This document analyzes the content knowledge covered in a Year 9 inquiry-based unit on Madagascar's uncertain future. It shows how students acquired foundational knowledge about Madagascar's location, development, and biodiversity in early lessons. Later lessons required applying and linking this content knowledge, as well as developing procedural knowledge through activities on illegal rosewood logging and sustainable decision making. The unit assessed students' understanding of why Madagascar faces an uncertain future based on three possible futures scenarios.

1. Analysis
of
the
knowledge
Content
of
the
Year
9
Inquiry
Based
Unit
of
Work
“Why
Does
Madagascar
Face
an
Uncertain
Future?”
Application
and
assessment
of
knowledge
in
Guitar
lesson,
decision
making
and
assessment
based
on
futures
Acquisition
of
knowledge
Content
knowledge.
Linking
key
concepts.
Lesson
bringing
human
and
physical
aspects
together
requiring
deeper
understanding
Core
knowledge
regarding
location,
development
and
biodiversity.
Human
and
physical
geography
kept
separate.
Disjuncture
from
Procedural
knowledge
through
the
existing
knowledge
Rosewood
logging
enquiry
and
sustainable
(from
Schwartz)
decision
making
exercise.
Lesson
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7/8
9
10
Why
is
Madagascar
the
World’s
Worst
Economy?
Rosewood
Crisis.
Note:
Writing
a
campaign
song
What
makes
Madagascar
a
Biodiversity
hotspot
Is
Madagascar
Like
the
Movies?
Critical
analysis
What
happens
when
poverty
and
biodiversity
A
Sustainable
Alternative?
A
Decision
Making
Madagascar?
Google
Earth
enquiry
into
the
Assessment:
Why
does
Madagascar
face
an
What
is
more
important
social
issues
or
of
prior
knowledge
about
Madagascar.
against
the
illegal
trade
in
Rosewood
Who
is
to
blame
for
illegal
logging
in
Exercise
based
on
three
futures.
environmental
conservation?
uncertain
future?
occur
together?
Hitting
the
Right