Assignment Topic: Resources Review - WordPress.com › 2015 › 10 › vineet-rattan-1st... · 2: The Mediterranean world (Rome, Egypt and Greece) and Finally 3: The Asian world (India

Assignment Topic: Resources Review

Subject Code: AEG5212 Subject Name: Teaching Humanities 2

Student ID Number: 3695241 Student Name: Vineet Rattan

Tutorial Day/Time: - Tutor Name: Doug Cargeeg

Assignment Name or Number: Resources Review

Assignment Title: Resources Review

Texts - 4 Geography alive 8 for the Australian curriculum Author: Mraz, Judy Title: Geography alive 8 for the Australian curriculum / Judy Mraz, Cathy Bedson, Cleo Westhorpe, Terry McMeekin, Kathryn Gibson, Anne Dempster, Alex Rossimel, Denise Miles, Jeana Kriewaldt ISBN: 978 1 1184 48918 5 (pbk) Target audience: For secondary school age Subjects: Geography — Textbooks. First published 2013 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 42 McDougall Street, Milton, Qld 4064 Typeset in 11.5/13 pt Adobe Garamond Pro © John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2013 RRP: $49.95 The text is specifically written for the AUSVELS level 5 humanities programme which incorporates the Year 8 Geography curriculum. The text covers the two units prescribed in the curriculum – Unit 1: Landforms and Landscapes & Unit 2: Changing Nations. The text delivers its content with its target audience in mind – year 8 students. The textbook contains large pictures that are highly descriptive as well as tables that are easy to read. Moreover the online version of this text contains videos, interactive activities and an atlas that allows students to do more than just muse the content. The incorporation of ICT is also present with the inclusion of tutorials using Microsoft Excel. Furthermore the inclusion of a review and reflect section for each segment provides students with the opportunity to review any crucial information that may have been overlooked in the initial stages. A criticism may be that the online version of the text is significantly better than the printed version as it comprises of audio/visual and interactive components. The Recommended Retail Price of the text is $49.95, overall the text is highly recommended to any year 8 humanities student. __________________________________________________________________________________ Geography alive 7 for the Australian curriculum Author: Mraz, Judy Title: Geography alive 7 for the Australian curriculum / Judy Mraz, Anne Dempster, Kathryn Gibson, Cathy Bedson, Niranjan Casinader, Terry McMeekin, Cleo Westhorpe, Alex Rossimel, Jeana Kriewaldt ISBN: 978 1 118 48908 6 (pbk) Target audience: For secondary school age Subjects: Geography — Textbooks. First published 2013 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 42 McDougall Street, Milton, Qld 4064 Typeset in 11.5/13 pt Adobe Garamond Pro © John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2013 RRP: $49.95 The text is specifically written for the AUSVELS level 5 humanities programme which incorporates the Year 7 Geography curriculum. The text covers the two units prescribed in the curriculum – Unit 1: Water in the World & Unit 2: Place and Liveability The text contains many photographs, illustrations and diagrams which supplement the written explanations well. Video clips provide students who are audio/visual learners to grasp concepts covered in the curriculum. The text covers all aspects of the year 7 curriculum comprehensively and provides a solid foundation for the

students to progress onto year 8. Geographical Inquiry and skills are also covered with extra activities that the students can complete. An atlas is provided with the online version of the text providing the opportunity for learning using ICT. Questions are also provided in each section of the text allowing for teachers to test the students’ knowledge acquisition and retention. __________________________________________________________________________________ History alive 7 for the Australian curriculum Author: Elizabeth Harnwell Title: History alive 7 for the Australian curriculum / Elizabeth Harnwell, Maureen Anderson, Meredith Donaldson, Ian Keese, Anne Low, Elizabeth Tulloh ISBN: 978 0 7303 3756 0 (workbook) Target audience: For secondary school age Subjects: History — Textbooks. First published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 42 McDougall Street, Milton, Qld 4064 Typeset in 11.5/14 pt Times New Roman © John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2012 RRP: $49.95 The text is specifically written for the AUSVELS level 5 humanities programme which incorporates the Year 7 History curriculum. The text covers all aspects covered in the prescribed Australian curriculum – Overview content for the ancient world (Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, Rome, India, China and the Maya). This is fragmented into 3 depth studies- 1: Investigating the ancient past, 2: The Mediterranean world (Rome, Egypt and Greece) and Finally 3: The Asian world (India & China). The text delivers its content with its target audience in mind – year 7 students. The textbook contains large pictures of artefacts, ancient towns and cities, architecture and people. This gives the students a more accurate picture of what life may have been like in the past. Moreover the online version of this text provides a variety of online links that students can utilise when completing research assignments thus meeting the ICT requirement for the curriculum. Furthermore this text includes a review and reflect section for each segment providing students with the opportunity to review any crucial information that may have been overlooked in the initial stages. Again a criticism of the Jacaranda series may be that the online version of the text is significantly better than the printed version as it comprises of audio/visual and interactive components. The Recommended Retail Price of the text is $49.95, overall the text is highly recommended to any year 7 humanities student. __________________________________________________________________________________ Humanities Alive Economics & Citizenship 9 Author: John Andrews, Cathy Bedson, Angela Dawson Title: Humanities Alive Economics & Citizenship 9 / John Andrews, Cathy Bedson, Angela Dawson ISBN: 978 1 11850 388 1 Target audience: For secondary school age Subjects: History — Textbooks. First published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 42 McDougall Street, Milton, Qld 4064 Typeset in 0/12 pt Adobe Garamond © John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2011

RRP: $49.95 Humanities Alive Economics & Citizenship 9 Second Edition has been specifically designed for Level 6 of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS). Key features of the text include: an ICT section for each segment, a skills builder section for each segment, a glossary of economic terms in addition to a teacher’s edition that is available through the electronic version of the text. The text provides different perspectives to commerce and economic activity bet it individuals, businesses or regulators. The text highlights the need for an individual to save and invest, looking at the superannuation and the role of banks whilst explaining the concept of economic growth and development, management and the role of the consumer in the marketplace. The text also discusses Australia’s political and legal systems and the influence they have in shaping economic policy. Activities in the text encourage the use of ICT in research, compiling data as well as interpreting analysing information. The text is well structured and makes what can sometimes be a dry subject enjoyable and relevant to an average year 9 student. The teacher’s version of the text makes delivering the content much easier and provides teachers with additional resources to those found in the student version. __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Professional organisations; providers of education services - 5 Geography Teachers’ Association of Victoria Website: < http://www.gtav.asn.au/index.php> Address: 503 Burke Road Camberwell South Victoria 3124 Australia Phone: + 61 3 9824 8355 Email: [email protected] The GTAV is an excellent resources for novice and experienced teachers alike. Membership to the GTAV provides exclusive access to online resources, information about curriculum development from prep right through to the year 12 level, access to the journal Interaction: a publication that provides information on the latest developments in Geography education, the Orbis library: a library that contains over 5,000 items for its online members, opportunities for personal and professional development such as courses and seminars, representation at state and national educational conferences and access to many other resources such as units of work and course outlines. Personally I have found the website easy to navigate, moreover I have personally used many resources from the GTAV when constructing my unit on sustainability that was delivered during my initial teaching round. Membership to the GTAV is not free, the costs are - Full membership: $125, Online membership: $80, Friends: $40 and PST Membership: free. The cost could be considered expensive for a first or second year teacher but I think it is definitely worth paying $125 per year as the access to ideas and resources will provide a better learning experience for your students. __________________________________________________________________________________

History Teachers’ Association of Victoria Website: < http://www.htav.asn.au/> Address: Suite 105 134 - 136 Cambridge Street Collingwood VIC 3066 Phone: 03 9417 3422 Email: [email protected] Like the GTAV the HTAV is also an excellent resource for humanities teachers both in the primary school and secondary school sectors. The resources provided by the HTAV directly relate to the prep to year 12 curriculum. Membership of the HTAV provides 4 online issues of the Agora (the association’s quarterly journal), 8 online editions of the HTAV newsletter, exclusive access to online resources and past journal publications, access to teaching plans, unit plans and other resources, key advice on the Australian curriculum and access to discount rates on professional development programs. Membership to the HTAV is not free and Membership types include: Victorian Individual Teacher: $120, Interstate Individual Teacher: $80, Graduate Teacher (first or second year of teaching): $80, Retired Teacher/CRT: $65 and Student Teacher: $50. One negative of the HTAV is that it does not provide free student membership, moreover the resources are not as comprehensive as the GTAV. However when considering the time and effort that is required to gather resources for delivering lessons and units the price of $120 per year is attractive. I would recommend joining the HTAV as the organisation is dynamic and will continue to provide new and up to date resources for teachers that are time poor. __________________________________________________________________________________ Melbourne Zoo Website: < http://www.zoo.org.au/melbourne/> Address: Elliott Avenue Parkville VIC 3052 Phone: 61-3-9285 9355 Email: [email protected] The Melbourne Zoo is an organisation that provides a great education experience that teachers can use to engage and inspire their students when delivering the humanities curriculum. Areas that can be covered through an excursion to the Melbourne Zoo include issues such as sustainability, Fair trade, endangered species and the location of specific animals across the globe. Specifically areas of the curriculum include -Year 8 Geography: The human causes and effects of landscape degradation (ACHGK051), The ways of protecting significant landscapes (ACHGK052), Year 10 Geography: The application of environmental economic and social criteria in evaluating management responses to the change (ACHGK075), Year 10 Civics: Reflect on their role as a citizen in Australian, regional and global contexts (ACHCS102) and Year 8 Economics and Business: The rights and responsibilities of consumers and businesses in Australia (ACHEK029). The Orang-utan, Sumatran Tiger and Gorilla exhibits showcase the consequences of unregulated growth and the responsibilities of Australians as consumers to make conscious decisions when engaging in economic activity. Prices for the Zoo include – Adult Membership: $88, Concession Membership: $73, Senior Membership: $85, Teacher Membership: $50. Furthermore an excursion to the Melbourne Zoo can provide the platform to administer research assignments, essays, debates and unit tests. __________________________________________________________________________________

Australian Bureau of Statistics Website: < http://www.abs.gov.au/> Address: 7th Floor South Tower 485 LaTrobe Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Phone: 1300 135 070 Email/Enquiry: https://www4.abs.gov.au/web/survey.nsf/inquiryform/ The Australian Bureau of Statistics is a government organisation that provides key statistics on a wide range of economic, environmental and social issues, to assist and encourage informed decision making, research and discussion within governments and the community. However the ABS also provides great education resources to high school teachers delivering the mathematics and humanities curriculums. There are some great resources provided in the education section of the ABS website. Activities that include constructing and disseminating population distribution maps and answering questions using historical data gathered by the ABS. The ABS’ resources are pertinent to the Year 8, 9 and 10 curriculum. The ABS provides an avenue for educators and students to quantify and analyse data on the Australian population and its dynamic evolution over the past century. By studying data on demographics, aboriginal populations, population distribution, population density, population growth and population change students can observe real trends and then discuss the reasons behind those developments and the underlying issues that accompany those revelations. By using the ABS website students also build on their ICT skills whilst also observing the relevance of statistical analysis in real applications as opposed to theoretical applications. Resources available on the ABS website are free to use which makes the ABS an attractive alternative compared to other resources. __________________________________________________________________________________ Reserve Bank of Australia Website: <http://www.rba.gov.au/index.html> Address: 65 Martin Place SYDNEY NSW 2000 Phone: +61 2 9551 8111 Email: [email protected] The Reserve Bank of Australia presents students with a plethora of information, most of which is quite complex. Consequently navigation of this resource under teacher guidance is highly recommended. The RBA website caters for students from year 7 right through to the VCE, however information provided by the RBA would be much more useful to students studying at the VCE level (specifically Unit 1 - Economic growth and sustainable development) as some base knowledge of economic activity is required. Year 7, 8 and 9 students would be well serviced by the currency museum and the bank note microsite sections of the website. These sections are important when teaching students the role of consumers in the process of economic activity and the discretion they possess through the use of currency. Senior students can benefit analysing the RBA’s quarterly statement on monetary policy (scaffolded by their teacher), discussing the RBA’s goal of maintaining an inflation rate of 2-3% is also an important aspect as inflation can influence economic growth, unemployment levels and productivity. The annual economics essay competition is also a great task that can be used to get students thinking about economic issues covered in the VCE syllabus. The only negative about this resource would be the complexity of the information provided, having said

that due to the nature of the RBA this is understandable. One remedy to this problem would be for teachers to specifically outline where to find relevant information while explaining its context and relationship to the secondary school curriculum. Being a government organisation the RBA does not charge educators and students to access their information. __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Digital resources - 5 Website – The Age Website: < http://www.theage.com.au/> Address: Media House 655 Collins Street Docklands VIC 3008 Phone: +613 8667 2000 Email: [email protected] The Age website is an excellent resource for students across the humanities stream. Students studying history, geography, economics and business or civics and citizenship from years 7 to 10 will find this resource useful. Additionally students studying VCE subjects such as legal studies, economics, business management, geography, accounting, political studies and sociology will also gain some utility through use of the website. Certain events that occur throughout the year are covered well by the website, these events include: the annual budget analysis, election coverage of Australian state and federal elections, global news and current affairs, politics (national & international), education and health issues as well as coverage of historical events e.g. Anzac day national identity. Content on the website can be used to set assessment tasks, conduct classroom activities and may be used in conjunction with other resources when delivering units or lessons. By using current events to deliver the curriculum students have the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to current day events and situations. This leads to higher thinking that extends beyond the classroom or school yard. The search function on the website is poor, specific artless can be difficult to find. This can be circumvented to an extent by use google to search for article however some patience may be required as searches often yield a large number of articles. A monthly subscription to The Age online website starts from $15. As a teacher this is good value for money however many of the international stories can be found on similar international websites free of charge. __________________________________________________________________________________

Website – BBC Schools Website: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/25119209> Address: BBC Audience Services PO Box 1922 Darlington DL3 0UR Phone: - Email/Web form: https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/faqs/forms/?eid=&id=QVFEF2V96S9B6BN6TG8C9ILH90&mid=&uid=574242126 The BBC schools website is an English website designed for the British school curriculum. However many of the resources located within the website can be used for the Australian curriculum. Subjects that are covered on the website consist of Business studies, citizenship, geography, history, ICT, religious education and study skills in addition to many others. Special mention must be made to the websites dedication to World War 1 content. Activities such as: the life of a soldier show students the conflict from a soldier’s perspective discussing daily life, living conditions and other factors that extend beyond facts and dates. In addition to the subject matter the diversity in content is also noteworthy. Types of resources available on the website include: teacher’s assembly packs, animations, radio clips, poems, videos, maps, games, newsletters, term planners and tests/examinations. A negative aspect of the website are the focus on the British curriculum (which is to be expected) however there is a lot of content in the website that will genuinely engage students. The search function on the website is undesirable to say the least. Fortunately the site is quite easy to navigate and use of the search tool becomes unnecessary. The website is free to use which makes it a very attractive resource for educators. __________________________________________________________________________________ Website - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation: Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future Website: < http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_c/mod17.html> Address: - Phone: - Email: - The United Nations is a well-respected body recognised globally by governments, non-government organisations, individuals and other international bodies. Therefore the information provided by a UN source can be trusted regarding its accuracy and reliability. Sustainability is a global issue affecting all of the stakeholders mentioned above. Consequently the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation have created a website catering to this very issue. The website Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future provides a great resource for students from years 7 to 12 and educators teaching geography, civics and citizenship and economics & business amongst many other disciplines across the curriculum. Information is sourced from reputable peer reviewed journals. The website provides an introduction to sustainability, four activities as well as a reflection section. These activities look at the local and global issues of sustainable economic growth, the result of environmental depletion due to economic activity, the issue of diminishing environmental conditions and the issue of energy consumption. Additional links to related issues are also available on the website, furthermore teaching resources and other cross curriculum content is also accessible on the website. The website is free to use and lists a number of publications that would be of great use for teachers/educators when attempting to stay on top of changes/revelations on sustainability. __________________________________________________________________________________

Website - Econoclass: Resources for Economics Teachers Website: <http://www.econoclass.com/> Address: - Phone: - Email: [email protected] The website econoclass.com is an educational website created by Lori Alden PhD. for American high school students. Much of the content is transferable to the Australian curriculum, specifically years 10, 11 and 12. Alden received her PhD. from the University of California and has decades of experience teaching economics, this experience combined with her qualifications result in a comprehensive resource hub that provides students to learn many economic theories through a variety of methods. The website contains a number of great debating ideas with points for and against the topic matter that can be allocated to individual students or groups in the class. Debate topics include: increasing the excise on petrol, privatising social security, placing a ban on recycling and introducing laws that require motorcyclists to wear helmets. Additionally there are other activities such as trading simulation games and role playing scenarios that address issues of bartering and price allocation. The stand out activity on the website is a picture game that lists a series of thought provoking photos on: public goods, opportunity cost, economies of scale, equilibrium pricing, incentives and moral hazards, price elasticity, price discrimination, law of diminishing marginal utility, comparative advantage and absolute advantage, substitutes as well as externalities. These activities encourage and require students to engage in higher order thinking that could provide students with inspiration when completing assessment tasks, furthermore equipped with the knowledge listed above students may form a different perspective when engaging in everyday activities such as watching news and current affairs programs or conducting their weekly grocery shopping. As an economics major I would definitely recommend this website to humanities teachers, the activities find a way to link economic theory to everyday situations that will resonate with senior secondary school students. This site is also free to use which also another positive attribute. __________________________________________________________________________________ Website – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: Website: < http://www.peta.org/> Address: PO Box 20308 World Square Sydney NSW 2002 Phone: 08 8556 5828 Email: [email protected] People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals website provides its viewers with information many issues concerning animal welfare and environmental preservation. Information presented in this website comes from an alternative perspective from the mainstream and would be useful when implementing an activity that utilises Edward De Bono’s six thinking hats. Issues that are covered at length in the website are: climate change, sustainability, rainforests (importance), use of water, use of land, the treatment of animals for: food; clothing and medical/cosmetic testing. Additionally the website puts forward the issue of corporate responsibility which could be incorporated into levels 5 and 6 of the AUSVELS humanities curriculum. Subjects such as civics and citizenship (duty of care to animals/environment/climate change), economics and business (opportunity cost/externalities/inefficient use of resources) and geography (climate change/state of rainforests/use of water) are all pertinent when using this website. Students may become cognisant

of important issues that are not found in standard text books or media exerts. Content on this website is free to the public, moreover information is easily accessible as the website is easy to navigate. __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Sources of appropriate films and/or documentaries - 4 BBC – Masters of Money Resource: TV Series – Masters of Money - BBC Website: < http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mzqw9 > Address: PO Box 1922 Darlington DL3 0UR Phone: - Email/Web form: https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/faqs/forms/?eid=&id=QVFEF2V96S9B6BN6TG8C9ILH90&mid=&uid=574242126 Presented by Stephanie Flanders who is respected British Broadcasting Commission Journalist the Masters of Money explores the lives of three highly influential philosophers/economists John Maynard Keynes, Friedrich Hayek, and Karl Marx whose legacy live on to this very day through economic and government policy, university curricula and popular culture. Aired in 2012 this 3-part series explores the lives of John Maynard Keynes, Friedrich Hayek, and Karl Marx to provide an insight to their respective schools of thought. Briefly stated John Maynard Keynes has champion the idea of government intervention as a tool to manage the economy through the classic economic cycle in order to prevent extreme rates of economic growth and decline, Friedrich Hayek has inspired the notion of neo-liberal/free market economics and Karl Marx is considered to be the father of communism and to an extent, socialism. All three men take different perspectives to fundamental economic problems. The series hypothesises how each scholar would have approached the 2007-2012 global economic crisis. The series would be appropriate for VCE economics students as is covers all topics covered from units 1 to 4. Unit 1 A market system Economic issues Inflation Unit 2 Global economic issues Population, employment and change Unit 3 An introduction to microeconomics: The market system and resource allocation An introduction to macroeconomics: Output, employment and income Unit 4 Aggregate supply policies Given the regimental nature of the VCE curriculum it may not be possible spend a great deal of time discussing and exploring the content of the series. That being said students will better grasp the underlying issues and concepts of macroeconomic management having watched this series. It would be unwise to present all 3 episodes consecutively as each episode runs for approximately 60 minutes. As each episode contains a large amount of information students may find it difficult to absorb and retain that information, thus making student engagement a potential issue. The best

idea would be to analyse each episode in depth and then review the series after each episode has been shown. I was unable to find the series to purchase on the ABC or BBC online stores however the series is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0imt64zGz4. I think this series is an excellent resource that provides great insight on the differing approaches to economic management. Moreover Australian political parties, economic/social think tanks and the Australian Curriculum have all been influenced by the three figures discussed in this series. __________________________________________________________________________________ Documentary – Utopia Resource: John Pilger - Utopia Website: < http://www.sbs.com.au/movies/movie/utopia > <http://www.antidotefilms.com.au/price.php?filmid=4453> Address: Level 2 Alfred Deakin Building Federation Square, Melbourne VIC Phone: 03 9949 2121 Email: [email protected] Included is a summation of the documentary from the distributor’s website: 'Utopia' is a rare and powerful insight into a secret Australia and breaks what amounts to a national silence about the indigenous first people – the oldest, most enduring presence on Earth. An epic film in its production, scope and revelations, Utopia reveals that apartheid is deep within Australia's past and present and that Aboriginal people are still living in abject poverty and Third World conditions, with a low life expectancy and disproportionately high rate of deaths in police custody. The documentary is recommended for viewing by years 10, 11 and 12 due to its adult themes, graphic content and complexity of its narrative. The documentary also covers the four aspects of the humanities curriculum at the pre VCE level covering - Year 10 history: Background to the struggle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for rights and freedoms before 1965, including the 1938 Day of Mourning and the Stolen Generations (ACDSEH104), Year 10 geography: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ approaches to custodial responsibility and environmental management in different regions of Australia (ACHGK072), Year 10 economics and business: The ways that governments manage the economy to improve economic performance and living standards (ACHEK052) and Year 10 civics and citizenship: How Australia’s international legal obligations shape Australian law and government policies, including in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ACHCK093). The film has come under some criticism from sections of the media landscape. The documentary is emotionally taxing and may evoke strong positive and negative reactions from students. It is important that the teacher knows their students well before presenting this documentary in class. Available to purchase at http://www.antidotefilms.com.au/price.php?filmid=4453. Use in secondary schools comes at a cost of $49.95, individuals ca purchase the DVD for $30.00. Students will be much wiser, knowledgeable an understanding having watched this film. __________________________________________________________________________________

Video Library – ABC Splash Website: < http://splash.abc.net.au/home > Address: ABC Southbank Centre 120 Southbank Boulevard Southbank VIC 3006 Phone: (03) 9626 1500 Email/ Web form: http://www.abc.net.au/contact/contactabc.htm Supported by the Australian Broadcasting Commission the ABC splash website is an educational platform that caters for English, maths, science, history and geography students studying the year 7 – 10 Australian curriculum. Delivered with the Australian curriculum in mind the site is divided into primary school and secondary school sections, subjects and year levels. Included with each resource is a link that directly relates to curriculum. The site contains hundreds of educational videos, additional areas of the site include: topics, games, resources, events, Digi books, audio, links as well as a section for parents and teachers. Each video is accompanied by pre presentation discussion points, in presentation discussion points, post presentation discussion points, assessment suggestions and ideas. An example is the video: The Environmental Price of China’s Growth (http://splash.abc.net.au/media/-/m/525621/the-environmental-price-of-china-s-growth). The webpage contains the video, questions for students at each stage of the presentation as well as the relevant parts of the curriculum that are covered by the video. An example of the year 10 curriculum is stated below:

Geography: Year 10 Strand: Geographical Knowledge and Understanding Substrand: Unit 1: Environmental change and management Content code: ACHGK070 Content description: The human-induced environmental changes that challenge sustainability Geography: Year 10 Strand: Geographical Inquiry and Skills Substrand: Communicating Content code: ACHGS079 Content description: Present findings, arguments and explanations in a range of appropriate

communication forms selected for their effectiveness and to suit audience and purpose, using relevant geographical terminology and digital technologies as appropriate The website is comprehensive and saves teachers a lot of time that would be spend on gathering resources related to a particular article, video or piece of information. The ABC is a well-respected resource and consequently the integrity of the content provided by ABC splash can be relied upon. All content on the site is free and there are many hours of footage on number topics related to the humanities syllabus. __________________________________________________________________________________

Michael Wood – The Story of India – BBC Documentary Website: < http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007xwdchome > < http://www.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/> Address: PO Box 1922 Darlington DL3 0UR Phone: - Email/Web form: https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/faqs/forms/?eid=&id=QVFEF2V96S9B6BN6TG8C9ILH90&mid=&uid=574242126 This six part series covers India’s 10,000 year old history exploring India’s ancient, medieval and modern history. Geographically this documentary documents the lives of the Aryan tribes spaning from the now Pakistani city of Peshawar in the west across to the holy city of Varanasi in the East, its rivers and valleys and their influence on how the civilisation evolved consequently. The role of foreign invaders, traders and travellers is also explained in forming modern India’s cultural heritage. Themes such as language, religions, food and spices, philosophical outlook and culture are also covered in depth. Moreover this series directly corresponds with the year 7 history curriculum covering: The physical features of India (such as fertile river plains) and how they influenced the civilisation that developed there (ACDSEH006), Roles of key groups in Indian society in this period (such as kings, emperors, priests, merchants, peasants), including the influence of law and religion. (ACDSEH044), The significant beliefs, values and practices of Indian society, with a particular emphasis on ONE of the following areas: everyday life, warfare, or death and funerary customs (ACDSEH045), Contacts and conflicts within and/or with other societies, resulting in developments such as the expansion of trade, the rise of the Mauryan Empire (including its material remains), and the spread of philosophies and beliefs (ACDSEH046) and The role of a significant individual in Indian history such as Chandragupta Maurya or Ashoka (ACDSEH133). The presenter Michael Wood provides a fascinating account of India’s past, the narrative is well written and well presented. However the entire series could not be shown to a year 7 class as each of the six episodes runs for approximately 60 minutes making student engagement an issue. Furthermore the content in this series is above and beyond what the year 7 curriculum demands. If the series is edited and pertinent segments are shown to the class this resource could a very effective manner in which to provide the students with relative content. The series is available to purchase through PBS (http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=3407489) for USD $24.99 (plus delivery costs). The series is comprehensive in all aspects (content, delivery and production value), if edited appropriately this serious could prove to be quite an effective teaching resource. __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

Simulation games - 2 Environmental Protection Agency – Global Climate Change Calculator/Simulator Website: < http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/calc/index.html#calc=instructions > Address: - Phone: 202-343-9990 Email/Web form: http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/contact.html The Global Climate Change Calculator/Simulator is an interactive user interface students of all ages can use to gauge how there day to day lifestyle choices impact on the environment in which they live. The simulator was a conception formulated by an American governmental organisation named the Environmental Protection Agency. While the simulator was not intended for the Australian Curriculum it can be incorporated in the geography syllabus from years 7 to 10. The following curriculum outlines are complemented by use of the calculator/simulator - Year 7: The influence of environmental quality on the liveability of places (ACHGK045), Year 9: The effects of people’s travel, recreational, cultural or leisure choices on places, and the implications for the future of these places (ACHGK069) and Year 10: The human-induced environmental changes that challenge sustainability (ACHGK070). The simulator allows students to quantify their individual carbon footprint which can be great for delivering assignments, experiments and increasing student engagement by demonstrating how students can influence the level of carbon emissions produced by Australia. Some negative aspects of the simulator are: an unappealing format- especially for secondary school students and the measurements used in the simulator come from the imperial measurement system which is not ideal for Australian students. The glossary and FAQ section of the site are helpful and the simulator could be used at the start and end of delivering a unit, giving students a chance to understand how their choices can improve the state of the planet. By using the simulator students also cover areas prescribed in the mathematics and science curricula. __________________________________________________________________________________ savewater!® – Mission H2O Game Website: < http://www.savewater.com.au/mission-h2o-game/ > Address: Suite 1.02 First Floor 261-271 Wattletree Road Malvern Victoria 3144 Phone: 03 8508 6888 Email/Web form: http://www.savewater.com.au/about-us/contact-us Developed by Swinburne University and the savewater!® organisation. The Mission H2O Game combines fun facts about water usage under the guise of interactive gameplay. An excellent tool for student engagement the H2O game may entice those students that are not normally engaged by standard classroom activity such as reading and writing tasks, research tasks and classroom discussion. This teaching resource can be used in and outside of classroom, furthermore completing the game could be a task set as homework. The probability that students will complete such a task for homework would be high. The results and facts contained in the game could be reviewed in the following class. The Game correlates directly to domains prescribed in the year 7 geography curriculum namely: The ways that flows of water connect places as it moves through the environment and the way this affects places (ACHGK038) and The nature of water scarcity and ways of overcoming it, including studies drawn from Australia and West Asia and/or North Africa

(ACHGK040). The Mission H2O Game displays some good graphics that would appeal to a year 7 audience. Although the literacy level feels like the game focuses on levels 4 and 5 of the AUSVELS humanities curriculum. Moreover students’ scores can be compared with peers and the gameplay format mixes education and entertainment together making the resource a powerful teaching tool. All measurements are measured using the metric system making the format appropriate for Australian students. The game is free to play and can be played on any computer, an additional positive aspect is that registration or any requirement to disclose personal information is unnecessary. __________________________________________________________________________________