Creating Virtual Products in Geography

The HSIE Faculty embraces learning strategies which heighten student engagement in the exploration of the world around them. The Stage 4 Geography Syllabus asks students to engage in geographical inquiry to explore the relationships between people, places and the environment and to ultimately grow into informed, responsible, and active citizens. Shared is the virtual product of Year 8 Geography students Maddison Rice, Ella Rixon, Chiara Salvati, Lillian Scott and Elizabeth Mattar who designed a News Report to communicate Geographical information. Thank you to Vikki Cummins, teacher of Geography for this creative and engaging teaching and learning strategy.

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Teacher Reflection

Creating the News Report was a way for students to work in groups, with student choice of a recent natural disaster and research through self inquiry learning. In a snapshot, students had to create a news broadcast of a recent Australian natural disaster (cyclone, floods, fire, drought). In groups of four, one student was the scientist, explaining how the natural disaster occurred; a bystander, describing the impact on individuals and the community; a news broadcaster and a weather reader. Students were excited, diligent, focused and creative when creating their news broadcasts.
Vikki Cummins
HSIE Teacher

Student Reflections

I really enjoyed this task because it gave us the opportunity to collaborate with friends and learn in a fun and engaging way when researching how and why the Hunter Valley Floods of 2015 happened. This task was beneficial for me as it combined teamwork, research, and creativity. Overall, it was a fantastic learning experience that I would love to participate in again.
Zahra Triulcio
Year 8

Making a video in groups taught me to express my knowledge creatively and collaborate with others so that we could all benefit from one another’s understanding of the topic of Australia’s worst drought on record in 2017.
Chloe Wahbe
Year 8

I enjoyed the research and presentation task because I had the opportunity to explore different natural disasters that have happened in Australia, and my group chose to focus on Cyclone Alfred in 2025. It was not only interesting but also fun, as we looked into the details of how such disasters impact people in our country. The task allowed us all to use presentation skills and filming techniques, making the learning experience engaging. This task was a great way to be creative, collaborate with peers and gain knowledge of geography in Australia through natural disasters.
Elise Robertson
Year 8