Hard to Teach

Secondary Geography - Using ICT

Background information

This programme shows how teachers of geography at Key Stages 3 and 4 use technology to enhance the teaching of topics which are often hard to teach.

Sequence 1
Helen Young at Friary School, Lichfield

Studying a local microclimate

A year 10 Geography group investigate variations in microclimate across the school grounds. This removes the need for additional paper-work/parental permissions/cost that would be required if they were to be taken to a remote location.

The group explore changes in temperature, humidity and light levels using hand-held data-loggers and digital cameras. Ten locations were prepared in advance, and students collect data using the equipment, and record it for later use in the classroom, where they also use a GIS package to map the data.

The lesson fits into a physical geography GCSE module on Weather and Climate.

Helen says that the activity helps students remember (as they have been active in recording the data) and also uses AEGIS (a GIS package) to facilitate the mapping and graphing of data. More time can then be spent in the analysis of the data, and developing explanations for the complex patterns that have been observed. The geographical nature of the activity means that the GIS skills are developed as part of the overall lesson tasks rather than being ‘bolted on’, or taught separately out of context.

Helen (the teacher featured in the video) has a personal website, which can be seen at http://www.geographygeek.co.uk – it contains a range of resources and ideas for incorporating technology, including GIS, into geography teaching.

Other downloads

Student Instruction Sheet – Word document

Friary School AEGIS document – Aegis format (.aed format)


Sequence 2
Paul Haigh at Notre Dame High School, Sheffield

A virtual fieldtrip

Paul starts by reinforcing the fundamental importance of fieldwork in geography and outlines the different experiences offered to students at his school. It is not possible to do this every day, or to visit remote locations easily, so the use of virtual fieldwork can support this more traditional fieldwork.

Paul uses a virtual globe (Google Earth) along with a pre-prepared set of geo-located photographs to ‘recreate’ an area of Sheffield through which the students travelled to find out about the changes that had taken place in the area in the past, and suggest the impact of some of those changes.

The interactive resources used in the lesson are hosted on the school’s virtual learning environment (VLE)/ learning platform (LP), so that work can be accessed within the lesson, and also marked electronically by the teacher.

The fieldtrip is made up of a series of geo-located images, with associated tasks. The images were taken by other Year 8 students who were able to visit the location featured: the area around Meadowhall in Sheffield earlier in the year. Students’ work is uploaded to the schools virtual learning environment as it is completed. The pace of the lesson can be controlled easily, and students are also able to work at an appropriate pace, as the tasks are arranged to provide a progression of skills.

The nature of the activity will also help students to make connections with changes in the past, and bring out stories from their own family, and therefore connect with the work that is being carried out. The work provides a context for further coverage of the nature of urban redevelopment, and the importance of public participation in changes.

Work can then be marked electronically, at a time and a place that is convenient for the teacher.

Those who are not used to using Google Earth might find the resources developed on the Digital Explorer website useful. http://www.digitalexplorer.co.uk – click on the RESOURCES tab to access the documents

Suitable Creative Commons licensed images for a local fieldtrip could be sourced from a photo sharing site such as FLICKR http://www.flickr.com

NB: The filming took place before the recent release of Google Street View™ images which offers coverage of around 95% of the UK, and large areas of the rest of the world. This would add another dimension to this sort of activity

Other downloads

Virtual fieldwork in Lower Don Valley - pupil sheet word document


Sequence 3
Robert Lang at King Edward VI Five Ways School, Birmingham

An introduction to GIS

Robert starts by introducing the nature of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), starting with free online GIS, and ends by using a dedicated piece of GIS software.

Robert takes a number of groups through a range of activities. The first activity, with a Year 8 class, uses a web-based tool called GAPMINDER at http://www.gapminder.org/

The website displays statistics and changes over time in a simple graphical way. Countries are represented by coloured circles, which move as time passes to represent development data changing over time. The students play the animated sequences several times, or pause them at appropriate points to explore changes in the countries they are interested in. The work involves exploring of the level of development in Haiti, as compared to the Dominican Republic. Students are involved in discussions about the possible reasons for the changes that they have observed.

The second activity uses a website which looks at erosion on the Holderness coast of East Yorkshire with a Year 11 group. It compares the past and present rates of erosion to work out the average rate that the coastline has retreated per year. Google Earth is then used to forecast the impact of this rate of erosion into the future: exploring erosion impacts in 10 and 50 years time.

Students are involved in discovering the erosion for themselves, and describing the future change.

Google Earth can be downloaded from http://earth.google.com

The third activity uses Digital Worlds with Year 10 pupils. They are exploring improvements in their local area, and are annotating features on a map and satellite image of their local area in Birmingham. This allows them to explore sustainability, and personalise the learning to an area with which they are familiar.

Digital Worlds: http://schools.esriuk.com/

The website of King Edward VI Five Ways School includes a dedicated GIS section – this includes a substantial document, written by Robert Lang, which provides an introduction to GIS

A desktop version of the Gapminder visualisation tool was used in the lesson can now be downloaded from http://www.gapminder.org/desktop/ - this uses Adobe Air, which will also need to be installed on your machine.%

Other downloads

Gapminder lesson student task sheet and information – Word document

Year 11 Coastal Retreat Activity – Word document

‘My Place’ Investigation (using Digital Worlds) – Word document


Other useful links

BECTA research document about using ICT in geography

National Strategies ICT in geography at http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/96022

National Curriculum on ICT in geography at http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-1-and-2/learning-across-the-curriculum/ictinsubjectteaching/ictingeography/index.aspx

Geography Association resource page at http://www.geography.org.uk/resources with online guide to GIS and available equipment

Ordnance Survey ‘GIS Zone’ at http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/giszone/english/ explains the principles of GIS with examples of relating information to maps - eg crime, deliveries, etc.