Elective Course Focus Areas

The Elective Geography course comprises five focus areas from which at least two must be selected for study:

E5 Development Geography

Time allocation - Varies depending on the number of focus areas chosen

Principal focus

To understand the spatial patterns and causes of global inequality and the need for appropriate development strategies to improve quality of life.

Outcomes

When students undertake studies in this focus area in Stage 4 they will work towards the following Stage 4 outcomes:

E 4.1	identifies and gathers geographical information
E 4.2	observes and interprets geographical information
E 4.3	uses a range of written, oral and graphic forms to communicate geographical information
E 4.4	demonstrates a sense of place about environments outside Australia
E 4.9	identifies and describes spatial patterns of economic and social wellbeing at a global scale.

When students undertake studies in this focus area in Stage 5 they will work towards the following Stage 5 outcomes:

E 5.1	identifies, gathers and evaluates geographical information
E 5.2	analyses, organises and synthesises geographical information
E 5.3	selects and uses appropriate written, oral and graphic forms to communicate geographical information
E 5.4	demonstrates a sense of place about environments
E 5.9	explains the spatial patterns of economic and social wellbeing at a global scale.

Content

In working towards Stage 4 or Stage 5 outcomes, students will learn about:

Development

• definitions of development

• differing perceptions of development

• terms used for countries in the majority world

• development indicators

– quantitative

Spatial patterns of economic and social wellbeing at a global scale

• quantitative indicators of poverty and wealth

• access to food, shelter and clean water

• demographic factors such as population growth rates and structure, life expectancy, infant mortality, employment structure

• access to education and health care

• scale and rate of urbanisation

• energy consumption

• political and human rights

A major study of a country in the majority world. This study must include an overview of:

• the physical and human aspects of the environment

• development indicators

• factors contributing to the country’s scale of development

• regional variations in the scale and rate of development

• government initiatives to promote development

• community-based initiatives to enhance the life opportunities of people in the country

• contemporary development issues such as: