Geographical Association

Here is a variety of material taken from lectures, workshops and teacher-to-teacher sessions held at the GA Annual Conference in Manchester, 18-20 April 2006.

Professor Simon Catling
What is the state of geography in primary ITT courses? What training to teach geography do generalist primary trainees get? Is it an important, even relevant, part of their training? This session considered the issues and examined ways to support geography in primary initial teacher training.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Simultaneous change in the criteria underpinning the post-16 geography
curriculum and AS Level, and the revision to the Geography Benchmark statement for Higher Education provides a unique opportunity to explore relationships and synergies for the advancement of post-16 geographical education. Three 15-minute presentations focused on the new criteria and concepts underpinning changing curriculum. In partnership with JGHE.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation (Professor Brian Chalkley)
Download: PowerPoint Presentation (Eleanor Rawling)
Download: PowerPoint Presentation (David Gardner)

Danny Dorling

Professor Danny Dorling
How do we begin to understand the human geography of the UK? How do we present emerging information on, say, social inequalities to a young audience when that information concerns their futures? How do we raise awareness of how UK human geography influences and is influenced by the rest of the world? This session discussed ideas about how new maps, pictures, games and teaching materials can be created and used.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation (external website)
Website: www.worldmapper.org

GA Secondary Phase Committee
Forget the National Curriculum! How can we teach stimulating, engaging and challenging geography? This workshop considered a range of approaches to teaching the subject including a range of practical ideas for ‘hitting all the senses’ and creating successful, enjoyable lessons.

Visit SPC member Alan Parkinson's website to download material from this workshop. You can also read his Conference Blog complete with links and resource information.

Website: www.geographypages.co.uk

Download: Word Document: Further Information
Download: Word Document: 21 Photograph Activities in Geography
Download: PowerPoint Presentation: Smell!
Download: Word Document: Using Sound to Develop an Understanding of Environments
Download: Word Document: 'A Sense of Taste' Activity
Download: PowerPoint Presentation: A Sense of Touch

Professor Peter Jackson
This session demonstrated the power of geographical thinking by reflecting on some of the discipline’s key concepts: space, place, scale, connection, proximity and distance. These ideas were illustrated with recent work on the geographies of food and fashion.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Dr Hazel Barrett
Recent trends in the HIV/AIDS pandemic were examined and using examples from the developing world, national and international policies aimed at controlling the spread of this disease were evaluated. The global response to this emergency has been slow, resulting in unecessary human suffering and increasing poverty.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Diane Swift
More than 600 hundred teachers and at least 2000 pupils have now engaged with the Valuing Places project. Many of the teachers’ curriculum sequences are shared via the developing website. Through emphasis on place, learners explored the potential of geography to develop an understanding of global interconnectedness. In partnership with Valuing Places.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Tom Bramald
Geomatics - the modern term for surveying and mapping sciences - is behind the measurement and management of geographical data. Supporting this year’s Conference theme, this session explored how free resources from the geomatics website project can help students see, measure and explore the world around them.

Download: Presentation Slides (PDF)
Download: Accompanying Notes (PDF)
Website: www.geomatic.org.uk

GA Secondary Phase Committee
This session aimed to provide practical ideas on how the strategy ‘Leading in Learning’ can be implemented in geography departments by examining how thinking skills can be taught across the curriculum with a lead from geography. Leading in Learning is nothing new, though the cross-curricular approaches are. This workshop provided opportunities to discover how Leading in Learning can make sensational geography, for yourself, your colleagues and pupils.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation (Sarah Watts)
Download: PowerPoint Presentation (Kathryn Stephenson)
Download: Workshop Documents (Zip File)

Dr David Storey
This session considered the changing nature of citizenship in a global world by exploring relationships between individuals and the wider society at local, national and global scales, touching on issues of identity, belonging, empathy and responsibility.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Nell Seal
This session shared a variety of approaches to Learning for Sustainability (LfS) using a defined local area as a context, in this case the Norfolk Broads. The session considered what makes good LfS and shared activities used as part of the ‘Broad Futures’ Project.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation
Website: Broad Futures Online Resource

Simon Bird
King Edward VI Five Ways acheived specialist status in July 2004. In this session they shared their experiences - good and bad. They offered practical 'ready to go' ideas to forge KS2-KS3 links through fieldwork and an innovative geo-trolley.

Download: Presentation Slides (PDF)

Panel discussion

Chair: Keith Grimwade
Panelists: Professor Simon Catling, Paula Cooper and Dr Alex Standish
The headlines attracted by geography in recent years have not always been flattering. GCSE and A level candidature has been sliding for some years. And yet there is no more relevant and engaging subject on the curriculum, and in some schools geography is by far the most popular subject. Is there an identity crisis (again)? Has geography lost its way in some schools? Invited panelists made short statements about the heart and soul of geography (from their points of view). The Chair then opened up discussion.

Download: Word Document: Forum Notes (Paula Cooper)
Download: Word Document: Speech (Alex Standish)

Website: TES Online (Alex Standish article 'Shrunken World of Global Ethics')
Website: TES Letters Extra (response to article)
Website: TES Letters Extra (response to article)
Download: Word Document: Response to article (David Lambert)

Darren Clarke
This teacher-to-teacher session showed how video can be used to enhance lessons and as an aid to learning (not as an end in itself). These techniques are easily adaptable and transferable to all areas of geography.

Download: Word Document: Session Notes

Wendy North (GA ICT Working Group)
This session showed how the use of digital images and ICT frames can be used within the geography classroom to enrich children's awareness of their world. These simple strategies and resources are aimed at supporting non-specialist teachers in their increasingly ICT-rich classrooms. A page of information and resources from this session is now available on the GA website.

GA Weblink: Framing the Picture

Grant Kleeman
On the assumption that what we teach is socially constructed, this workshop examined the factors that influence what (and how) students learn and offered an opportunity to reflect on and discuss the future of the geography curriculum.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Diane Swift
How do the choices made about housing markets and design in one place affect others? How can we use geography to explore the large house price differences that are evident across England? These are the questions that have informed recent work in 16 schools in South Cambridgeshire and East Lancashire. In partnership with CABE.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation 1
Download: PowerPoint Presentation 2

Paul Baker (GA Independent Schools Working Group)
This session looked at how to attract pupils to continue their geographical studies on to GCSE. This included looking at how we can make studies relevant to today's teenagers.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Rachel Bowles, Professor Simon Catling, John Halocha and Janie Whittle
This session demonstrated work achieved so far in the development of ways to involve children in understanding their geographical learning, through video, camera, internet research, journey sticks and opinion making. Discussion continued with contributions from teachers in the audience who have used or would like to use such methods.

Download: Accompanying Notes
Download: Video - A Child's View of the World (7mb)
Download: PowerPoint Presentation - Children's Voices
Download: PowerPoint Presentation - Journey Sticks

Professor Michael Bradford
This walking tour explored and evaluated a decade of developments which have led Manchester to be regarded as a successful example of regeneration. Sponsored by the GA Independent Schools Working Group.

(all downloads link to external websites)

Download: PowerPoint Presentation - Field Visit
Download: PowerPoint Presentation - New Deal for Community: Salford
Download: PowerPoint Presentation - Evaluation of New Deal for Community: Salford

David Gardner
An update from the QCA Geography Adviser on developments in curriculum, assessment and qualifications. In partnership with QCA.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation

Sarah Maude and Adam Nichols (GA International Working Group)
Based on the experiences and information gained on 'The Journey to the West' (GA Study Tour 2005), the lecture described aspects of the amazing diversity across China, physical, economic, social and environmental. These are put in the context of rapid change and attempts to reduce regional disparities. More information can be obtained from Sarah Maude.

Download: China documents (Zip file)
Download: Extracts from the Journal of Geographical Sciences
Download: PowerPoint Presentation (7mb)

Fiona Reynolds, Director of the National Trust
Understanding the world we live in has never been more important. The best way to do that is get out and experience the 'real thing' – the next best is to become a geographer! Geography opens our minds to the myriad of different connections between people and place in our past, present and future. In this lecture, Fiona Reynolds, the Director of the National Trust and a geographer herself, explored the role geography plays in preparing us for life, work and play.

Download: Speech

Lorna Cansfield
This session focused on using thinking skills activities to deliver key components of the A-level syllabi. You will take away a range of new ideas to teach A-level more interactively whilst meeting the requirements of the syllabus.

Download: PowerPoint Presentation
Download: PowerPoint Game
Download: Brief Scheme of Work

Dr Peter Knight
Glaciers are important components in the changing global environment and landscape. Our understanding of glaciers is developing rapidly and our appreciation of the relationships between glaciers, climate change and human activity is changing in response to new scientific research. This session reviews recent progress in understanding the glacier system.

Download: PowerPointPresentation
Download: PDF of PowerPoint Presentation