Using photographs – Geography 7–10
This Stage 4 and 5 resource, a guide using photographs in geography, provides teachers with lesson instructions for teaching geographical tools and skills.
Geography 7–10 Syllabus (2024)
This resource is designed to support leaders and teachers in implementing the Geography 7–10 Syllabus (2024). It can be used to enrich a teacher’s own program, assessment, or as an example of how the new curriculum could be implemented.
© NSW ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024.
When and how to use
The resources are for use when delivering Geography 7–10 Syllabus (2024) to Stage 4 and 5 as part of a structured teaching and learning program. They should be adapted to best suit your students' diverse needs and school context.
The NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø publishes a range of curriculum support materials, including samples of lesson sequences, scope and sequences, assessment tasks, examinations, student and teacher resource booklets, and curriculum planning and curriculum evaluation templates. The samples are not exhaustive and do not represent the only way to complete or engage in each of these processes. Curriculum design and implementation is a dynamic and contextually-specific process. While mandatory components of syllabus implementation must be met by all schools, it is important the approach taken by teachers is reflective of their needs, and faculty or school processes.
Support and alignment
All curriculum resources are prepared through a rigorous process. Resources are periodically reviewed as part of our ongoing evaluation plan to ensure currency, relevance and effectiveness. For additional support or advice, or to provide feedback, contact the HSIE curriculum team by emailing hsie@det.nsw.edu.au.
Differentiation
Further advice to support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, EAL/D students, high potential and gifted students and students with a disability and/or additional needs can be found on the Planning, programming and assessing 7–12 webpage. Differentiating learning and Inclusive Practice hub – Secondary school provide additional resources and support.
Assessment
Further advice to support formative assessment is available on the Planning, programming and assessing 7–12 and Teaching and learning – Assessment webpages and NESA’s webpage.
Explicit teaching
Further advice to support explicit teaching is available on the Explicit teaching webpage. This includes the CESE Explicit teaching – Driving learning and engagement webpage.
Related resources
Further resources to support Geography 7–10 Syllabus (2024) can be found on Planning, programming and assessing geography 7–10 (2024).
Professional learning
Relevant professional learning is available on the HSIE statewide staffroom and , including .
Consultation and alignment
Consulted with: Curriculum and Reform, Aboriginal ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø and Communities, Literacy and Numeracy and subject matter experts.
Alignment to system priorities and/or needs: School Excellence Policy, Our Plan for NSW Public ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø. The resource aligns to ‘Deliver outstanding leadership, teaching and learning’ in the Plan for Public ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø. It specifically addresses:
- Deliver effective teaching practices including explicit teaching and effective feedback underpinned by high expectations
- Provide high-quality, evidence-based curriculum resources
Alignment to the School Excellence Framework: this resource supports the School Excellence Framework elements of curriculum (curriculum provision) and effective classroom practice (lesson planning, explicit teaching). This resource will support teachers to develop, adapt and implement dynamic and inclusive programs that are contextualised to their learners. The assessment task included in the package will support teachers in contextualising evidence-based assessment strategies to gather data on student achievement.
Alignment to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: this resource supports teachers to address 2.1.2, 2.3.2, 2.4.2, 2.5.2, 2.6.2.
Evidence base
This evidence base has current educational research that has informed the development of this resource.
NESA (NSW ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Standards Authority) (2022) ‘’, The Standards, NESA website, accessed 5 December 2024.
AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited) (n.d.) , AITSL, accessed 5 December 2024.
AITSL (2017) ‘’, AITSL, accessed 5 December 2024.
Brookhart S (2011) How to Assess Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Your Classroom, Hawker Brownlow ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø, Victoria.
CESE (Centre for ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Statistics and Evaluation) (2020) What works best: 2020 update, NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø, accessed 5 December 2024.
CESE (2020) What works best in practice, NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø, accessed 5 December 2024.
Hattie J and Timperley H (2007) ‘The Power of Feedback’, Review of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍøal Research, 77(1): 81–112, doi:10.3102/003465430298487.
NESA (NSW ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Standards Authority) (2022) ‘’, Programming, NESA website, accessed 5 December 2024.
NESA (NSW ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Standards Authority) (2022) ‘’, Understanding the curriculum, NESA website, accessed 5 December 2024.
Rosenshine B (2012) ‘’, American Educator, 36(1):12–19 accessed 5 December 2024.
Sherrington T (2019) Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, John Catt ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍøal Limited, Melton, Woodbridge.
Wiliam D (2013) ‘’, Voices from the Middle, 21(2):15–20, accessed 5 December 2024.
Wiliam D (2017) Embedded Formative Assessment, 2nd edn, Solution Tree Press, Bloomington, IN.
Wisniewski B, Zierer K and Hattie J (2020) ‘’, Frontiers In Psychology, 10:3087, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03087, accessed 5 December 2024.
This resource package contains:
Teaching support resource
Geography 7–10 Syllabus (2015)
This teaching support resource addresses the K–10 geographical tools continuum, providing examples of how students can engage with the geographical tool of photographs. The lessons in this teaching support resource are designed to allow students to build understanding of geographical inquiry skills and tools.
Students will learn to acquire and process geographical information by selecting and using geographical tools for inquiry.
Please note:
© NSW ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024.
Related resource
Types of photos (video) – outlining the different types of photographs commonly used in geography including ground, oblique air, aerial and satellite.