengthen their understanding of the structure, features and elements of the Geography K–10 Syllabus which supports implementation;

  • complete the course deliverable.

In order for teachers accredited at Proficient to have these hours added to their professional learning log at BOSTES, the following steps must be taken:

  • Before commencing the course, advise your supervisor of your intention to do so and discuss the course requirements.

Your supervisor/course deliverer will need to:

  1. Schedule an event against this course (Course code: RG00440) on My PL@Edu. For information on scheduling an event, see DELIVERERS: Scheduling a professional learning event via My PL@Edu. Include the Developer of the course as the Manage Event Support Person.

  2. After the participant has enrolled, confirm their enrolment on the event’s Enrolment tab on My PL@Edu.

Participants will need to:

  1. Enrol in the scheduled event in My PL@Edu using your DoE portal username and password. For more details see PARTICIPANTS: Searching for and enrolling in professional learning events via My PL@Edu

  2. Check your enrolment on the event’s Enrolment tab on My PL@Edu after the course deliverer has confirmed it.

  3. Complete all course activities and deliverables.

  4. Provide the completed deliverable as evidence to your supervisor for approval.

  5. Complete the online evaluation in My PL@Edu.

  6. Have a follow-up discussion with your supervisor when you have completed the course and deliverable.
    Your supervisor/course deliverer will then be able to verify that you have met all requirements for the course and will ensure completion is recorded on the event’s Participation tab on My PL@Edu.

  7. Allow at least 7–10 working days for your details to be passed on to BOSTES.

  8. Within three months of completing the course, log in to your account on the BOSTES Teacher Accreditation website to complete the online evaluation so that the participation hours are recorded.