1. Achievement Standard 91431 3.6 Analyse aspects of a contemporary geographic issue 3 credits

2. The assessment report involves three tasks: 1.The nature of the issue 2.Viewpoints towards the issue 3.Possible courses of action

3. The contemporary issue? ‘What should be done about the future of dairying in this country?’

4. NZ depends on dairying for its export earnings and many people depend on dairying either directly or indirectly for employment. Dairying provides 26% of New Zealand’s total goods exports The dairy sector employs around 40,000 workers. The sector will indirectly support many more jobs in industries that supply dairy, and that experience the benefits of additional income flowing into the region due to dairy farming.

5. Dairying requires a moderate to heavy rainfall and fertile soils (why?) These features can be brought about artificially (how?)

6. The nature of the issue? The problem is the tension cause between NZ’s need to continue to increase our exports of dairy products and the growing degradation of our lakes and rivers.

7. Why is this a geographic issue? Fertiliser runoff: In many NZ lakes increased nutrient loads have led to frequent blue-green algal blooms, which are both a health hazard and unpleasant to look at. It is ‘killing’ our lakes as increased nitrogen depletes oxygen levels Between 1996 and 2008 30,000 hectares of traditional sheep and beef farms were converted to dairying. (mostly in Canterbury, Southland and Otago. It is estimated a further 370,000 by 2020.

8. Why is this a geographic issue? Water taken from rivers for irrigation Areas of NZ that have large areas of irrigation are seeing impacts on their rivers.

9. Why is this a geographic issue? Irrigation schemes are costly in terms of money and loss of valuable land

10. The issue is: ‘What should be done about the future of dairying in this country?’ Possible suggestions at this stage?

11. Task One: Explaining the nature of the contemporary geographic issue BRIEFLY. -The spatial dimension Where the issue is located. (Where it is most obvious?) Because there is a spatial component, a map is needed. -The characteristics of the issue Discuss the natural and cultural features of the issue -Its effects How it impacts on people and on the environment. What is expected in this assessment?

12. Task Two: Fully explaining how people’s values and perceptions of the issue have led to their responses What does this mean? Consider– those people who support and those who are against, and the many in between. Consider economic, social, environmental perspectives.. Therefore you must fully explain WHY a person /or group holds a particular viewpoint. (You are expected to show a solid understanding of how viewpoints are affected by values and perspectives)

13. Perspectives are bodies of thought, theories, or worldviews that shape people’s values. Broadly, perspectives can be classified as social, political, economic and environmental.

14. Perspective Values World view Deeply held beliefs about what is important Viewpoints The way people view and think about the environment

15. A way viewpoints can be expressed…. ForAgainst Economic Environmental Social Political

16. Task Three: Proposing a suitable course of action to address the issue and providing a full justification of the solution showing insight. (i.e. Choose the best and justify why you have chosen this one) The full justification is an in-depth response that uses clarity of argument and holistic understanding to demonstrate why one course of action is better than the alternatives. You MUST discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the courses of action -

17. Insight? Task Three… Include holistic judgement… i.e. -weighing up the relative significance of strengths and weaknesses - implications of choices,

18. Group work: Perspectives of this issue You are to research a perspective of this issue. You only have 3 periods to do this You are to present this to the class This is to be used in the assessment so must be done well.