Biophysical Interactions - Inter-tidal Wetlands

Take your Year 11 students on a unique excursion to Sydney’s largest outdoor classroom and ecologically diverse wetlands.

Students conduct field work around Bicentennial Park’s intertidal wetlands to help them understand biophysical interactions. Through their investigations they will uncover interactions between the biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere. They will also gain a new understanding of human impacts and management of the spheres and the intertidal wetland environment as a functioning system.

Students learn about:

• the nature and functioning of the four components of the biophysical environment
• operation of the water cycle and the role of water in geomorphological processes
• parent material, slope processes, weathering, mass movements, erosion, transport and deposition, and the fluvial and coastal geomorphological processes
• the variety and distribution of plants and animals and soil formation
• the interactions between and the human impacts on the functioning of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.

Students learn to investigate and communicate geographically by addressing geographical questions:

• what biophysical interactions occur between components of the biophysical environment?
• what are the effects of human impacts on components of the biosphere?

Students learn to use geographical skills and tools including:

• identifying, collecting and recording data about erosion and deposition from primary sources
• constructing a transect to describe the variety and distribution of plants in a specific area
• planning a fieldwork activity to assess the impacts of flood or drought
• recognising the key features of changing weather patterns to describe atmospheric processes in a given location

Students learn to identify geographical methods applicable to and useful in the workplace such as:

• collecting and analysing field data
• environmental mapping
• comprehend the relevance of a geographical understanding of biophysical interactions to a particular vocation.

Content: Case Study

Investigating one issue in one of the biophysical components to illustrate how an understanding of biophysical processes contributes to sustainable management in the environment.

Outcomes

P2 - describes the interactions between the four components which define the biophysical environment
P3 - explains how a specific environment functions in terms of biophysical factors
P6 - identifies the vocational relevance of a geographical perspective
P7 - formulates a plan for active geographical inquiry
P9 - uses maps, graphs and statistics, photographs and fieldwork to conduct geographical inquiries
P10 - applies mathematical ideas and techniques to analyse geographical data
P12 - communicates geographical information, ideas and issues using appropriate written and/or oral, cartographic and graphic forms