HSC Geography › Human–Environment Interactions › 14.3
Activity Materials — The Black Summer Fires (2019–20)
NSW Stage 6 Geography (2022) · Student worksheet · Case study
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this resource may contain names, images or references to people who have died.
Activity 1 · The scale — a data snapshot
Acquiring geographical information · ~10 min
Fill in the key figures from the study page. Learn these — they anchor a case-study answer.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|
| Total land burnt | |
| Animals killed / displaced | |
| Direct deaths | |
| Estimated cost | |
| CO₂ released | |
Activity 2 · Explain the causes
Applying geographical understanding · ~12 min
For each condition, explain how it contributed — and add the climate-change link.
| Condition | How it contributed |
|---|
| Record drought (2019) | |
| Extreme heat | |
| Strong winds | |
| Climate change | |
Activity 3 · Locate the major fires
Using maps / case knowledge · ~10 min
Match each fire to its key feature.
| Fire | Key feature |
|---|
| Gospers Mountain | |
| Currowan | |
| Mallacoota | |
Activity 4 · The fire–climate feedback
Interconnection · ~10 min
Complete the loop, then explain it in one sentence.
| Climate change | → | ? | → | ? (~900 Mt CO₂) | → | ? |
|---|
| hotter, drier | | | | | | |
One-sentence explanation of the feedback loop:
Activity 5 · Evaluate the response
Assessing management · ~15 min
List responses, then judge how effective the overall response was.
| During the fires | After (recovery) |
|---|
| | |
| | |
Judgement (how effective, and what should improve?):
Activity 6 · Extended-response practice
Communicating geographical understanding · ~20 min
Plan (dot points), then write the introduction.
Question: “Using the Black Summer fires, analyse the causes, impacts and management of a contemporary hazard.”
| Paragraph | Content (dot points) |
|---|
| Introduction | |
| Causes (+ climate link) | |
| Impacts (environment + people) | |
| Management & response | |
| Conclusion | |