Learning across the curriculum (accessible version)
Slide 1: Introduction
There are no introductory notes for this slide show.
Slide 2: Content
Learning across the curriculum content assists students to achieve the broad learning objectives and includes the Australian curriculum.
BOSTES also identifies three other areas as important learning for all students:
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civics and citizenship
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difference and diversity
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work and enterprise.
Learning across the curriculum content is incorporated, and identified by icons, in the content of the Geography K–10 Syllabus.
In NSW syllabuses, learning across the curriculum content includes the Australian curriculum cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities and three additional content areas: civics and citizenship, difference and diversity, and work and enterprise.
The BOSTES online filter tool can be used to locate where learning across the curriculum content is addressed in the syllabus. There may be additional opportunities to engage with learning across the curriculum content that is not identified in the syllabus.
The 13 learning across the curriculum content areas support a futures-focused syllabus to develop and enhance student learning. Learning across the curriculum content is distributed across the syllabus. Teacher should address this content thoughtfully but there is no need to track and map its inclusion.
Slide 3: Embedded geographical content
The following four learning across the curriculum areas have distinct geographical content.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
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Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
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Sustainability
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Civics and citizenship
The contention between learning across the curriculum content and the geography subject content will be explored on the following slides.
Slide 4: 1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
| Learning across the curriculum features: | Geographical content focus integrates: |
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Interconnection between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures and Sustainability: Students learn that there are different ways of thinking about and interacting with the environment and how this can influence sustainable development.
In the Geography K–10 syllabus, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures has a contemporary focus with a substantial overlap with sustainability and land management practices.
This learning across the curriculum content area is referenced in all K–10 stages, with an emphasis on Stage 2 and Stage 4.
Stage 4 references are substantial and address both physical and human geography aspects. Take care with some aspects of human geography to ensure a positive representation of Aboriginal peoples.
Slide 5: 2. Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia — Primary
| Learning across the curriculum | Geographical content focus |
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Rich contexts to investigate the interrelationships between diverse places, environments and peoples of the Asia region, using case studies relevant to student learning: ES1: Personal connection S1: Climate conditions S2: Australia’s neighbours, physical and human features S3: Economic, demographic and social diversity in the Asia region including employment, population, lifestyle and connections; trade, migration, tourism aid, with Australia. |
Opportunities to address Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia are available in all stages, K–10, particularly Stage 2 and Stages 4–5.
Additional opportunities to address this content area are available in all stages, particularly Stage 3.
Care needs to be taken with the case studies and examples referenced to ensure student engagement and understanding.
Slide 6: 2. Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia — Secondary
| Learning across the curriculum | Geographical content focus |
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Rich contexts to investigate the interrelationships between diverse places, environments and peoples of the Asia region, using case studies relevant to student learning: S4: Distinct physical features, climate, landforms, natural resources impact on liveability; variations between urban, rural, remote; roles of government and NGO’s; availability and significance of water, disasters, trade links and environmental impact S5: impacts of environmental change – human and physical; impact of climate change; urbanisation; water scarcity, pollution; human wellbeing and development; spatial variations; developmental issues.S2: Australia’s neighbours, physical and human features S3: Economic, demographic and social diversity in the Asia region including employment, population, lifestyle and connections; trade, migration, tourism aid, with Australia. |
Learning about Asia is referenced in detail in Stage 4 and Stage 5.
In Stage 4, this content is distributed across all four focus areas with some concentration of content in Water in the world. Ensure that a variety of case studies are referenced for the focus areas across the stage.
The content in Stage 5 is also distributed across all four focus areas. What is particularly interesting is that emphasis sits within Sustainable biomes and Human wellbeing. Consideration will need to be given to the case studies used for these.
There are further opportunities to support Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia in addition to those identified in the syllabus.
Slide 7: 3. Sustainability
| As learning across the curriculum | As a geographical concept |
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‘The study of Geography enables students to develop the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes necessary for them to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable ways of living.’ — Geography K–10 Syllabus |
‘The concept of sustainability is about the capacity of the environment to continue to support our lives and the lives of other living creatures into the future’. — Geography K–10 Syllabus |
The model for sustainability differs from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and culture, and Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia.
Sustainability is a foundational concept for geography. This key concept is defined in the Geography K–10 Syllabus, which also describes the ways that an understanding of the concept may be developed. The concept is introduced in Stage 2 and integrated across Stages 2–5 in a continuum of learning. The syllabus identifies examples of how the development of students’ conceptual understanding is supported at each stage.
The learning across the curriculum content area of sustainability is embedded in the content descriptions for all syllabus stages. This specific syllabus content provides additional opportunities to address sustainability.
Slide 8: 4. Civics and citizenship
Geographical inquiry + take action = Civics and citizenship
Geography engages students in:
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developing as responsible, informed and active Australian and global citizens
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valuing their belonging in a diverse and dynamic society, contributing at a range of scales
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democratic participation in supporting a civil society; critically question social, economic and political arrangements for positive change
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participation in democratic decision-making
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comparisons with other societies
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examining the role of citizens in political and social life in Australia and other countries.
Civics and citizenship is an important area of learning for K–10. Previously this content was addressed in the Stage 3 HSIE syllabuses. In the new geography (and history) syllabuses the teaching and learning around civics and citizenship is implemented very differently.
The syllabus content descriptions for much of this learning is not as explicit or clustered as it was before. It needs to be deliberately planned into learning programs K–10 to ensure students have an opportunity to learn about important civic and citizenship roles, rights and responsibilities. This includes the roles and responsibilities of the three levels of government, separation of powers and the Australian electoral system.
It is a matter of thinking and doing civics and citizenship differently. A key component of geographical inquiry is to respond as an active and informed citizen, to develop a ‘take action’ response. Additional opportunities to learn about aspects of civics are included in the geography syllabus content.
Slide 9: Further opportunities
There are further opportunities for learning across the curriculum in geography through:
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critical and creative thinking
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ethical understanding
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information and communication technology
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intercultural understanding
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literacy
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numeracy
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personal and social capability
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difference and diversity
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work and enterprise.
Geography and history provide substantial learning opportunities across all learning across the curriculum areas.
In addition to the four learning across the curriculum content areas explored in this presentation, schools often identify a specific learning, cultural or values-related content area such as ‘critical and creative thinking’.
It is useful to explore the opportunities that the geography subject-related areas have in conjunction with the school’s identified learning across the curriculum focus. The online BOSTES syllabus filter tool provides a starting point for this. It can be interesting to undertake some specific searches such as:
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‘numeracy’ and ‘work and enterprise’, which provides a substantial link to financial literacy
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the link between ‘critical and creative thinking’ and the geography subject-related areas
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‘information and communication technology’ and ‘numeracy’.
Learning across the curriculum content areas do not make very useful planning tools. The online filter tool is investigative rather than suitable for planning, with learning across the curriculum icons simply indicating opportunities in geography. These frequently overlap and a focus needs to be selected. Opportunities to address learning across the curriculum content areas in addition to those identified in the syllabus may also be found.