Curriculum change: implications for teaching and learning in geography

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Curriculum change implications for teaching and
learning in geography

• Steve Brace
• Head of Education and Outdoor Learning
• Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
• www.rgs.org
• s.brace_at_rgs.org

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Where is geography heading?
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The geographical terrain5-16

• National Curriculum
• Statutory status at KS1, 2 and 3
• Draft proposals for Geography programme of study
  Feb 2012
• Final NC to be published autumn 2013 for teaching
  2014
• Current NC (with exceptions at KS1 and KS4 in
  English, maths and science) as been dis-applied
  from September 2013.
• GCSE EBac
• 2011/12 4 rise. Highest for 13 years, 180K
  entries
• But its possible not to study a humanity for the
  Measure of 8

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16-18 and beyond

• A Level
• AS ? A2 76 students progress, second highest
  level
• Geography as a facilitating subject (Russell
  GroupInformed Choices)
• A Level entries increasing, 32K entries
• (Distribution of entries)
• Further study at HE and employment
• ESRC review UK human geography ranked first
  internationally
• Geog. has second lowest level of graduate
  unemployment
• Entry to geography degree courses is holding up
  well

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Setting the scene for KS3
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The National Curriculum. RGS-IBG views

• Explicit geographical place knowledge, alongside
  skills understanding
• Rebalancing human and physical geography
• Geographical skills, maps, globes GIS
• Progression (not repetition),
• KS1 vocab? KS2 features ? KS3 processes
• Fieldwork at all stages
• It looks like geography to non-specialists
• Firmer underpinning for more complex study at
  GCSE A Level
• (Shorter!)

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Draft National Curriculum

• Purpose of study
• A high-quality geography education should inspire
  in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the
  world its people that will remain with them for
  the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip
  pupils with knowledge about diverse places,
  people, resources environments, together with a
  deep understanding of the Earths key physical
  human processes. As pupils progress, their
  growing knowledge about the world helps them to
  deepen their understanding of the interaction
  between physical human processes, and of the
  formation of landscapes and environments.
  Geographical knowledge provides the tools and
  approaches that explain how the Earths features
  at different scales are shaped, interconnected
  and change over time.

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Aims

• Develop knowledge of the location of places of
  global significance, their defining physical and
  human characteristics and how they relate to one
  another this place knowledge should provide a
  sound context for understanding geographical
  processes
• Understand the processes that give rise to key
  physical and human geographical features of the
  world, how these are interdependent and how they
  bring about spatial variation and change over
  time
• Skills collect, analyse communicate with a
  range of data gathered through experiences of
  fieldwork that deepen their understanding of
  geographical processes interpret a range of
  sources of geographical information, inc. maps,
  globes, aerial photographs GIS, communicate
  geographical information in a variety of ways,
  maps writing at length.

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Progression through the primary

• Key Stage 1. Pupils should develop knowledge
  about the world, the UK and their locality. They
  should understand basic subject-specific
  vocabulary relating to human and physical
  geography and begin to use geographical skills,
  including first-hand observation, to enhance
  their locational awareness.
• Key Stage 2. Pupils should extend their knowledge
  and understanding beyond the local area and the
  UK to include Europe, NS America. This will
  include the location and characteristics of a
  range of the worlds most significant human and
  physical features. They should develop their use
  of geographical tools and skills to enhance their
  locational and place knowledge.

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Progression into KS3

• Key Stage 3.
• Pupils should consolidate and extend their
  knowledge of the worlds major countries and
  their physical and human features.
• They should understand how geographical processes
  interact to create distinctive human and physical
  landscapes that change over time.
• In doing so, they should become aware of
  increasingly complex geographical systems in the
  world around them.
• They should develop greater competence in using
  geographical tools and skills, including
  analysing and interpreting different data
  sources, and so continue to enrich their
  locational knowledge and spatial awareness.

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Progression in locational knowledge

• KS1. Name and locate the worlds continents and
  oceans.
• KS2. Locate the worlds countries, using maps to
  focus on Europe and North and South America and
  concentrating on their environmental regions, key
  physical and human characteristics, countries
  major cities
• KS3. Extend their locational knowledge and deepen
  their spatial awareness of the worlds countries
  using maps of the world to focus on Africa, South
  and East Asia (inc China and India), the Middle
  East and Russia, focusing on their environmental
  regions, including polar and hot deserts, key
  physical and human characteristics, countries and
  major cities

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Locational knowledge the UK

• KS1. Name, locate and identify characteristics of
  the four countries and capital cities of the UK
  and its surrounding seas
• KS2. Name and locate counties and cities of the
  UK, geographical regions and their identifying
  human and physical characteristics, including
  hills, mountains, cities, rivers, key
  topographical features and land-use patterns
  understand how some of these aspects have changed
  over time
• KS3. Not specified but as a context for human
  and physical processes

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As geographers we know where places are

• Table groups
• At registration
• Geog in the news
• Y5 champion 135 capitals and their countries

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Progressions in fieldwork

• KS1. Simple fieldwork observational skills to
  study the geography of their school and the key
  human and physical features of its surrounding
  environment.
• KS2. Fieldwork to observe, measure record the
  human physical features in the local area using
  a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans
  graphs, digital technologies.
• KS3. Fieldwork to collect, analyse draw
  conclusions from geographical data, using
  multiple sources of increasingly complex
  information.

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Key Stage 3Processes

• understand geographical similarities and
  differences through the study of human and
  physical geography of a region or area within
  Africa and a region or area within Asia
• understand, through the use of detailed
  place-based exemplars at a variety of scales, the
  key processes in
• physical geography relating to glaciation, plate
  tectonics, rocks, soils, weathering, geological
  timescales, weather and climate, rivers and
  coasts
• human geography relating to population,
  international development, economic activity in
  the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary
  sectors, urbanisation, and the use of natural
  resources
• understand how human and physical processes
  interact to have an impact on and form
  distinctive landscapes

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Key Stage 3Skills

• build on their knowledge of globes, maps and
  atlases and use these geographical tools
  routinely in the classroom and in the field
• interpret OS maps in the classroom and the field,
  including using six-figure coordinates and scale,
  topographical and other thematic mapping, and
  aerial and satellite photographs
• use GIS to view, analyse and interpret places and
  data
• use fieldwork to collect, analyse and draw
  conclusions from geographical data, using
  multiple sources of increasingly complex
  information.

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Consultation Feedback

• Geography has generally been seen to be in a good
  place
• Some suggestions for reordering content
• Clear need for exemplification alongside the
  curriculum
• Climate change
• July 2nd drafts to be published (TBC)

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Implications 1

• Potential to strengthen geographical knowledge,
  understanding and skills of pupils at Y6 7
  transition
• But primary colleagues will need subject
  knowledge and pedagogical support
• Explicit fieldwork ( reduced HS red tape)
• Convincing SMT teams
• (Transition through fieldwork)

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Implications 2

• GIS in Key Stage 3
• Using GIS technologies (not just Google Earth)
• Setting case studies in a locational
  (geographical) content
• Not just a series of seemingly unconnected case
  studies

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Implications 3

• Strengthening physical processes
• What I now have to teach about glaciers and
  soils!
• The what not the how
• It is a teacher, not content, that makes a lesson
  boring or interesting

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Implications 4

• Teacher choice over breadth, depth and range
• But pressures on KS3
• Written as a full 3 year course
• Preparation for GCSE
• Consultations proposed in June for GCSE content
  (for first teaching in 2015)
• Likely greater prescription in criteria, CA?

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RGS-IBG what support is available

• Online education resources
• CPD including GIS and Fieldwork
• Professional accreditation. FRGS, CGeog
• Promoting further study and careers with
  geography
• The home of geography
• www.rgs.org/schools

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The most important resource?

• No one forgets a good (geography) teacher. I
  didnt
• Mr Faulkner Mr (John) Benson
• William Farr CE Comp School, Welton
• Lincoln Christ Hospital School, Lincoln

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Thank you

• Steve Brace
• Head of Education Outdoor Learning
• S.brace_at_rgs.org