HSC Geography › Human–Environment Interactions › 12.1

# Activity Materials — Natural & Human-Induced Change

NSW Stage 6 Geography (2022) · Student worksheet · Land cover change
Name: Class: Date:

## Activity 1 · Sort the drivers

Distinguishing natural from anthropogenic change · ~10 min
Write each driver below into the correct column. Some could be argued both ways — if so, put it in the middle and note why.

Drivers: volcanic eruption · burning coal · bushfire started by lightning · clearing forest for farmland · solar cycles · car exhaust · earthquake · overgrazing · Earth's axial tilt · aerosol pollution

Natural | Both / it depends | Human-induced
--- | --- | ---

One-sentence reflection: why is a lightning bushfire in a drought that was worsened by warming hard to classify?

## Activity 2 · Read the CO₂ curve

Processing geographical information: interpreting a line graph · ~15 min
Use the graph to answer the questions. Show working where a calculation is asked for.

1. What was the approximate CO₂ concentration in 1850? And now?
2. Calculate the approximate increase in ppm from the pre-industrial baseline (~280) to today.
3. In one word, describe the shape of the curve after 1950. Why is this shape significant?
4. Name the two human activities most responsible for this rise.

## Activity 3 · Explain the mechanism

Applying geographical understanding: causal chains · ~10 min
Complete the flow chain by filling each blank box, then write the full chain as one sentence underneath.

Burn fossil fuels | → | ? | → | Enhanced greenhouse effect | → | ?
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
coal, oil, gas |  |  |  | heat trapped |  |

Write it as one sentence:

Extension: explain why deforestation is called a “double hit” on the carbon cycle.

## Activity 4 · Spatial variation — account for the difference

Interconnection & scale · ~15 min
For each region, tick faster or slower than the global average, then give the reason in your own words.

Region | Faster / Slower | Reason (mechanism)
--- | --- | ---
Arctic |  |
Europe |  |
India |  |
East Antarctica |  |

Key term to define: ice–albedo feedback.

## Activity 5 · Australian evidence file

Acquiring geographical information from a reputable source · ~20 min (may be homework)
Using the BoM/CSIRO State of the Climate report (latest edition), complete the evidence file. Record the figure and the exact source you found it in.

Indicator | Figure / trend | Source (report & year)
--- | --- | ---
Air temperature change since 1910 |  |
Sea-surface temperature change since 1900 |  |
Cool-season rainfall trend, SW WA |  |
Trend in extreme fire weather |  |

Take it further — reputable sources: BoM/CSIRO State of the Climate · NASA Climate · NOAA Mauna Loa CO₂ (current value) · IPCC

## Activity 6 · Extended-response plan

Communicating geographical understanding · ~15 min
Plan (do not yet write) a response to the question below. Fill each box with dot points only.

Question: “Explain how natural processes and human activities interact to change Earth's natural systems.”

Paragraph | Content (dot points)
--- | ---
Introduction |
Body 1 — natural drivers |
Body 2 — human drivers |
Body 3 — interaction / amplification |
Conclusion |

Concept: interconnection Concept: change Concept: scale

Rose Bay Secondary College · HSC Geography · Human–Environment Interactions — Activities (12.1) · NESA Stage 6 (2022) · HSC 2026
Aligned to the NESA Geography Stage 6 Syllabus (2022); model answers in the teacher lesson plan.