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Observatory Hill Environmental Education Centre

Observatory Hill Environmental Education Centre

Leading environmental education to empower learners for a sustainable future.

Telephone02 9247 7321

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

Place and liveability

Place and Liveability is a S4 Geography fieldwork program focusing on the Key Inquiry Question of ‘What approaches can be used to improve the liveability of places’?

Students will use the Harold Park and Rozelle Bay sites to:

  • identify characteristics of places considered highly liveable
  • examine a range of strategies to enhance liveability
  • assess the role of governments, non government organisations, communities and individuals in enhancing liveability
  • propose strategies to improve liveability of a place in Australia

Program location

Harold Park, Rozelle Bay and the Tramsheds. Download the excursion map (PDF 669.2KB) or view the interactive google map with approximate walking route, meeting location and pick up location. 

Key inquiry question

What approaches can be used to improve the liveability of places?

Key syllabus outcomes

Students investigate aspects of liveability at study sites including

  • identification of characteristic for places considered highly liveable
  • the impact of environmental quality on liveability
  • the influence of accessibility of services and infrastructure on liveability
  • strategies to enhance liveability of a place in Australia.

Integrating the ‘Sustainability’ Cross Curriculum Priority is a feature of the program.

Skills outcomes

Learning activities may include:

  • data gathering using an iPad
  • mapping
  • field sketching
  • photo interpretation
  • assessing environmental impacts of development using measuring instruments (water quality testing)
  • developing Geographic Inquiry Skills including: Acquiring (what is where), Processing (why is it there), and Communicating (why care)
  • answering a fieldwork question ‘Is Harold Park a liveable place, and how can the White Bay Power Station precinct be transformed into a more liveable place?

Student previsit and follow-up activities

Successful fieldwork visits have direct links to current classroom learning. Pre-visit activities carried out prior to the excursion will help students better understand their excursion content and provide connectedness and relevance to classroom learning.

The following tasks, together with fieldwork, will help students answer the fieldwork question.

Visit the student fieldwork support website  and view the introductory presentation on Harold Park and the Bays Precinct with your class to familiarise students with the study area.

On the day activities

During the full day fieldwork excursion, students will:

  • collect fieldwork data on an ipad and use this data to contruct a GIS map of their fieldwork. 
  • acquire, process and communicate geographic information to answer a fieldwork question.
  • learn basic geographic tools including map reading, photo interpretation, field sketching etc
  • construct a liveability index to assess areas within the study site including Harold Park and The Tram Sheds
  • work in urban planning teams to develop a plan for the White Bay Power station site to improve liveability.
  • have opportunities to use their own cameras to document their fieldwork activities

Cost

  • DoE - From $10 per student (GST free). For more detailed DoE costing see the attached fee structure (PDF 91KB).
  • Non Government School $20 per student (GST free) minimum cost of $600.

Excursion program downloads

Download these documents to help with your excursion planning: