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 the environment.
Unit Topics
Unit 3 – Relationships with outdoor environments
- Changing human relationships with outdoor environments
- Relationships with Australian environments in the past decade
Unit 4 – Sustainable outdoor relationships
- The importance of healthy outdoor environments
- The future of outdoor environments
- Investigating outdoor environments
Skill Development
The students develop a variety of skills in OES. These include hard skills such as camping and activity specific skills as well as 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.
Activities/Camps/Excursions
Students take part in theory based classes, to develop the skills and knowledge required for practical activities. Students take part in multiple day trips including canoeing, hiking, surfing, rock climbing and skiing. They also go on a number of camps for the year.
Career Options
Natural resource management, nature-based tourism, outdoor leading and guiding, environmental research and policy, education, and agriculture.
Year 11 & 12