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Arthur J Kelly Liverpool Hope University
PR1914THE FOUNDATION CURRICULUM
The Magic of Geography
Semester 1 2009
The Magic of Geography
Emma Morley
November 2011
Aims of the Session
• To share evidence from Ofsted on the state of Geography in Primary schools and Research Findings from students on entry to ITE
• To remind ourselves of consider what constitutes high quality geographical learning experiences
• Reflect on the role that YOU will have in the future and sustainability of primary geography
This geographer is dressed for the outdoors with a long beard and a map in his rucksack
How do the children view geographer’s?
“My geographer is happy because he has just hacked through a jungle that ‘s why he’s got an axe and just discovered a new kind of turtle”
This drawing shows the happy geographer fulfilling many
roles: dog walker, recording information, puddle jumping
and gardening.
The sustainability of Geography
Geography is at a crossroads!
And YOU are part of what happens next !
‘Ofsted have highlighted weaknesses in geography in primary and secondary schools and have provided some evidence of decline in the overall quality of provision. In primary schools, this is associated with :
• teachers’ weak knowledge of geography, • their lack of confidence to teach it and• insufficient training to support them. • In secondary schools, the number of pupils opting to study the
subject beyond Key Stage 3 continues to fall… this reflects … pupils’ dissatisfaction with a geography curriculum which they perceive as irrelevant. In many secondary schools, a narrow range of textbooks and a focus on factual recall rather than on exploring ideas fail to capture pupils’ interest’(Ofsted, 2008 p.4)
MA (Ed) Research FindingsFigure 7.Mean Score for each of the subjects ranked by primary trainee teachers on point of entry with 1 being their favourite subject and 10 being their least favourite.
Subject Raw Total Score Mean Score
Art 826 3.91
Design Technology 889 4.21
History 1038 4.91
PE 1126 5.33
Geography 1172 5.55
Music 1191 5.64
Drama 1199 5.68
ICT 1369 6.48
RS 1368 6.48
MfL 1439 6.81
Trainee today…teacher tomorrow…
What sort of geography teacher will you be?
The Power and Relevance of Geography
DETECTIVES
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What kind of activities/ environments / resources will encourage high quality Geography teaching and learning
experiences in YOUR classroom?
All effective teachers have a passion for their subject , a passion for their pupils and a passionate belief that who they are and how they teach can make a difference in their pupils’ lives , both in the moment of teaching and in the days , weeks, months and even years afterwards .
(Day, 2004,p.12.)
What do Geographers do?- Provide a context for the children’s work
Map- maker Explorer Route Finder Traveller Village / Town Planner AdventurerDetective ConservationistsRambler Weather man/ woman Photographer Manager of floods Climber of mountains Puzzle Solver Presenter Investigator Carer News Reporter
Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods
“Nature-deficit disorder is not an official diagnosis but a way of viewing the problem, and describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses. The disorder can be detected in individuals, families, and communities.”
Why is Geography so important now?
Geography is fascinating and inspiring : the beauty of the earth
The power of earth shaping forces
The future of the planet
• Digital cameras • Remote controls for TV’s • Computers• Music downloads• DVD’s etc……
Health and safety concerns
Growing up in a material world
“In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand.
We will understand only what we are taught.”
Baba Dioum, Senegalese poet and environmentalist, 1937
Geography is best taught through the soles of your boots!
Children’s experiences need to be multi- sensory
Teaching geography is FUNDAMENTAL
Peter had a great sense of humour but was
destined to have a short life
Why is this picture geographically incorrect ?Arthur J Kelly Liverpool Hope University
If I Dig A Very Deep Hole, Where Will I Stop? -
http://www.ubasics.com/dighole/
Sometimes magic happens when you least expect it!
Be part of the future of geography
Geography ‘Fortune Teller’
A Different View: a manifesto from the Geographical Association
http://www.geography.org.uk/resources/adifferentviewhttp://www.geography.org.uk/resources/
adifferentview/promotinggeography/
Success in the future relies on the provision of a curriculum relevant to students in the 21st century?
To do….
Turn the vision of good geography in to
reality…..
Quality Geography… • High quality Geography work displayed around
the school. • Good knowledge of how the child / local area fits
into a global community. Empathy• Enthusiastic children interested in their learning
( independent learners )• Effective use of language and questioning
Children asking questions and finding out• Emphasis of the oral approach to assessment –
encourage geographical conversations • First hand involvement . Learning brought
outside the classroom
The Geography we deliver must be:
• Relevant• Dynamic• Challenging • Emotive • Motivating • Radical • Progressive AND …
Jeff Stanfield
Morley, E (2010)
ACTIVITY: The Geography of Music
Is this the geography teacher you will be?
Useful Resources • Primary Geography Handbook edited by
Stephen Scoffham • Primary Geographer• Geographical Association – www.geography.org.uk• Staffordshire Geography learning Net www.sln.org.uk/geography/
HAPPY CHRISTMAS !
http://www.noradsanta.org/
‘You can travel the seas, poles and deserts and see nothing. To really understand the world you need to get under the skin of the people and places. In other words, learn about geography. I can’t imagine a subject more relevant in schools. We’d all be lost without it.’
(Michael Palin, former Python and broadcaster, 2007)
