Year 11 Geography

Geography is the study of places as the home of people. To make sense of these places we ask three questions: what is where? why there? and why care? 

Geographers study te taiao – the interconnected world that includes features like coasts, mountains, populations and the relationship between them. 

The four Big Ideas of NCEA Geography are: 

• Te taiao connects people and people connect to te taiao
• Te taiao can be shaped by natural processes
• Tikanga informs the relationships between the tangata and te taiao
• Perspectives and power influence te taiao

Students of geography have the chance to explore a range of local and global contexts and geographic issues. The view from our classroom windows inspires the study of Moving Mountains (the spatial distribution of; processes that have built; and the challenges of living on mountains and volcanic landscapes) and Tīkapa Moana o Hauraki - the Hauraki Gulf (peoples connections to the coast; competing uses of marine resources; upholding Te Tiriti through kaitiakitanga; and how power and perspective will shape the future of Tīkapa Moana). The recent global population milestone of 8 Billion People and Counting raises questions: where do these people live? why? which populations are growing? shrinking? old? young? rich? poor? and what will populations look like in the future?

There is space in our programme and within these topics to explore places and issues that reflect student interest and to open doors to unfamiliar places. 

Geographers learn to think spatially, using maps, visual images and inquiry skills to develop understandings of the world around us. Fieldwork is an important part of Geography and students will attend a day trip to explore one of our case study environments.

 Students drawing field sketches of the Geography from our classroom windows.

Playdoh mountain maps of Africa, Asia and New Zealand