South Island High Country Year 12 geography natural landscapes South island high country

2.1 – Natural landscapes This achievement standard involves demonstrating geographic understanding of a large natural environment.

Achieved Demonstrate geographic understanding of a large natural environment involves: explaining aspects of the large natural environment including supporting case study evidence.  

Merit Demonstrate in-depth geographic understanding of a large natural environment involves: explaining, in detail, aspects of the large natural environment including detailed supporting case study evidence.  

Excellence Demonstrate comprehensive geographic understanding of a large natural environment involves: fully explaining aspects of the large natural environment including the use of geographic terminology and concepts, showing insight. integrating comprehensive supporting case study evidence

Natural characteristics (elements) of an environment include landforms (relief), climate, soils, and vegetation. Processes include climatic processes; tectonic and other internal processes; erosion, transportation, deposition, and other surface processes.  Interaction of people with the natural environment may include cultural, economic, or political interaction.  

Aspects are selected from: the characteristics of a large natural environment how the elements and processes of the large natural environment interact how a large natural environment is formed and changes over time how people interact with a large natural environment how people's perceptions of a large natural environment change over time.

Definitions Relief The height and shape of the land, and the processes that have formed it over geological time.

Climate The average atmospheric conditions over a long period of time. These conditions include variations in rainfall, temperature, sunshine hours, wind and humidity. Climate is the average of the weather we see on a day to day basis.

Soils Weathered or eroded material produced from rocks. Is it fertile or infertile? Well drained or poorly drained?

Biota Refers to those life forms other than people. Vegetation Animals Birds Insects

Activity 1 The following slide has an image from a topographic map of a part of the SIHC. Your task is to see how many natural features you can identify.

You need to do the same for this photo