Geographical Association

Here is a selection of materials from various Lectures and Teacher-to-Teacher sessions held at our 2005 Annual Conference. A photo report from the Conference can be downloaded here.

Professor Simon Catling
This ‘lecture plus’ outlined key aspects of younger children’s understanding of places and environmental matters and issues. Some aspects may be well grounded, others will be partial and some may be misconceived. It is this knowledge and awareness that is the basis for children’s learning in primary geography.

Download: Conference Paper
Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Dr Phil Gravestock
The social model of disability considers that people are disabled by the actions of others. This lecture looked at ways in which inclusive learning and teaching strategies can be used to reduce, or remove, the ‘disability’ facing some students. Case studies were used to demonstrate effective practice.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Nicole Lyons
This session described a Year 9 scheme of work about England’s National Identity. It introduced the concept that towns such as Mansfield (consisting largely of white, English, heterosexual, working-class, male dominated families) are no longer typical, and investigated what today’s England is actually like.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation
Download: Worksheet

Alison Chilvers
Alison Chilvers described how GEsource can support FE learning through a range of free services, including: Subject Packs presenting the best of the Web for specific curriculum topics; the World Guide bringing together date, maps, satellite images etc. into one learning and teaching tool; a searchable catalogue, and much more.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Agneta Derrien
This lecture aimed to provide delegates with an introduction to the actions and activities undertaken as part of 2005 European Year of Education through Democratic Citizenship. It gave an opportunity to consider the international dimension in geography and to learn about the activities, resources and outcomes of the project. It also provided an opportunity to find out more about the work of the Council of Europe in supporting education. Supported by the GA International Committee and HERODOT Network.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

David Lambert addressed the anti-poverty agenda summed up in the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, and launched the GA/Save the Children Young Lives project. The video clip of Anna Tibaijuka used in the address can be viewed at the Commission For Africa website.

Download: David Lambert's PowerPoint Presentation
Download: Young Lives PowerPoint Presentation

Dr Sylvia Knight
Climateprediction.net asks schools to run a state-of-the-art climate model on their PCs, providing a unique opportunity to participate in a cutting-edge scientific experiment to forecast climate for the 21st Century. Provides software and teaching materials to investigate weather and climate change and prediction.

Download: Presentation

Ian Gilbert
In the first edition of Geography Teacher in 1901 was the challenge 'Can you teach Geography so as to make people think?' This is what Independent Thinking's three month, 2500 nautical mile Around Deeply Expedition is all about, armed only with scientists, artists, teachers, a 54' yacht and the word 'curiosity'.

For further information about the expedition, visit the Around Deeply website

David R Wright
Help pupils and students to understand, use, appreciate, evaluate and challenge world maps.

Download: Handout
Download: Article 'Making Sense of World Maps' published in Mapping News

Anthony Cassidy
Inspired by an assignment on 'new geographies' for an MA course, this session will discuss how the latest research in cybergeography can be used as engaging material students study at KS3, offering some practical teaching strategies and advice for teachers interested in developing materials for studing this topic.

Download: Zip file containing PowerPoint Presentation and Handouts

Nathan Morland
Exploring examples of physical geography on planets other than Earth. These include fluvial and volcanic processes, relating to the KS3 and KS4 contents of the curriculum. Extra-terrestrial physical processes are intended as a motivational tool for delivering the nature of physical processes that occur on the surface of the Earth.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Ruth Ward
The Valuing Places project involves teachers from primary and secondary schools working together to raise awareness of the imortance of places, building on children's own experience to make geography more real and encouraging children to make global connections. This session shows how this can be achieved in the classroom.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Eleanor Rawling
An update from the QCA Geography Consultant on developments in curriculum, assessment and qualifications. In partnership with QCA.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Gary Dawson and members of the SESC
This workshop offered ideas for teaching gifted and talented students with reference to the KS3 strategy resources. Strategies for teaching gifted and talented students in a mixed setting were also offered.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation
Website: GeographyPages has further downloadable resources from this workshop and useful information on G&T

Watch out for the summer 2005 issue of Teaching Geography - it includes an article on 'Identifying and challenging gifted and talented geographers' by Jane Ferretti.

Alan Kinder (SESC)
A practical workshop exploring strategies for leading a successful department, for aspiring and serving Heads of Geography. The session included case studies and resources developed by teachers and responded to the new Ofsted Framework by exploring some tools for self-assessment and improvement.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation
Download: References
Download: Self-Assessment Handout