Draft Course Performance Descriptors

ELEMENTARY ACHIEVEMENT The typical student:	SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT The typical student:	SUBSTANTIAL ACHIEVEMENT The typical student:	HIGH ACHIEVEMENT The typical student:	EXCELLENT ACHIEVEMENT The typical student:
• requires guidance to recognise spatial and ecological patterns	• recognises spatial and ecological relationships	• recognises and describes spatial and ecological patterns	• describes and accounts for spatial and ecological patterns	• analyses and predicts changes in spatial and ecological patterns
• locates geographical information with guidance	• locates and gathers relevant geographical information from a limited range of sources	• organises and interprets geographical information from a variety of sources	• analyses and communicates relevant information from a wide variety of sources	• initiates, plans and implements geographical inquiry using a wide variety of sources
• lists some significant Australian environments	• names and locates a variety of Australian environments	• describes the distinctive characteristics of a diversity of Australian environments	• accounts for the distinctive characteristics of a diversity of Australian environments	• explains the nature of the interaction within and between Australian communities
• participates in fieldwork	• uses geographical tools to gather field data	• records and presents field data	• analyses field data to answer geographical questions	• plans and undertakes action research in the field
• asks some relevant geographical questions	• asks questions for direction or to gain specific geographical information	• asks relevant geographical questions and draws conclusions	• asks geographical questions in range of contexts to make inferences and prediction	• asks geographical questions to initiate further inquiry and suggest solutions to problems
• communicates basic geographical information in simple written, verbal and graphic forms for familiar audiences	• describes geographical information using prescribed written, verbal and graphic forms to communicate clearly with familiar audiences	• selects appropriate written, verbal and graphic forms to communicate geographical information effectively	• explains geographical information and communicates coherently in speech, writing and graphic presentation	• analyses complex geographical information and communicates critically and confidently in speech, writing and graphic presentation
• gives some reasons why environments differ	• suggests relevant reasons for the diversity of Australian environments	• describes simple geographical processes to explain the diversity of Australian environments	• analyses simple geographical processes to explain the changing nature of Australian environments	• analyses complex geographical processes to explain the changing nature of Australian environments
• describes, using relevant examples, some impacts people have on environments	• identifies the groups involved in environmental decision-making processes	• describes a range of decision-making processes and their impacts on environments	• explains some of the impacts of decision-making processes on environments	• proposes and justifies alternative decision-making processes that have positive impacts on environments
• states some contemporary geographical issues affecting Australian environments	• identifies some impacts of at least one contemporary geographical issue affecting Australian environments	• describes the impacts of at least one contemporary geographical issue affecting Australian environments at a range of levels	• analyses the impacts of at least two contemporary geographical issues affecting Australian environments at a range of levels	• evaluates the impacts of at least two contemporary geographical issue affecting Australian environments at a range of levels
• names some links between Australia and other countries	• identifies and describes some links between Australia and other countries	• identifies and explains Australia’s role in the Asia-Pacific region and the world	• ccounts for Australia’s changing links and role in the Asia-Pacific region and the world	• evaluates Australia’s changing links and role in the Asia-Pacific region and the world
• lists some responsibilities of Australian citizens.	• identifies and describes the responsibilities of Australian citizens.	• discusses the basic responsibilities of Australian citizens in the context of contemporary geographical issues.	• supports an informed opinion on the responsibilities of Australian citizens in the context of contemporary geographical issues with a range of arguments.	• evaluates a range of opinions on the responsibilities of Australian citizens in the context of contemporary geographical issues and acts on these opinions.