Geography Teaching Today

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

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Fact sheet: You are what you eat

This module has two aims: firstly to introduce younger students to the methodology of producing food. Where does their food, often processed and unrecognizable, actually come from?; secondly, to introduce students to some of the wide ranging topical issues related to food and food production.

This is, without doubt, a vast and complex topic which, at KS3, teachers can only scratch the surface of, but in doing so they will provide a background for further study at GCSE and beyond. For those studying geography only at KS3, this topic raises awareness of issues which have local and global implications. Students can play an active part in shaping their future by having a better understanding of these complex and challenging food-related issues.

Where does food come from? Lesson 1 starts by looking at where our food actually comes from - who produces it and how. It asks students to think about what processed foods are made from, introduces students to the two principle types of farming and to the idea that the foods we eat in the UK comes from all over the world.

Hunger and malnutrition It is a distressing fact that the world produces more than enough food to feed the 6 billion plus people on planet earth and yet large numbers continue to be malnourished and in some cases starve. How is this possible in the 21st century? Lesson 2 aims to tackle this difficult and emotive topic through exploring both the causes of malnutrition and where the problem of undernourishment is most severe.

Importing and exporting food Lesson 3 looks at the issues around rich counties importing food from poorer, less economically developed countries. In recent times the media has made much of the fact that in the UK and other similar countries, we now depend for much of our food on farms in developing countries such as Kenya, Chile and Vietnam. A study of this issue raises a number of dilemmas ranging from using land in poorer countries to feed us rather than the people living there, through to increasing ‘food air miles' which threaten to exacerbate the global climate change problem. As with so many of these food issues, people are, in general, uncertain as to what to do for the best. Providing a better understanding will help the young students to make informed decisions as they grow up.

The government would like us to eat a healthy and balanced diet, and part of that process involves thinking about the type of food we eat. Lessons 4 and 5 relate to this but from very different angles.

Organic food vs intensive farming methods Lesson 4 looks at the value of growing food organically versus intensive farming methods which undoubtedly are needed to provide sufficient food to feed a growing population. It considers the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Plenty more fish in the sea? Lesson 6 looks at the oceans where fish stocks are dwindling fast due to over-fishing on a massive scale; we currently have enough fishing capacity in the world to fish the equivalent of four planet earths! It asks the question ‘should we ban all fishing or should we rely instead on moving to a system of farming fish?'. There are no easy answers but part of the solution to both these issues lies with consumers and students need to be in a position where they can play their part. Much of this work is about ‘possible', ‘probable' and ‘preferable' futures.

Biofuels - a green option? Lesson 6 takes a hot topic which is likely to remain in the news for some considerable time to come: biofuels. These were seen by some as the saviour of a world dominated by fossil fuels, a chance to get away from resources which were finite and close to running out, controlled by a minority of countries and which were polluting our planet and leading to global climate change. As farmers across the world were encouraged by government initiatives to grow these biofuels, it was quickly realised that it was all going horribly wrong. The recent rapid increase in basic food prices for staples such as rice and wheat were at least partly attributable to growing demand for biofuels. This has lead to increased hunger and riots in some parts of the world. Additionally, in the rush to produce palm oil and other valuable biofuels, countries in parts of SE Asia and elsewhere, set out to clear some of the few remaining rainforests and other precious habitats. Now, no one knows how to stop a process that was started with good intentions but is leading to all sorts of unforeseen consequences for the world.

Rising food prices Lesson 7 looks at the impact of rising global food prices and how this impacts in different ways in various ways in different countries across the world. The module provides opportunities to focus on particular places such as the UK, Kenya and Indonesia but also deals with global issues. It demonstrates the importance of understanding how we live in world where interdependence is a vital concept - everything we do as individuals and as a country has an impact on other countries and on the world. There are many examples of how our human actions impact on the natural environment and that sustainable development, whilst a laudable goal, is extremely difficult in practice to achieve. Finally, the module demonstrates that people's values and attitudes do vary across the world and as such, have a powerful influence on the issues that we are confronting on a daily basis.

Focus on key concepts:

Place, Space and Scale
Interdependence
Environmental Interaction and Sustainable Development
Cultural Understanding and Diversity

UK Government food report 2008

Weblinks

FAO Food Price Data
http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/wfs-home/en/

OneWorld Food Guide
http://uk.oneworld.net/guides/food

Guardian - Food Issues
http://www.guardian.co.uk/foodissues  

Action Against Hunger
http://www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk  

Guardian - organic food debate
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/30/organic-food-nutritional-value  
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/02/organics-food

Biofuels
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/21/biofuels.alternativeenergy
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2004/11/23/feeding-cars-not-people/

Oil Palm Schemes in SE Asia
http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0425-oil_palm.html

Oil Palm and Biofuels Debate
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6099

Oil Palm - food or fuel?
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2214

Palm Oil Fact Sheet
http://www.rspo.org/resource_centre/Factsheet-RSPO-AboutPalmOil.pdf  

Biofuels Fact Sheet
http://www.rspo.org/resource_centre/Factsheet-RSPO-BiofuelsPosition.pdf

Oil for Ape Scandal (Friends of the Earth)
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/oil_for_ape_summary.pdf

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Download the module overview

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Fact sheet: Geography and Science

The purpose of this module is to explore some of the links between the disciplines of geography and science through three topical flashpoints: Swine Flu, the Sichuan Earthquake (2008) and climate change with particular reference to flooding in London. These lessons can be taught as a unit, can provide useful stand alone lessons and also complement and link with other modules on this website including Changing Climate, Risky World and Are You Flood Ready?

This module begins with students considering what geographical flashpoints are by using three factfiles and how these can involve both geography and science interlinkages. Students then move onto considering each of the flashpoints in turn. Beginning with Swine Flu, students have an opportunity to study the global distribution of Swine Flu to gain an appreciation of the scale of the pandemic. In order to gain a more balanced view of the disease, students complete a critique of a variety of media portrayals of the pandemic.

Following this, the Sichuan Earthquake (2008) is examined. This earthquake, which is on a more local scale, is compared to the Tangshan Earthquake (1979) to reflect on whether lessons have been learnt. Students focus on preparedness and building construction in earthquake zones, recognising the impact that poor building can have on lives lost. Students have an opportunity to study this case study in detail as well as thinking for themselves in terms of the recommendations they produce.

Climate change is the third flashpoint studied. In the first of two lessons, students develop their I.C.T. skills in producing an annotated map of the global impacts of climate change to gain a global spatial perspective of this third flashpoint. In the second lesson, students take part in a group decision making activity based on the film "Mission Impossible." This activity can help students to gain an understanding of the local scale of climate change and possible mitigation strategies required to reduce its impact.

The three flashpoints are brought together again in the final lesson of this module, where students consider the problems or impacts associated with pandemics, earthquakes and climate change and attempt to find possible solutions to reduce their impact.

Focus on Key Concepts:

Scale
Place
Human processes
Physical processes

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

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Download Factsheet: Geography: The Language of Europe

This is a cross-curricular module which introduces aspects of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) into the geographical study of places and processes in Europe. Teaching and learning throughout the module focus on a range of geographical themes that are investigated through case studies of countries that form part of the European Union (EU). In addition, each of the seven lessons within the module includes a starter activity which introduces students to some relevant key terms in the language of the country being studied.

The first lesson of the unit focuses on the European Union as a whole. It locates - spatially and temporally - the 27 countries that form this organisation, and considers the broad aims of the EU from which the geographical themes for the remainder of the module are drawn.

The first case study, introduced in lesson two, is that of Poland, a country which joined the EU during a time of major expansion in 2004. The implications of the EU policy of the free movement of citizens between countries for the purposes of work and residence are explored in this lesson through economic migration from Poland (and other ‘new' EU countries) to the UK.

The third lesson investigates levels of crime in the EU through the case study of ‘hate crime' in France. This lesson links to the ‘security and justice' policy of the EU, that all citizens have the right to feel safe and secure from crime. Students compare crime levels in several countries before researching incidences of hate crime in France. The lesson ends with a discussion about what can be done to help to reduce and prevent crime across the EU.

In complete contrast, the following lesson introduces the notion of renewable energy - a top priority for EU environmental policy. The case study here is of an offshore wind farm in Germany, the Alpha-Ventus project. Students undertake research to outline the advantages and disadvantages of this form of energy production, leading to a wider discussion around options for renewable energy and the reduction of our energy consumption.

Lesson five moves to Spain, where the social, economic and environmental implications of EU trade and citizenship policies are studied through the example of strawberry production. Many students will be familiar with the year-round availability of strawberries in our supermarkets (many of which come from Spain), but the case study is a thought-provoking look at the implications of this convenience for a World Heritage Site in southern Spain.

The penultimate lesson of the module examines the topic of tourism - frequently studied in KS3 geography lessons, but not often using the case study of Bulgaria. The free movement of EU citizens has had positive implications for many countries' tourism industries, and here the focus is on the opportunities for ‘alternative' tourism experiences for visitors to one of the newest members of the EU community.

Finally, the issue of natural hazards is raised through the case study of Mount Vesuvius in Italy. For people who live in the vicinity of what is considered the world's most dangerous volcano, difficult decisions need to be made as to whether to relocate away from danger or to stay in an otherwise attractive location. Students engage in this dilemma, putting themselves in the shoes of residents of the ‘zona rossa' and justifying the decision(s) they would make.

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Download the module overview

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Fact Sheet: Our Place in History

This cross-curricular unit links geographical and historical study to enable students to research, understand and develop an affinity with the history of their local area. Focussing heavily on the key geographical concepts of place and space, the unit investigates both temporal and spatial change, and encourages students to identify their own place within the geography and history of their local area.

In the first lesson, the key terms ‘local' and ‘history' are defined, and the scene is set through a discussion of the sources of information and evidence that are available for investigation into local history. Students also take preliminary steps towards finding out about their local area through a comparison between historical texts and their own present day experiences.

Employing a range of techniques for graphicacy and visual literacy, lesson two introduces the importance of population studies over time as a tool for both geographical and historical investigation. Students engage in a ‘living graph' activity to physically recreate population change in their local area and consider the reasons for such change. There is also the opportunity in this lesson to invite a local person to deliver an oral history to the class, documenting their personal experiences of change in the local area.

Following on from the study of population change over time, lesson three focuses on the changing physical size of the local settlement. Students employ map skills to compare historical and current maps of their site, and elements of archaeological study are introduced as one way of explaining both the naming and the siting of present day settlements. This lesson also gives students the opportunity to develop their GIS skills through a Google Earth based activity.

Lesson four introduces further cross-curricular links, through the study of religious buildings in the local area, and the input that these can make to geographical and historical learning. Depending on the scale and location of the settlement in question, study can be made of a single or multiple buildings, with the possibility of encompassing a range of different religions and the specific roles of these buildings within the community historically, currently and into the future.

In lesson five the focus of the unit is narrowed to the immediate vicinity of the school. Students compare their experiences of school life with those of children at the end of the 19th Century. There is the opportunity to experience some of the subjects and types of activities that were popular in Victorian times, and then to investigate the history of their school - however long or short that might be.

As an optional extra, lesson six sets out a fieldwork investigation that can be undertaken in the local area, if time and circumstances allow. The key elements of the unit thus far are supported with primary and secondary data collection in the field.

To end the unit, students investigate their personal place in the history and geography of their local area, and draw on their knowledge and understanding from the entire unit to design a mural to encapsulate the physical, social and cultural changes that have occurred within their community.

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

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Fact Sheet: Mapping Festivals

This module develops students' map skills through the contemporary topic of Music Festivals. By providing a thematic approach to the teaching of map skills, students are able to develop a variety of map skills as well as using maps to explore wider issues in relation to festivals, such as environmental impacts and flooding. Students can engage with maps on a wide range of scales from different sources including Google Earth, Google Maps and Ordnance Survey, developing and building on their map interpretation skills. This module also provides opportunities for decision making, group work and engagement with a variety of relevant, on-line resources.

‘The Geography of Glastonbury' In the first lesson of the module, students consider the key terms ‘site' and ‘situation' in relation to Glastonbury's location by interpreting a variety of maps at different scales. Through these activities students can gain an appreciation of different scales of maps and links between them as well as the appropriate use of key Geographical vocabulary.

‘Glastonbury tour' The second lesson provides an ‘enquiry-based' approach to map skills. As ‘Info-Man', students gain skills in route descriptions, measuring distance, giving directions, interpreting map symbols and understanding relief information by replying to an email enquiry. This helps students to gain a more ‘practical' appreciation of the physical and human characteristics of a place as well as developing their map skills using a more contemporary approach.

‘Explore the global festival scene' Glastonbury is not the only music festival globally. Within lesson three, students are able to gain a global perspective of music festivals by investigating other international music festivals using Google Earth and Google Maps. Students can gain skills in using these up-to-date resources to answer questions about a set of five international music festivals.

‘Greening Glastonbury' This lesson focuses on the impacts that a large scale event, such as Glastonbury, can have on the environment. Students also consider management measures which can be employed to create a more sustainable use of the environment and how environmental impacts may be reduced. Students use a range of skills; such as on-line research, map interpretation and decision making to gain understanding of the environmental impacts and sustainable management strategies in relation to a large scale event like Glastonbury.

‘Mud glorious mud!' There has been much publicity regarding flooding at festivals in recent years. Within this lesson, students can interpret photographs and empathise with people caught up in festival flooding. Tasks enable students to investigate and assess the flood risk, at selected festival sites, and produce a flood risk report by utilising the on-line flood maps and tools of the Environment Agency Website.

‘Design your own festival!' As a finale to the unit, students are able to utilise many of the skills, vocabulary and knowledge gained from previous lessons to design their own festival. Using decision making skills, students can decide on a suitable location for their festival considering site and situation factors as well as flood risk. Working in groups, students can design various aspects of festival organisation including ‘getting here', ‘going green', ‘what to see and do' and ‘flood risk'. Activities can be differentiated and there is the opportunity to develop the activities into a project if desired.

Focus on Key Concepts:
Place
Space
Scale
Physical and human processes
Geographical enquiry
Geographical and visual literacy
Geographical communication
Environmental interaction and sustainable development

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Download the module overview

Download the Module Plan

Fact Sheet: Glacial Environments

Purpose and key aspects of this unit

The purpose of this unit of work is to introduce students to a fascinating area of physical geography: glacial environments. In addition to the wealth of unique landforms that can be explored, glacial studies are important in other ways. As climate change drives melting, a reduction in world-wide ice cover is set to severely impact on many places. Lives of people in non-glacial areas - including the UK - may be radically altered on account of vanishing ice. Glacial environments have become one of the most highly relevant physical domains for school pupils to learn about.

The unit commences by asking where in the world ice can be found. Different scales of ice cover exist, from the valley glaciers of Italy to the Antarctic ice sheet. Students will explore how ice grows and why the total amount of ice on planet earth has changed over time. The important link between ice cover and sea-levels should be highlighted early on, so that any initial misconception that ‘glaciers have nothing to do with me' is quickly dispelled! The mystery of why all of the world's glaciers are now retreating will be investigated and key links with global warming outlined.

The themes of interdependence and environmental interaction are then introduced as students examine positive ways in which glaciers impact on human lives - as well as hazardous ones. The vital role that melt-water plays in delivering fresh water in South America and Asia can be placed alongside the economic benefits that skiing, snow-boarding and other forms of ice tourism bring to countries at varying levels of economic development. The risk that avalanches bring to tourists is also highlighted. Remembering that glaciers are now starting to vanish, pupils should question whether human uses of glaciers are sustainable in the long term.

Plenty of opportunities exist for process and landform studies to be made in the second half of the unit. Non-specialist teachers can easily tackle delivery of the landforms that are referred to. However, teachers with a specialism in physical geography may wish to extend this part of the unit. Fieldwork opportunities do of course exist, and areas such as the Lake District or Isle of Arran could be visited in order to witness the landforms that a previous retreat of ice has revealed. In the final two lessons, the impact of sea-level rise on (i) local homes and (ii) the world's most vulnerable people will be examined.

Intended outcomes

By the end of this unit students will:

• be able to describe the global distribution of ice and identify the places where most glaciers are found
• have developed a spatial awareness that very different sizes and scales of glacier exist
• recognise that the formation of ice depends on environmental (climatic) factors
• understand that these environmental factors are not constant and have changed over time for complex reasons
• have developed an awareness that human-induced climate change now threatens the long-term survival of glaciers everywhere
• be able to offer some explanation of how glaciated environments can bring diverse opportunities and challenges for people
• understand why the loss of the opportunities brought by glaciers - due to climate change - is a cause for global concern
• recognise the main landforms that are found in glaciated environments and be able to offer a description of them
• understand how processes shape glacial landforms and appreciate the differences between weathering, erosion and deposition
• recognise that what happens to glaciers in the future could have an impact on their own homes as a consequence of sea-level rise
• be able to categorise the diverse ways in which melting ice and sea-level rise could impact on their own home environment
• have developed their own opinions about whether more should be done to try and prevent melting ice from harming the world's most vulnerable peoples
• have been exposed to a variety of enquiry approaches (and perhaps have undertaken fieldwork investigation)
  

Key Resources

Film resources
Scenes from the 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth are referenced throughout this Unit. A copy was sent to all UK schools by DfES in May 2007 and should therefore be available for use in either geography or science department libraries.

Web resources
Discovering Antarctica http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/
National Geographic http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
Glaciers Online - http://www.swisseduc.ch/glaciers/
All about Glaciers http://nsidc.org/glaciers/
Sustainable Schools http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools/
Your climate, your life http://www.yourclimateyourlife.org.uk/
Mount McKinley http://www.geographyataltitude.co.uk/secondary.htm

Printed resources
Glacial studies are included in existing KS3 and GCSE text books and some material could be integrated into / adapted for this new SoW e.g.
Raw & Shaw (1999) Geography in Place 2, Chapter 2 (Collins)

Several back issues of National Geographic contain useful articles:

• July 2007 Iceman Murder Mystery
• June 2007 The Big Thaw
• September 2004 GeoSigns

National Geographic articles since 1996 are also available online, including many of the photographs used in the magazines:

• Iceman: http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0707/feature2/
• Big Thaw: http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0706/feature2/
• http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0706/feature2/gallery1.html
• GeoSigns: http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0409/feature2/

Main curriculum areas

Geography
This unit provides opportunities for pupils to:

• ask physical geographical questions
• identify distribution patterns and use atlases to locate places
• collect and present landform evidence for erosional and depositional processes
• explore inter-relationships between physical and human processes
• potentially enhance their learning experience through fieldwork

Pupils will be taught :

• seven key related areas of physical geography / human geography / environmental management
• where in the world the greatest risks of sea-level rise are faced
• that the UK and other places are interdependent, through an analysis of the impact that Greenland and Antarctic ice melting would have on British people

Science
This unit can enhance pupils' understanding of some key areas of science, including:

• awareness of planetary / solar scale movements e.g. the earth's orbit around the sun & sunspot activity
• system building (input and output relationships)

Citizenship
This unit will help pupils:

• think about what is happening to the physical environment in different parts of the world today as a result of glaciers melting and what it means to people in other countries
  

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Download the module overview

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Fact Sheet: The geography of conflict

This module introduces students to the topical issue of conflict, a concept that can be challenging to teach. A particular focus of the module is the extent to which conflict can influence, and be influenced by, geography. Through the study of historical and contemporary conflicts on a range of scales, each lesson encourages students to develop an awareness of the causes and impacts of conflict, and of the interconnectedness that results in links between conflict and their own lives.

‘Conflict today' In the first lesson of the module, students define and differentiate between the concepts of ‘conflict' and ‘war'. They consider the scale (local to global) and chronology (historic to current) of conflicts that have occurred across the world and over time, and are introduced to the idea that the pattern of conflict in the world today can be mapped.

‘The causes of conflict' The majority of conflicts result from a narrow range of causes. In this second lesson, students consider these causes and apply their knowledge of them to consideration of where and why conflicts might arise in the future. In addition, the issue of climate change is explored as a contemporary cause of conflict through the example of water resource shortages in Darfur, western Sudan.

‘The impact of conflict on geography' Conflict resulting from dispute over land or resource ownership can have a dramatic effect on world geography through the redefining of political boundaries. After the First World War, the map of Europe was redrawn following the Treaty of Versailles. In this lesson, students are asked to draw on their historical knowledge to consider the new geography of Europe that emerged at this time, before applying this to other conflicts which have had an impact on political boundaries.

‘The impact of geography on conflict' The physical geography of a place can have a major impact on conflict in terms of both the siting of defensive settlements and in battle. Its role was recognised in the victory of the Normans in the Battle of Hastings, and in more recent conflicts. Focusing on the case study of Iraq, this lesson encourages students to consider and explain the influence that the physical landscape can have on successful battle strategy.

‘The impact of conflict on development' This lesson focuses on Afghanistan. Using a list of suggested resources, students conduct an enquiry into the impact that the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan has had on the development of the country. They write up their results in the form of a report for the BBC News website, and participate in peer assessment of each other's work.

‘Conflict and me' The final lesson of this module encourages students to consider and explain the links between themselves and conflict in different parts of the world. These links may take a variety of forms, some of which may come as a surprise to the students, for example the supply of coltan for mobile phone manufacture from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Drawing on the knowledge they have acquired throughout the unit, students prepare a Google Earth presentation to visually demonstrate the links.

Focus on Key Concepts:
Place
Space
Scale
Interdependence
Physical and human processes
Cultural understanding and diversity

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Download the module overview

Download the Module Plan

Fact Sheet: Who do we think we are?

A cross-curricular unit linking Geography with Citizenship

The purpose of this module is to allow students to explore the concept of citizenship from a geographical perspective which is relevant, meaningful and inspiring. The main structure of the module is underpinned by the concept of scale. It encourages students to consider their identities on a range of scales through questioning, asking questions such as ‘Who am I?', ‘What is Britishness?', ‘What do landscapes mean to me?' and ‘Am I a global citizen?' The module has been designed to encourage students to talk about their personal geographies, to critically think about their place in the world and to become excited about the ever increasing diversities of the world around them.

‘Who am I?' In the first of six lessons, students ask themselves who they are and what makes them who they are. They start to explore ideas of identity and to recognise those factors that define an individual's identity. From here the scale broadens to consider the question, ‘Who do we think we are?' Students investigate their personal geographies; their role and identity in their local area and their relationship with other members of their community. Examples of diversity are presented to challenge stereotypes and to encourage discussion around integration and changing identity.

‘What is Britishness?' The controversial term "Britishness", often spoken about in the media, forms the focus for the second lesson of the module. Students are given the opportunity to express their own thoughts about what the term means, and to listen to the opinions of others. They then work together, in groups and as a class, to try to create a definition of the term "Britishness". Students are encouraged to voice their opinions and to justify and give reasons for their choices.

‘What do landscapes mean to me?' As well as exploring people, identity and our place in society, this Geography and Citizenship module addresses the relationship we have with our natural and manmade landscapes. Landscapes, particularly those in rural areas, can often be used to form stereotypical images of an area or country. In the third lesson of the module, students are challenged to express what landscapes mean to them and how they identify with different landscapes. They are asked to construct a map to represent their relationships with landscapes.

‘Am I a global citizen?' Expanding the scale from local to global, students spend the fourth lesson from the module investigating their role as global citizens. They consider how global disasters affect them and complete a decision making exercise, in groups, creating an emergency action plan to assist refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The module ends with two lessons entitled ‘Come into my world'. In these lessons, students use the information they have gathered throughout the module - alongside knowledge and understanding from elsewhere in the curriculum - to consider their place and role in the world on local to global scales. Students create a 60 second film clip entitled ‘Come into my world' to express their ideas.

During this module, and through a series of engaging and interactive activities that link elements of the Geography and Citizenship programmes of study, students are encouraged to think actively about their own place in the world. They will engage in critical thinking and discussion, during which they will need to acknowledge both the views of others and the nature of the world around them; the one in which they are both local and global citizens.

Focus on Key Concepts:
Place
Space
Scale
Interdependence
Physical and human processes
Cultural understanding and diversity

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Download module plan

Download module overview

Fact sheet: Flooding

This unit of work teaches resilience in the context of water and flooding. It delivers an understanding of awareness, preparedness and knowledge of what actions should be taken in the event of flooding; and of how changing physical and human processes bring about flooding in the first place. This unit nurtures vital skills for what might be termed "environmental citizenship", giving life-long advice about the protection of homes - and the need to always keep an open and inquiring mind that can identify risk.

The first half of the unit deals with flood risk in the UK - a key aspect of life on these islands. Basic Environmental Agency rules for adults (be aware, be prepared, know how to act) are looked at. The causes of flooding are then examined, including human accidents (plumbing). As part of the work, a local risk assessment should be conducted for home or school, using the engaging technique of flood-depth analysis - working out what losses different levels of water could bring to a room or building!

The second half of the unit returns to the theme of resilience and explores in greater depth the steps that students' parents or guardians can take in protecting their homes from possible flood or storm damage. Flood kits and flood-proofing techniques are examined before moving on to think about flood warnings. A close look is taken here at how new digital technologies can help get warnings to people quickly. There are plenty of opportunities for role playing also, through thinking about vulnerable people, such as the hard-of-hearing, for whom text message warnings have been a real blessing. Greater cultural understanding is fostered.

The unit closes with a look at the interdependence that exists between different groups of people and businesses living on flood plains. Using the metaphor of "river team players", students will think about how local groups can work together to try and build community resilience to flooding (becoming sensitive to the risks associated with some land-use changes). Attention is thus paid to the citizenship dimensions of flood management.

This is a busy, interactive and inspiring unit of work that teaches plenty of traditional physical geography yet also delivers vital knowledge to young learners that will well-equip them for life.

Key concepts:
Place
Environmental interaction
Scale
Sustainable development
Physical processes
Human processes
Cultural understanding and diversity
Interdependence

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Download module plan

Download module overview

Factsheet: The geography of my stuff

This unit of work focuses upon the interconnections and inter-relationships that link teenage consumers living in the UK with societies and environments overseas (where the goods they purchase are made). As well as explaining how these connections work - and why they have come into being - the unit introduces students for the first time to some of the moral, ethical and environmental issues that are associated with the global trade in consumer goods (including child labour and food miles). Plenty of hands-on examples and case studies are provided that will help teachers deliver these themes in an accessible and interactive way. Additionally, there is important groundwork here to pave the way to GCSE: students will gain a first impression of some key ideas relating to retail land use (from convenience stores to retail parks).

The first lesson introduces students to the idea of global supply chains or networks (although these term are not explicitly used). Referencing a variety of ‘stuff' (from laptop computers to Hip-Hop music), the global ingredients of consumer products are recorded and mapped. Following on from this, an investigation is undertaken into why consumerism - especially amongst teenagers - has grown so much in recent decades and why such complex supply chains now exist to help feed demand in countries like the UK. The first two lessons also provide space for two issues to be explored, namely (i) the concept of food miles (ii) the extent to which we make free choices as consumers or are manipulated by advertisers and the media.

The middle part of the unit looks at the places and spaces where stuff is bought and consumed. Firstly, an analysis is undertaken of the different kinds of retail environment found in the UK and the advantages and disadvantages that these bring to local societies and environments. Following on from this, online retailing (virtual spaces of consumption) is put under the spotlight. Music downloads, online ordering of consumer goods and virtual chat rooms are all looked at, both in terms of the new risks that they bring to consumers and the impact that they are having on ‘real' geography and space.

The last two lessons of the unit deal with big issues. Firstly, the existence of child labour in poor countries is shown to be part of the ‘bigger picture' of manufacturing of toys and goods for western markets. Reasons for the use of overseas labour - including children - are explored, as well as prospects for change. Secondly, the environmental and social impacts of global trade - all of the stuff that is being moved around from place to place, especially at times of year like Christmas and Easter- are investigated and strategies for action (recycle, re-use, refuse & replace) assessed.

Focus on key concepts:
Cultural understanding and diversity
Space
Interdependence
Environmental interaction
Place
Human processes

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

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Fact sheet: Population

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This unit of work explores important demographic themes. It focuses on the trend of rising life expectancy and the geographical patterns this produces at both global and local levels. Reasons for longer life are explored, as are the issues raised by society having an ever-increasing proportion of older people. Possible futures - if current trends continue - are also looked at. In addition to the challenges that society faces, the contribution that older people make is recognised - including celebrity pensioners!

The tight focus on life expectancy means that this self-contained unit can complement population work at GCSE without exhausting all of the themes that will be studied at KS4. Moreover, the important issues addressed here - notably the role that young people may face as carers and the challenges they may themselves face one day - could make this a vital demographic-geographic unit for children to follow at KS3.

The upkeep of a weekly "Risk Diary" is a particularly engaging element of the module. The geographical imagination of learners will develop as they are encouraged to keep a note-book that documents all of the rules and regulations operating in their local environment whose aim it is to help keep people safe and well and living to a ripe old age - from traffic lights to food packaging labels!

Focus on Key Concepts:
Place
Scale
Cultural Understanding and Diversity
Human Processes
Interdependence

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

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Fact sheet: Changing faces, shaping places

This module focuses on the theme of migration, the permanent or semi-permanent change of a person's place of residence - or simply, the movement of people from one place to another. Over the past few years, migration has become a ‘hot topic' in national and international arenas, and is frequently contested in politics and the media. The process of migration can have a key influence on social, economic and political geographies and this module aims to address some of the issues on a range of scales, both spatial and temporal. It also aims to clarify the differences between groups of migrants and to challenge some of the stereotypes that students may encounter in the media and the home.

The first lesson of the unit, Have I got news for you? begins this process by considering the different ways that migration is reported in the media. Students discuss a range of headlines and challenge the images of migration and migrant groups that are portrayed in different areas of the media. There is then the opportunity for the teacher to select how the lesson proceeds, depending on particular issues that might have arisen within the school's local community. Students can either debate the pros and cons of having an open-border policy on migration, or look at the implications of migration for communities and how community cohesion can be promoted.

The focus of the module then shifts for the next three lessons to consider the different reasons why people might choose - or be forced - to migrate. In lesson two, Moving for money, case studies of economic migration are introduced - first a historic look at the migration of Turks to Germany following the Second World Way, then a focus on recent economic migrations to the UK resulting from the expansion of the European Union. Lesson three, Leaving for lifestyle, considers the movement of British citizens - specifically those of retirement age - out of the UK in search of a better quality of life. The destination of Southern Spain is studied as an example. In lesson four, Is there a choice?, students develop their understanding of what it means to be an asylum seeker - again challenging some prominent misconceptions. They look at the case study of Darfur in The Sudan and investigate the reasons why people are being forced to leave this region.

Lesson five, How has our local area been shaped by migration?, again presents teachers with a choice. There is the opportunity to conduct a piece of local fieldwork to investigate how the local area has been shaped by migration: culturally, socially and economically. Students also consider whether particular groups of people might feel included or excluded by the services and provisions on offer in the local community. If fieldwork is not possible, an alternative, classroom-based approach is suggested in which students use GOAD plans of the local area (or use the example provided) to investigate the same issues.

Finally, the module ends with a focus on the students themselves and patterns of migration that have occurred during their family history. This lesson, Who do you think you are?, enables the class to concentrate on their own contributions to processes of migration, and to consider whether the patterns revealed in their class are representative of those occurring throughout the UK.

Focus on key concepts:
Place
Space
Scale
Interdependence
Human Processes
Cutural understanding and diversity

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

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Fact Sheet: Africa 

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the huge variation in geography that exists within the complex continent of Africa. Whilst providing a framework for young people to understand what is going on in the continent, the aim of each lesson is to involve them in the lives of people living in Africa, rather than just looking at the continent from the outside. Ultimately, students will learn that improving people's lives in a continent that is often perceived to be a ‘hopeless case' is dependent on a range of physical and human factors both within the individual countries, across the continent and on an international scale.

The module begins with a lesson on the scale and diversity of Africa, setting the continent within its global context and exploring the range of climates, environments, landscapes, populations and cultures that exist within its 53 countries. Common misconceptions of Africa are explored in the second lesson, through a range of activities which again highlight the wide diversity of opportunities, challenges and life styles.

The main body of the module focuses on a comparison between two contrasting countries in Africa: Sudan and Ghana. Students learn about the long-running but recently resolved civil war in Sudan and the impact of this on the lives of the population, before looking to the future and considering a range of options for the social and economic development of the country. In contrast, Ghana is a country which can be considered to have a successful economy, in spite of problems and challenges. It has made progress and improved the lives of the majority of the population in recent years. Students explore Ghana's export economy and consider the impact of educational improvements for the future of the country.

Finally, the module raises the question of the positive and negative impacts that new technologies can bring to people living in developing countries. The benefits that ownership of mobile phones can bring to the Masai cattle herders of Kenya are contrasted with the growing and dangerous industries to process and recycle our electronic waste.

This is a complex module for this young age group, but while it is difficult to teach a unit on Africa in such a small number of lessons, it is hoped that teachers will draw on the resources available and extend the ideas to suit the requirements of their curriculum and those of the students within their classes.

Focus on key concepts:
Place
Space
Scale
Physical and human processes
Diversity

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Planning for the new Key Stage 3 geography curriculum is taking place now and will continue throughout 2008 to 2010 as most teachers adapt their curriculum in a staged process e.g. Year 7 during 2007-2008, Year 8 in 2008-2009 and Year 9 in 2009-2010.

This short module is a suggestion for greater involvement of students with the curriculum making process. One strategy is through making opportunities in geography lessons for students to interact with aspects of the curriculum document itself.

Curriculum documents can be found at the new National Curriculum website and National Curriculum Geography key stage 3

Working with and responding to students' understanding of the curriculum document is just one example of more active student participation in curriculum making. In many schools, there are good examples of effective participation by students within geography departments - the key to such effective participation is where teachers have created opportunities and time for student involvement to move from a passive to more active role in aspects of the department's planning and development.

The ideas presented here originate from a South Gloucestershire geography one-day conference held at the University of the West of England in July 2007 where secondary geography teachers and Key Stage 3 students came together to discuss their interpretations of what the new geography curriculum meant for them.

The session was led by Mark Jones PGCE Secondary Geography Tutor
University of the West of England, Bristol.

1. Why involve students in making the curriculum?
2. How can we work with the ‘Importance of Geography’ statement?
3. How can we work with the ‘Key Concepts’?

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The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Download the module overview

Download the module plan

Factsheet: China

The world is changing China and China is changing the world. China is in the media today, as it is almost every day, dominating the world news and analysis in a way which it has not done in living memory. It is the world's fastest growing country - by 2040 China is expected to be the largest economy in the world, with India second and place and the US in 3rd place. The country has transformed itself and its role in the world at great pace and there are few signs of a slow down in the social, economic and environmental change. Express economic development continues to give rise to huge advances in living standards for some Chinese but the benefits of new wealth are starkly uneven in a country where 250 million Chinese people still live on less than US$1 a day.

Our lives are increasingly interdependent with China as it re-emerges as a new ‘superpower'. This interconnectedness is evident in daily life from the stuff we buy in the shops to turning on the Olympics in Beijing to watch a favourite sports star. ‘Made in China' has become the moniker of low cost consumer goods such as clothing, snapped up by UK and EU consumers, and for whom the cost has fallen to about 70% in 10 years, as China's share of the global clothing market has risen from 10% to 25%.

Geographers are used to studying economic flows that feature Asian labour forces as producers of goods. However, enough wealth has trickled-down from this process to make increasing numbers of the Chinese workforce important consumers of goods too. With 1.3 billion potential customers in China no wonder western corporations from Burger King to B&Q are falling over themselves to establish a presence in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Beijing and Shanghai are just two famous cities in China but Chinese cities are growing in number and scale. The rate of city growth is dramatic. At the same time, there has actually been a rise in rural poverty. Young people, especially those in the cities, are increasingly interested in sports such as basketball and football rather than the traditional Chinese games of table tennis and badminton. But for the majority of Chinese who live in rural areas life has changed little from the subsistence agriculture they have practiced for hundreds of years.

No nation of China's size has ever attempted to industrialise before: can nearly one and a half billion actually be supported, as they start to become greater consumers of resources? Will China eventually be able to support its vast population at a level of comfort equivalent to Europe and North American? Will imports of food and other resources become more necessary as time passes? Who will provide these ‘imports'? Sustainable development and the impact of growth and development on the national and global environment will be key. Whatever happens, development in China will have profound implications for other nations due to the highly interdependent nature of the global economy.

This module focuses on: trade e.g. increases in exports, with China already the world's third-largest trading entity; consumption e.g.difficulties over the sustainability of China's resource-intensive path of development and growing numbers of affeluent consumers; migration e.g. a rapidly urbanising nation to have a much bigger ecological footprint; population - e.g. is China's changing population as a resource or a curse.

Focus on Key Concepts:
Place
Scale
Interdependence
Cultural Understanding and Diversity

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

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Fact Sheet: Climate Change

The purpose of this module is to explore the climates of today and predict the climates of the future. The focus of the module is how and why climates change, what the impacts of this change might be, and how we can behave sustainably to limit the impacts of global warming.

Climate change is a well publicised issue, and there are many contrasting theories around the topic. The module introduces ideas about why climate change occurs, and the impact this can have on various locations throughout the world. Students are encouraged to think about place and understand the physical characteristics that cause differing climates, and through this they also learn about the physical processes associated with extreme weather conditions and how humans have adapted their lives to minimise the impact of these events.

The module moves on to cover ideas of scale, looking at local, national and international impacts on our climate. Students will be introduced to ideas of interdependence, and will explore the environmental and economic connections between places.

Sustainability and looking towards the future are discussed in the final two lessons, where students are asked to look at climate predictions written by experts in order to decide which areas of the world are likely to be most affected by climate change. Cultural understanding and diversity are touched upon here, with students considering the implications of changing actions on a variety of different countries.

Focus on key concepts:
Place
Physical and Human Processes
Cultural Understanding and Diversity
Scale
Interdependence
Environmental Interaction and Sustainable Development

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Download the module overview

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This module explores how human activity can create or change places that can be considered to be "impossible". It may be that the physical or natural environment cannot supply new demands of uncontrolled urban development. It could be that human innovation has created the means to enable and make possible new development in places unthinkable before. The activities of people themselves may make a place untenable for future generations or to continue to live in safely. Sometimes access to a place is made ‘impossible", quite deliberately, so that a particular activity or activities can take place away from the public gaze or to be exclusive to one particular group of people.

The revised KS3 specification requires that pupils study "real" places. The first lesson in this module questions the concept of a "real" place and gets students to consider a definition of "sense of place". They consider the view that Las Vegas is an "impossible place" and which features, in fact, make a place "real". After understanding what ‘sense of place' means, there is an opportunity for students to carry out local fieldwork by investigating whether or not their local area has a strong identity or is a clone town through a survey.

Engineering projects are often about making the impossible possible and the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a glass bridge that allows visitors to do the impossible like ‘walk the path of an eagle' and ‘become surrounded by the Grand Canyon" is no exception. Suspended more than a kilometre above the Colorado River and able to withstand a magnitude 8.0 earthquake. In the second lesson student explore whether this development could be a step too far.

After the excursion to the Grand Canyon we return to Las Vegas to consider how rapid urban sprawl has increased demands on the city's water supply and investigate the problems of water supply and consumption in the city and how residents might conserve water through "xeriscaping" or dry landscaping.

The next two lesson focus on Dubai and its future ‘sustainability'. Students investigate the reasons for the construction boom in Dubai and understand the human issues behind the rapid development of the city. Defying possibility, an artificial archipelago of 300 islands, ‘The World', is being built off the Dubai coast. Students consider the relative importance of different environmental issues in Dubai and go on to design environmentally friendly fantasy architecture, based on an actual location in Dubai.

The last lesson in this module is inspired by the "The importance of geography" statement in the revised Programme of Study. There is a strong element of Citizenship, especially in the plenary and extension. Human activities have made some parts of the planet uninhabitable. Some places are restricted because of past or present military activities. Places may also be ‘forbidden' for cultural, political or environmental reasons.

Students undertake independent research into forbidden places using web based tools. They complete a short project and respond creatively to their chosen location. Finally they consider the nature of forbidden places in their local area.

Key Concepts:
Place
Environmental Interaction and Sustainable Development
Cultural Understanding and Diversity

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

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Fact sheet: Global Tourism

This module is about tourism in contemporary Thailand. It focuses on the physical and human processes that make Thailand an increasingly popular place for tourists to visit; how tourism affects environmental interaction and sustainable development and the interdependent nature of an industry that increasingly relies on other countries, near and far, to supply its workforce and to widen its markets. One consequence of this interdependence may an affect on cultural understanding and diversity both positive and negative.

The scaffold of this module is based loosely on that of popular the American TV series "LOST". The module starts with a group of passengers seated together on a plane all heading somewhere, in this case, Thailand. Students discover why they are going to Thailand and choose a suitable destination for them. Each of the subsequent lessons then focuses on one or two of these characters as we learn more about them.

First, students look at what the passengers are expecting form the climate in Thailand and are encouraged to advise them on a more suitable destination or time of year for visiting. Next students plan a tour around downtown Bangkok for a family and understand some of the transport issues in this sprawling city.

Russian tourists (a relatively new inbound market for Thailand) in Phuket are the next focus. Students work out who is working in the tourism sector in this busy resort. Particularly after Phuket was devastated by the tsunami of the 2004, migrant workers from Myanmar (Burma) are working for tourism. Students learn why even health workers are now working for tourism; one passenger has chosen Bangkok for surgery, as ‘medical tourism' is a growing segment of tourism in Thailand.

The module then focuses on a gap year student and a honeymoon couple enjoying Ko Phi Phi to explore the development of these islands, how they have changed, the pressure on them and what, if any, sustainble future they have.

Lastly students consider the possible social and cultural effects of tourism in Thailand and some of the ethical issues and responsibilities associated with visiting another country and culture. Students decide whether one character in this module should go and visit a hill tribe in north western Thailand.

Key Concepts:
Interdependence
Environmental Interaction and Sustainable Development
Cultural Understanding and Diversity

The KS3 Resources strand of the Action Plan for Geography is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

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Fact Sheet: Arctic Environments

Fact Sheet: Coastal stacks

Fact Sheet: Desert processes and Death Valley

The purpose of this module is to stimulate an interest in and a sense of wonder about places. As the module name suggests, the main emphasis is the key concept of place, developing students’ ‘geographical imaginations’ of places at a variety of scales and understanding the physical and human characteristics of them. The key concept of space, knowing where places and landscapes studied are located and why they are there - in terms the physical and human processes that have created, changed and sustained them - is a concomitant to any study of place.

Most of the places featured in this module are in extreme environments, places where human impact has been limited so far. The module begins in the Arctic. Svalbard is a place with an awesome landscape and unique geography that includes issues and themes of global, regional and local importance. Svalbard exemplifies the distinctive physical and human characteristics of the Arctic which have been represented in many ways, including in art and literature which may have influenced students’ own ‘geographical imaginations’ of this place. One such influence may be the novel ‘Northern Lights’ (known as the film ‘The Golden Compass’) and this is a hook into to the second lesson which focuses on glacial features of the region.

Moving extremes, from one of the coldest to one of the hottest places in the world – Death Valley - students are asked to solve the mystery of the sliding rocks of the Racetrack Playa, a unique and bizarre phenomenon, thought to be caused by Aeolian processes.

The next ‘fantastic’ place students visit is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world. The focus is on the sustainable management of Stonehenge, a major international tourist attraction in need of environmental quality improvements.

Off the beaten track for tourists but a magnet for the ultimate extreme climber is the ‘Totem Pole’, a stunning sea stack teetering on the coast of Tasmania and the next place on the ‘tour’. Students understand why the ‘Totem Pole’ is considered a ‘fantastic place’ by climbers and explain the formation of sea stacks.

The module ends with a gratuitous ‘awe and wonder’ lesson to show that places can be fantastic when viewed at other scales, particularly from space. This lesson could also be linked to the rest of the physical geography in the module. For example, rivers, coasts, glaciers or deserts when viewed by satellites can not only be visually spectacular but also geographically informative helping students to create new interpretations of place, space and process.

Focus on Key Concepts:
Place
Space
Physical and human processes

Starting with the local area and looking at neighbourhood statistics pupils compare their level of risk of being a victim of crime or being involved in an accident compared to regional of national figures. The students may already have personal experiences of these which they can discuss or map. The module then puts this into global perspective by looking at how mortality risk is distributed globally. These spatial patterns, distributions can be described, analysed and often explained by reference to social, economic, environmental and political processes. In some areas of the world people are exposed to greater risk or are more vulnerable to risks than others owing to a combination of these processes. For example, large populations in parts of Asia are most at risk from cyclones and storm surges owing to climate change and rising seas.  The future aspect of climate change and understanding that the physical and human dimensions of the environment are interdependent through environmental interaction and sustainable development is essential in helping students to understand the need to participate in informed and responsible action to mitigate against these risks as global citizens.

Zooming back to the national scale and with particular reference to the recent and widespread fluvial flooding experienced, the UK is considered as a risky place. Students consider the causes, effects and whether they are at risk in the future. New Orleans has long been known to be at high risk of devastation by hurricanes but when Katrina hit some people believe poor management of the risk led to some vulnerable groups being affected much worse than others.

Carrying on the theme of hazard risk management through the module students then consider whether much larger scale events with international impacts such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami could be managed more effectively. The module ends by considering why populations of countries at different states of development are disproportionately at risk and why within countries certain vulnerable groups are often most at risk form natural and human events.

Focus on Key Concepts:
Place
Space
Scale
Environmental Interaction and sustainable development
Human and Physical Processes

I found that the pupils responded really well to the episodes within the lesson, showing themselves to be more sporty that I first thought! The clip from the bid is excellent in demonstrating some of the aims of the Olympics and they really enjoyed talking about the different elements of the diamond 9 exercise.

We didn't have time to do the 'value for money' episode but I'll use that in lesson 2.

Google Earth is also very useful to map the locations of different events and we're coming up with some interesing ideas for a final piece of work.

Thank you!!" Amy from Bristol