Geographical Association

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Pilot GCSE: Option 3 - Geography in the News

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This unit, written by Diane Swift (GA) with Judith Mansell and Jonathan Walton (RGS-IBG), supports candidates in ‘thinking geographically’ and the value of making informed and critical responses to and interpretation of contemporary news items. It is concerned with places, events and people in the news, the geography behind them, and the different viewpoints and perspectives which are portrayed.

This is an ‘applied unit, occupying a middle position on the academic-vocational continuum’ which allows Centres considerable flexibility and autonomy in the design of their teaching programme.

Information on the context, content, assessment objectives and links with other units are provided in the ‘Geography in the news’ unit, which together with its associated planning grid can be downloaded below.

Option 3: News Unit (32k)

note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Option 3: News planning grid (53k)

note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Pam Field (Palatine School, Blackpool) has developed a scheme of work for this optional unit. Pam has also planned in two in-depth investigations: one on tropical storms and the other relates to unstable plate margins. Download Pam’s additional resources here.


Resources

The RGS-IBG’s Geography in the News site contains up-to-date resources for both teachers and candidates. In many ways it models the kind of geographical thinking that this unit is challenging candidates to develop. The news stories explore the geography about current events, the in-depth section puts a news item into its wider geographical context and the features section offers information and resources on the geography behind a particular news item.

Geo Teacher’s Geography Classroom World News offers a more global perspective and accesses media sources from around the world.

For different perspectives on geography in the news try:

Online listings of newspapers (some with electronic content):
  • Skyline College Library – links to directories of newspaper websites from around the world.
  • Newspaper Society - links to UK regional and local newspaper websites
  • UK 250 lists hundreds of UK and American newspapers
  • For US and International News papers visit TigerX
  • The British Library has links to electronic versions of major UK newspapers and directories of worldwide newspapers. Also allows you to search an online catalogue of of over 50,000 newspapers dating back to the seventeenth century
For a different perspective and a critique of online websites and access for disabled people visit AbilityNet. Other useful news websites: Sites containing background geographical information include:<<< Back to Optional Units

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