I have spent a few days thinking about how to ensure that learners 'get' the key concepts that underpin the geography curriculum at KS3. This is as a result of some planning for forthcoming events...
There may be some learners who have difficulty remembering the key concepts, or appreciating that what they are doing can be connected to one (or more) of them. I always had them displayed in my classroom, so that they could be referred to when discussing a topic that might have connections with globalisation for example.
The Geography Teaching Today website has a useful introduction which gives some ideas for teaching with concepts.There is also continued interest in some of the resources I put on GeographyPages about the teaching using concepts in the Pilot GCSE Geography with its idea of FUGIS. I have also been fortunate to be in several sessions with Liz Taylor where she talked about the use of concepts to inform planning.
The main concepts are:
Place
Space
Scale
Interdependence
Physical and Human Processes
Environmental Interaction and Sustainable Development
Cultural Understanding and Diversity
One idea could be to provide 'student friendly' versions of the concepts, although there are issues with keeping to simpler versions and never moving on to the 'proper' ones. Here are some that were produced previously:
Suggested ‘Student friendly' versions of the key concepts
Thoughts on possible objects....
Magnifying glass (Scale)
Paper chain (Interdependence)
Could also buy gummed paper chain links and when students come up with a global connection, they write it on the link, and add to a chain display which slowly builds up over time...
Compass (Place)
Any further ideas for what objects could be used to "represent" the other concepts ?
There may be some learners who have difficulty remembering the key concepts, or appreciating that what they are doing can be connected to one (or more) of them. I always had them displayed in my classroom, so that they could be referred to when discussing a topic that might have connections with globalisation for example.
The Geography Teaching Today website has a useful introduction which gives some ideas for teaching with concepts.There is also continued interest in some of the resources I put on GeographyPages about the teaching using concepts in the Pilot GCSE Geography with its idea of FUGIS. I have also been fortunate to be in several sessions with Liz Taylor where she talked about the use of concepts to inform planning.
The main concepts are:
Place
Space
Scale
Interdependence
Physical and Human Processes
Environmental Interaction and Sustainable Development
Cultural Understanding and Diversity
One idea could be to provide 'student friendly' versions of the concepts, although there are issues with keeping to simpler versions and never moving on to the 'proper' ones. Here are some that were produced previously:
Suggested ‘Student friendly' versions of the key concepts
- Place: what are man made and natural places like?
- Space: how do man made and natural places fit together in the ‘world jigsaw'?
- Scale: understanding the big picture as well has what we experience day to day.
- Interdependence: we all have an impact on each other.
- Physical and human processes: events can change the physical and human world.
- Environmental interaction: people use the natural world and have the ability to change it.
- Cultural understanding and diversity: People from around the world lead different ways of life.
Thoughts on possible objects....
Magnifying glass (Scale)
Paper chain (Interdependence)
Could also buy gummed paper chain links and when students come up with a global connection, they write it on the link, and add to a chain display which slowly builds up over time...
Compass (Place)
Any further ideas for what objects could be used to "represent" the other concepts ?
Comments
These are Place, Pattern, Process and People. We discuss enquiry questions and general lesson content in terms of these 4 Ps. It is my hope that when I have a class from year 7 through to year 9 developing a good understanding of the 4 Ps in 7 and 8 will provide a solid foundation of understanding to discuss the 7 concepts more explicitly in year 9 and beyond.