HSC Geography › Human–Environment Interactions › 13.4
Activity Materials — Climate Responses
NSW Stage 6 Geography (2022) · Student worksheet
Activity 1 · Mitigation or adaptation?
Classifying responses · ~10 min
Sort each response, then write the one-line difference between the two types.
Responses: rooftop solar · flood defences · electric buses · drought-resistant crops · reforestation · floating homes · seaweed cattle feed · early-warning systems
| Mitigation (reduce the cause) | Adaptation (reduce the harm) |
| | |
| | |
The difference in one line:
Activity 2 · Evaluate the Paris Agreement
Assessing a management strategy · ~12 min
List strengths and limits, then write a one-sentence judgement.
Judgement (how effective, and why?):
Activity 3 · Costa Rica response file
Using a case study · ~18 min
Complete the file on Costa Rica's climate response.
| Strand | What Costa Rica does | Mitigation / adaptation? |
| Electricity | | |
| Transport | | |
| Forests / carbon sinks | | |
| Economy | | |
Why can't every country simply copy Costa Rica?
Activity 4 · Tuvalu & the limits of adaptation
Applying geographical understanding · ~10 min
Answer in full sentences.
Q: Explain why, for Tuvalu, global mitigation matters more than any local adaptation. Refer to physical limits and equity.
Activity 5 · Design a response
Communicating geographical understanding · ~15 min
Propose a balanced response for a chosen place (your town, or a named country), using both response types.
| Place | |
| Two mitigation actions | |
| Two adaptation actions | |
| One challenge to overcome | |
Activity 6 · Extended-response plan
Communicating geographical understanding · ~15 min
Plan (dot points only).
Question: “Evaluate the effectiveness of responses to climate change, referring to at least one case study.”
| Paragraph | Content (dot points) |
| Introduction | |
| Mitigation (Paris, toolkit) | |
| Adaptation & limits (Tuvalu) | |
| Case study evaluation (Costa Rica) | |
| Conclusion / judgement | |