Description
VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies develops students’ understandings of outdoor environments, and the ways in which humans interact with, relate to and have impacted outdoor environments over time. ‘Outdoor environments’ encompasses landscapes, both local and further afield, that range in health from protected wilderness to those heavily impacted by human practices.
The study enables students to make critically informed comments on outdoor environmental issues,including asking questions about environmental sustainability and human connections to Country, both past and present. Students are able to understand the importance of change to environmental health from human or natural influences.
Unit Topics
Unit 1 – Connections with outdoor environments
- Our place in outdoor environments
- Exploring outdoor environments
- Safe and sustainable participation in outdoor experiences
Unit 2 – Discovering outdoor environments
- Understanding outdoor environments
- Observing impacts on outdoor environments
- Independent participation in outdoor environments
Skill Development
The students develop a variety of skills in Outdoor Environmental Studies. These include hard skills such as:
- Camping and activity specific skills
- Teamwork, leadership, resilience and organisation
Possible Assessment Tasks
Students complete a number of assessments throughout the year. These include PowerPoint Presentations, Multiple Choice, Short and Long Answer Tests, Data Analysis and Written Analysis and Evaluation. They also complete activities in the outdoors and reflections of these activities.
Activities/Camps/Excursions
Students attend excursions and day trips over the course of this subject. Students visit a variety of environments where they take part in numerous activities such as: hiking, high ropes, skiing, surfing, rock climbing and bike riding. Students link work completed in class to environments visited. This assists students in gaining skills and knowledge in the topics.
Career Options
Outdoor camps, nature-based tourism, outdoor leading and guiding, environmental research and policy, education and agriculture.
Year 10