Critical Thinking in Year 8 Geography

In Year 8 Geography students began 2026 studying the topic – Water in the World. To encourage critical questioning and thinking, students participated in the Journey of A River which is a practical activity simulating the water flow of a river through the catchment to the sea. Students were invited to introduce into the river representations of the different elements and pollutants and then consider the impacts. Students were encouraged to critically think about how different land uses such as land clearing, agriculture and urbanisation change water quality. Students then were challenged to consider the importance of clean water sustainability for human, animal and plant survival. A huge thank you to Vikki Cummins for preparing this authentic learning Geography activity.

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Student Reflections

I liked the activity because it was practical and we were able to better visualise what goes into our rivers. I learnt that there are many factors that affect the pollution of our rivers and not just one. I now understand that it is important to keep rivers clean as they are used for many important things such as drinking.
Chloe Charbel
Year 8

I liked the Journey of A River activity because we were outside and interacted in our learning. I learnt that 800 million people don’t have access to water and it is important to keep rivers clean because it can contribute to our drinking water.
Gabriella Khalil
Year 8

I loved the Journey of A River learning activity because it was a hands-on activity with a visual aspect which better helped me consider the water in the river. This activity kept me engaged in my Geography learning.
Lucy Henao Vila
Year 8

I liked this learning activity because it was interactive and not textbook work. I now think it is important to keep rivers clean because people swim in rivers and animals need water from rivers to survive.
Harriet Irwin
Year 8