Outdoor and Environmental Studies Study Notes

This area of study explores how humans have understood and interacted with Australian outdoor environments over time. Students examine the unique nature of Australian outdoor environments and investigate a range of human relationships with outdoor environments, from various Indigenous peoples’ cultural experiences, through to the influence of several major historical environmental events and issues following European colonisation. Case studies are used to analyse the role of environmental movements in changing human relationships with outdoor environments at state and local level, and their influence on the development of government policies. Students engage in practical outdoor experiences that enable them to investigate human relationships with specific outdoor environments.

In this area of study students examine conflicting values of human use and relationships with outdoor environments in the past decade. The dynamic nature of relationships between humans and outdoor environments is considered, as well as the social, cultural, economic and political factors that influence these relationships. Students engage in practical outdoor experiences that enable them to collect information about, reflect on, and analyse specific relationships with outdoor environments in the last decade, including conflicts over such relationships.

This area of study explores the contemporary state of outdoor environments in Australia and the importance of environments for individuals and society. Students examine the nature of sustainability and use observations to evaluate the health of outdoor environments. They investigate current and potential threats to a range of outdoor environments and the subsequent impacts, as well as proposing improved solutions for environmental sustainability. Practical outdoor experiences enable students to further develop and apply their knowledge and skills.

In this area of study students explore the sustainable use and management of outdoor environments. They examine a range of land management practices in different environments and investigate local and individual actions to sustain outdoor environments, now and into the future. Students examine the importance of developing a balance between human needs and the conservation of outdoor environments, and consider the skills needed to be environmentally responsible citizens. They investigate current Acts and conventions and propose improvements to these for greater conservation benefits.

To achieve this outcome students undertake an independent investigation, collecting and evaluating information gathered during at least two different visited outdoor environments across both Units 3 and 4. The selected outdoor environments should draw on at least four selected key knowledge points across Units 3 and 4. Students are expected to demonstrate the key knowledge and key skills as described in the process below. The investigation requires students to generate primary data from time spent in the selected outdoor environments, and combine this with the collation of any required secondary data. The collected data should draw together understandings of outdoor environments related to the human relationships with, and the health and sustainable use of, the selected outdoor environments, and allow for the evaluation of the selected outdoor environments. The student logbook is used to document the collection of evidence required to complete the investigation. The investigation within the selected outdoor environments can occur at any time during Unit 3 or Unit 4, with the expectation that the assessment of the investigation would occur at any time during Unit 4. The student investigation will be assessed as a written report in which students will use the evidence recorded in their logbook to produce a written report that demonstrates the application of the key skills and key knowledge to the selected outdoor environments. The logbook is used for authentication purposes when assessing the written report documenting the investigation.