Programming for geographical inquiry K–10

Student and teacher looking at map outdoor
Primary fieldwork

© Shutterstock.com/Albina Glisic

Welcome to Programming for geographical inquiry K–10. This course will guide you in programming a geographical inquiry that embeds the geographical inquiry process.

Work your way across the tab headings and complete the activities embedded in the course.

The course deliverable is a programmed geographical inquiry for a content area from the NSW Geography K–10 Syllabus. You will build it progressively by engaging with the interactive flowchart in the Inquiry design tab.

Teachers wanting to do further professional learning to implement the Geography K–10 Syllabus can do:

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

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

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:

At the completion of this course, you will have:

  • reflected upon the programming process for structuring geographical inquiries for the NSW Geography K–10 Syllabus

  • understood the breadth of geographical tools and their application in geographical inquiries

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

  • programmed a geographical inquiry for a content area from the Geography K–10 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 this course.

Why program?

10 minutes

Covers general principles of programming and an introduction to using the BOSTES Program builder.

Geographical inquiry process

15 minutes

An in depth explanation of each step of the geographical inquiry process.

Activity 1: The ‘process’ step in a geographical inquiry

Geographical tools

10 minutes (overview)

or

60 minutes to cover in full (optional).

A resource to help teachers integrate the 5 geographical tools into their programming.

Optional activities:

Activity 2: Mapping quiz

Activity 3: Local fieldwork sites

Activity 4: Using ABS statistics

Activity 5: GIS maps and tools

Activity 6: Visual representations

Inquiry design

135 minutes

Guides participants through completion of the deliverable through interaction with each step of the inquiry design process flowchart.

Deliverable:

A programmed geographical inquiry

Wrap up

5 minutes

Information about how to gain registered accreditation hours for this course. It also identifies further opportunities for professional learning.

  • Complete the course checklist

  • Submit the 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 from the Course materials section below and add to it as you work through the course.

Throughout this course you will find the following icons:

This DoE course (code: RG00443) is registered professional development under the terms of the BOSTES 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.

Accreditation standards addressed by course content
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 2.2.2: Organise content into coherent, well–sequenced learning and teaching programs.

Participants will engage with the Geography K–10 Syllabus to design a geographical inquiry containing a sequence of teaching and learning activities for one geography content area that uses the geographical inquiry process.

Standard 3: Plan and implement effective teaching and learning

Descriptor 3.3.2: Select and use relevant teaching strategies to develop knowledge, skills, problem solving and critical and creative thinking.

Participants will examine the geographical inquiry process and geographical tools and skills. They will program teaching and learning strategies that explicitly develop students’ knowledge and skills in acquiring, processing and communicating geographical information and that embed higher order thinking, problem solving and critical and creative thinking.

Standard 6: Engage in professional learning

Descriptor 6.4.2: Undertake professional learning programs designed to address identified student learning needs.

Participants will engage with geographical skills, concepts and tools. They will plan geography teaching and learning activities that cater for a diversity of student needs to create a programmed geographical inquiry for the course deliverable.

In order for new scheme 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 RG00443) 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.