Royal National Park Environmental Education Centre

Telephone02 9542 1951

Emailroyalnatpk-e.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Special places

People Live in Places - HSIE 2024 and Geography 2017 Syllabus

This excursion provides an opportunity for students from the local area to examine a special place near where they live. Following the geographical inquiry process they investigate what makes a place special and how they can care for special places.

Program feedback

"They [the teachers] were all great! They interacted well with each other, the students and the school teachers. They were attentive and flexible and organised the day around the students' normal eating times. Thank you so much. A thoroughly enjoyable day for all! Will definitely recommend."

Learning experiences

Students:

  • explore the use of a special place by the Dharawal people
  • learn about Dharawal resources and sites
  • listen to a Dreaming story
  • participate in sensory activities on a bushwalk, such as mirror walks, blindfold partners, nature art and sound map
  • learn how to care for special places
  • create a pictorial map or nature map of a site
  • tally features

Recommended excursion site

Outcomes

  • Students identify places and develop an understanding of the importance of places to people (GEe-1)
  • Students communicate geographical information and use geographical tools (GEe-2)

Content

Important places

Students:

  • investigate the importance of places they live in and belong to, for example: (ACHGK002, ACHGK004)
    • identification of places they live in and belong to
    • discussion of why places are special and how people care for them
    • explanation of why people need to take care of places

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander places 

Students:

  • investigate the Country/Places important to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, for example: (ACHGK003)
  • identification of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander site, Country or Place
  • discussion of why the site, Country or Place is important

Locating places

Students:

  • investigate how the location of places can be represented, for example:  (ACHGK001)
  • location of familiar and local places on maps 
  • description of the location of places

 

People are connected to places

Outcomes

  • identifies ways that Aboriginal Peoples connect with Country, Culture and Community HSE-ACH-01
  • identifies and locates places people connect with, using geographical information HSE-GEO-01

Content

People are connected to places 

  • Describe natural features of land, water and sky Country by engaging with Aboriginal Dreaming Stories and Languages
  • Identify specific terms Aboriginal Peoples may use to refer to the Country they connect to
  • Identify ways local Aboriginal Peoples connect to Country by engaging with Aboriginal Dreaming Stories, objects and Oral Histories