Content focus:

In this unit, students investigate the climate, plants and native animals of the world’s major terrestrial environments. In doing so, they examine the characteristics that make each environment unique and the ways in which plants and animals have adapted to these environments.

Geographical concepts:

• Place: the significance of places and what they are like. For example: places students live in and belong to and why they are important.
• Space: the significance of location and spatial distribution, and ways people organise and manage the spaces that we live in. For example: location of a place in relation to other familiar places.
• Environment: the significance of the environment in human life, and the important interrelationships between humans and the environment. For example, how and why places should be looked after.
• Interconnection: no object of geographical study can be viewed in isolation.
  For example: local and global links people have with places and the special connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples maintain with Country/Place.
• Scale: the way that geographical phenomena and problems can be examined at different spatial levels. For example: various scales by which places can be defined such as local suburbs, towns and large cities.
  

Key inquiry questions:

• What are the earth’s main environments?
• How does the environment support living things?

Outcomes:
A student:

• identifies key features and characteristics of places and environments
• describes the ways people, places, and environments interact
• acquires and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry.

Inquiry skills:
Acquiring geographical information

• pose geographical questions

• record geographical data and information

Processing geographical information

• draw conclusions based on discussions and observations

Communicating geographically

• present information
• reflect on their learning

Geographical tools:
Maps

• pictorial maps
• thematic maps

Visual representations

• photographs, illustrations, story books and multimedia sources.

Lessons and worksheets:

Lesson 1: Environments and animal habitats :: PowerPoint 1 :: PowerPoint 2
Lesson 2: Looking at environments more closely :: PowerPoint 1 :: PowerPoint 2 :: Worksheet 1 :: Worksheet 2 :: Worksheet 3
Lesson 3: Coniferous forests :: Resource Sheet 1 :: PowerPoint 1 :: Worksheet 1
Lesson 4: Deciduous forests :: Resource Sheet 1 :: PowerPoint 1 :: Worksheet 1
Lesson 5: Deserts :: Resource Sheet 1 :: PowerPoint 1 :: Worksheet 1
Lesson 6: Tropical forests :: Resource Sheet 1 :: PowerPoint 1 :: Worksheet 1
Lesson 7: Temperate grasslands :: Resource Sheet 1 :: PowerPoint 1 :: Worksheet 1
Lesson 8: Tundra :: Resource Sheet 1 :: PowerPoint 1 :: Worksheet 1
Lesson 9: Inquiry task and presentation