Hello again parents and welcome to
my next blog post that will discuss the component of Geography and how it can
connect with Citizenship learning opportunities. Maude (2010) states that
teaching Geography in school allows students to gain knowledge about the world,
improves their personal development and their geographical understanding to
examine vital questions that are essential for becoming informed citizens.
Geography influences students to learn about their local area, how to contribute to the
improvement of society and the environment and how to gain empathy for others
to participate as a community.
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| Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/01/world/australia/fires.html |
An activity has been created for
our Year 5 class that is going to explore bushfires in Australia, the impact
they have on the environment and people within the community. Panić et al.
(2012) state that awareness for disasters need to be increased and is essential
for education as it can save lives and reduce damage. This topic is very
relevant for students given the recent fires that affected Australia just last
summer. This lesson will start off with a short video clip found on YouTube
that is shown below.
Students will be asked a sequence of questions, including: “what were the weather conditions during these
fires? How did this effect the strength of the fires?” “How were these
bushfires different to others from the past?” Class discussion will be formed by these questions and
students will write key points down in their books. Students will also be tasked
to come up with their own questions about this disaster, which they will have a
chance to research later. This gives students freedom to explore their own interests
in the subject and promotes more independent learning. Meyer, et al. (2008) state
that independent learning can increase academic performance, motivation and confidence
and can improve students’ engagement for lifetime learning.
Students will be asked to research this disaster using the
internet and will write a report that describes the extend of the damage these
fires caused and how it affected the communities. Students will need to provide
relevant information including: how much land was burnt, how many homes, human and animal lives were lost, and how communities were impacted, along with answering any questions they had earlier. The report will
conclude with helpful information to inform others on what a threat bushfires are and ways in which we can help prevent it.
The content descriptors this activity links to is shown below.
The content descriptors this activity links to is shown below.
This
activity allows students to learn graphical concepts including; the significance
the environment has on human life, investigating geographical phenomena and how
it has changed over time, and the importance of place and what it means for
people. Students develop empathy towards how devastation can affect people’s
homes, families and communities. Franzese (2017) states that teaching students
empathy gives them both cognitive and emotional abilities and deepens their
understanding of a subject matter. Students can also gain satisfaction with the
knowledge that they are helping the community by informing them of the dangers
and strategies that can be used to minimise the destruction.
Refrences
Australian Curriculum,
Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] (2020b). The
Australian:
Foundation to year 10 curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences:
Year
4. Retrieved
from: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/hass/
BBC News. (2019, November, 12th). Australia bushfires: 'It's like fireballs exploding in
the air' [Video]. YouTube. URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iaxc2RuRnCQ
Franzese, A. P. (2017). The power of empathy in the classroom. Seton Hall Law Review,
the air' [Video]. YouTube. URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iaxc2RuRnCQ
Franzese, A. P. (2017). The power of empathy in the classroom. Seton Hall Law Review,
47(693),
693-716.
Maude, A. (2010). What
does geography contribute to the education of young
Australians? Geographical Education, 23, 14-23.
Australians? Geographical Education, 23, 14-23.
Meyer, B., Haywood, N.,
Sachdev, D., & Faraday, S. (2008). Independent learning:
Literature
review. Learning and Skills Network. 1-68.
Panić, M.,
Kovačević-Majkić, J., Miljanović, D., & Miletić R. (2012). Importance of
natural disaster education- Case study of the earthquake near the city Kraljevo.
Geographical Institute, 63(1), 75-88.
natural disaster education- Case study of the earthquake near the city Kraljevo.
Geographical Institute, 63(1), 75-88.
