Paths built in the Field of Mars Reserve to manage visitor movement.

Factors that shape places | Primary geography student learning resource

Learning Intention
We are learning to understand and explain the different factors that shape urban bushland.

This Stage 3 geography resource helps students understand the value of urban bushland and waterways. Across sixteen activities with supporting videos and resources, students investigate how natural processes and human actions shape places over time. They use 360º images, create field sketches, conduct virtual fieldwork, survey community use, create a catchment story and digital poster, and go on a sign hunt to explore management strategies.

These activities can be used to support a Factors that shape places excursion or incursion with Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre.

Bushland at Field of Mars EEC showing tall eucalypt trees and a fern understory.

Lesson 1 - Characteristics of places

Students describe the characteristics of urban bushland by using 360º images, videos and field sketches to identify natural and built features.

Students walking up a bush track in Field of Mars Reserve.

Lesson 2 - Urban bushland

Students explore how people use urban bushland by identifying responsible and irresponsible behaviours and discussing how actions can help or harm these places.

A turtle sitting on a log in Buffalo Creek in Field of Mars Reserve.

Lesson 3 - Urban waterways

Students investigate how people influence urban waterways by following a catchment story, analysing Buffalo Creek water quality results and creating a message to encourage cleaner waterways.

A boardwalk next to Buffalo Creek in Field of Mars Reserve.

Lesson 4 - Managing urban environments

Students examine who manages urban bushland, identify positive and negative impacts of different users and suggest management strategies to care for bushland places.

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Learning resources

Discover more primary learning resources from Field of Mars EEC

Factors that shape places excursion

Students investigate natural and human processes that shape places in Field of Mars Reserve and the local area, such as weathering, erosion, land use and settlement, using fieldwork, mapping and data collection.

Factors that shape places incursion

A geography incursion where students investigate natural and human processes that shape places in their local area, using maps, images and inquiry tasks to explore change over time and sustainable management.