Year 4: The Environment Sustains Life is part of the Australian Geography Series which comprises nine books in total. This book has been written specifically for students in Year 4, who are living in Australia and studying Geography. The activity book is divided into three sections: The Importance Of The Environment; Natural Vegetation And Climate; and Sustainable Management Of Waste And Natural Resources. Each section is closely linked to the Australian National Curriculum.

The first section, The Importance Of The Environment, examines the relationship that Indigenous Australians have formed with the environment over time and the circumstances under which these relationships were formed. Students will also explore the distribution of Indigenous Australians before colonisation and how their ways of living were adapted to the resources of their Country and Place. Also included are activities which encourage students to recognise that places, for a variety of reasons, are significant to people and animals and should be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

The second section, Natural Vegetation And Climate, focuses on savannahs as a type of natural vegetation in Australia and South America and explores how climate affects this vegetation. The natural processes that shape the Earth’s surface, in particular landforms also feature in this section together with and exploration of how the daily weather is determined by air pressure systems and fronts. Students will extend their understanding of place by developing mapping skills.

The third section, Sustainable Management Of Waste And Natural Resources, investigates the management of waste through the exploration of reducing, reusing, recycling and replacing. Students will investigate glass and understand that it is made from raw materials produced by the environment.

Year 4: The Environment Sustains Life is a teacher-friendly resource for 9 to 10 year olds studying Geography. The topics developed for each section are well-supported by illustrations, graphic and photographic resources, which will help stimulate students’ thinking about the way we live locally, nationally and globally. The strong research component built into tasks will invite students to dig deeper into geographical questions from their own and other people’s points of view.

Author: Lisa Craig