Australians need Geography Geography is vital to the education of every young Australian in the 21st century. It is the study of places – their environments, populations, economies and communities – and how and why these places are changing. Geography gives students a holistic view of the world, combining the natural and social sciences. Students of Geography gain the understanding, knowledge and skills to make sense of complex issues such as climate change, drought, ageing populations, urban growth, ethnic conflicts and globalisation. Including Geography in the core curriculum to Year 10, and teaching it as a distinct subject in secondary school, is the best way to give students the framework to understand the world around them. Read more (2.17 MB PDF) or download the Word document here (2.0 MB)     AGTA's latest publication: Keys to Fieldwork The student-friendly method of step-by-step explanations and descriptions of fieldwork activities and techniques extend students geographic skills beyond the classroom. The text also includes a wide range of stimulus material – maps, diagrams, graphs and photographs. ISBN: 9781420224733 RRP: $36.99 Order an inspection copy or purchase the book   AGTA's publication: Keys to Geography The junior skills book and CD ROM Essential skills and tools ISBN: 9780732990169 RRP: $38.95 Order an inspection copy or purchase the book   Geography – It's essential A clear and user-friendly guide setting out the place of Geography in the curiculum. The booklet aims to * increase awareness and understanding of the characteristics and value of Geography * support both primary and secondary educators in clarifying the essential components of teaching Geography * draw together all the current resources that have been written about Geography methodology and skill development, providing links to these. The full document is available here. Links within the document are hyperlinked to supporting documents. Geography's place in the curriculum A Study into the Teaching of Geography in Years 3-10: Maps state and territory syllabus and curriculum documents and draws on interviews with representatives from key organisations. Further details here. A copy of the report can be obtained here. Supporting Geography in Our Schools: Media Release from The Hon Julia Gillard MP 7 April, 2008. Further details here. Gillard puts geography on the map: News article published in the Age newspaper on 8 April 2008. Further details here. "Australia needs a geographic revolution" argues Brad Ruting from the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney. Read the article here. True Blue Geography ‘True Blue Geography’, is an Op-Ed article from Bill Pritchard and Nick Hutchinson Read the article here. Why study Geography? An article written by David Brooks titled 'All Cultures Are Not Equal' published in the New York Times on 11 August 2005 provides a compelling argument why students should be studying geography. Access the article here. The population debate A special issue of Geographical Research looks at the population debate in Australia, a debate mirrored in many other nations around the globe. The special issue has a strong policy focus, and demonstrates how political argument can be interwoven with academic analysis to produce not just an idea for action but an accompanying motivation for aggressive implementation. View presentations made during a panel discussion at the IAG 2011 Conference. Beijing 2008 Olympic Games resources AGTA and the Geographical Association (UK) have produced an outstandng set of resources related to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Another geography unit on the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games prepared by AFSSSE is available here. The Geographical Association's Planet Sport website provides other resources related to Sport Geography.   GIS resources Spatialworlds blog is a repository of teaching resources, images, commentary and website links for those interested in spatial education in schools. Geography teaching positions Looking for a Geography teaching position? Register your profile at this website and schools looking for a teacher with your qualifications and/or experience may contact you. Alternatively, you can search the online databases for positions currently available. Asia Pacific Economic Council APEC: Strengthening our Community Building a Sustainable Future A new resource package that includes a Teacher’s Guide and a student learning program (4 investigations), aims to raise awareness about APEC and to develop student knowledge, understanding and appreciation of its work, as well as its importance to Australia and the region. The Asia Education Foundation (AEF) and the Curriculum Corporation (CC), on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), managed development of the student resource and professional learning program. Copies have now been sent to all schools and will be available for download from the Web. AFSSSE members are providing professional development activities to support the implementation of the APEC resources developed by the Asia Education Foundation. Download the flyer here. Sprol Sprol is a blog dedicated to pulling sweet images off of GoogleEarth, and using the images to motivate interesting (and often very public-health-relevant) stories about the environment....In their own words, “sprol shows the visual macroscopic effects of the decisions and behavior of our society. Sydney University site for senior geography http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/curric/stage6/geog/ Oxfam’s Cool Planet ‘Mapping Our World’ website Provides free interactive resource to help pupils aged 8–14 develop key geographical skills http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/mappingourworld/ GeoData Free multimedia tutorials on how to create maps with Google Earth and eMaps from the Geography Department at the University of Southampton.