Outdoor &
Environmental
Studies
Units 3 & 4

Year 12

What is the subject about?

Unit 3 – Relationships with outdoor environments
AOS 1: Changing human relationships with outdoor environments
AOS 2: Relationships with Australian environments in the past decade

In Unit 3, we explore how people have interacted with Australia outdoor environments for over 60,000 years. We'll look at different impacts on these environments and how relationships have changed. Students will spend time outdoors, comparing and reflecting on various environments. This hands-on experience, along with class discussions, will help us understand these connections better.

Unit 4 – Sustainable outdoor environments

AOS 1: The importance of healthy outdoor environments
AOS 2: The future of outdoor environments
AOS 3: Investigating outdoor environments

Unit 4 is about using and managing outdoor environments sustainably. Students will observe and check the health of these places, learning why it's crucial for Australia's future. We will study how to balance human needs with the health of the environment, looking at current laws and strategies. Students will also spend time outdoors, practicing skills to keep environments healthy and exploring ways to solve environmental issues. Expect to be outside often as part of this course.

Link to Study Design (new in 2024)

Study Design

Skills you will develop

Explain characteristics of Australian outdoor environments before humans arrived
Describe the beginnings of environmentalism as observed in a historical campaign.
Analyse differing environmental policies in Australia
Evaluate the health of outdoor environments and create possible solutions to improve environmental health
Analyse threats to society and outdoor environments
Justify the importance of healthy outdoor environments for individuals and society
Analyse management strategies for maintaining outdoor environments
Compare a range of individual actions to sustain healthy outdoor environments.