posted 02 May 2007 09:31 PM               

The sln community I believe, has been the backbone of the GGIP campaign for sometime now. I hope as a committee member the GGIP can call on your support for a new venture that can really prove the power of sln and Give Geography Its Place.

The GGIP aims this year to target Geography in our Primary Schools. The plan is to create using slners a Geography “super scheme” to enhance Geography Teaching in our primary schools and Give Geography Its Place. The scheme will focus on Year 6 and possibly Key Stage 2/3 transition.

The scheme and resources (powerpoints, worksheets, photographs and movies etc.) will be available for all to download for free from the GGIP website and the contributors will be acknowledged. We also plan publicity around the launch of the resource.

This thread will become a consultation of what the topic (if any) the scheme should focus on, The consultation period will end on May 11th, and the creation of resources etc. will begin.

This resource will innovate and inspire! This forum has so many creative ideas lets share them!

What we need from slners….
1. views on what topic or topics should be the focus
2. pledges of support to develop the scheme by developing resources
3. email me (in profile) if you are an interested primary teacher, your views and advice is welcome here also
4. email me if you wish to receive updates about the project development

Littlemiss and I (and anyone who shows a positive interest to be involved) will put this all together.

Any questions email in profile.

Give Geography its Place,

Adam

posted 02 May 2007 09:39 PM               

As Adam says, all comments, suggestions, creative ideas, offers of help/resources, etc. very welcome!!

posted 02 May 2007 10:45 PM               

Would we be better looking at a topic area that is already popular (and therefore presumably pretty well taught!) - or looking at something new?

posted 03 May 2007 12:00 PM               

I know now is a really busy time for everyone ( I haven't seen our staffroom so stressed for a while as this week)BUT this is a medium term project and if lots of people contribute a little, then we can get it moving forward. As I said above, it is all about seeing if we can work as a community. All work/contributions will be credited.

At the moment, it is good to just get positive reactions and as many ideas as possible. Adam will co-ordinate and Victoria ( ) is going to act as Editor so feel free to e-mail them with ideas/resources and offers of help. Over the next few weeks and particularly once exam classes start to leave, we can get down to some practical work. People may well already have resources that can be easily adapted once the topics/structure is agreed.

posted 03 May 2007 12:33 PM               

Just as a thought. Could the focus of the pack be 'G'... this is Year 6. G is for.. like the title of this posting, but doing some simple research into the letter 'G' in respective communities?

posted 03 May 2007 08:10 PM               

There are two issues here:
1. Giving Geography its Place in Primary education
2. Seeing what this forum as a community has to offer?

We want your support.

posted 03 May 2007 08:40 PM               

Send this letter as an attachment or even better print it out and post it to local primary schools in your area.

Do your bit for the GGIP
http://www.electronicfiles.net/files/4214/ggipsuperscheme.doc

Adam

posted 03 May 2007 09:46 PM               

Thanks for the comments Kate - I think we were mindful of the fact that there are some good resources out there for primary geography, and were keen to acknowledge that there is some excellent primary geography going on - but also that much more could be done. What we were hoping to create was something that would be free, would foster links between primary and secondary geography (with potential for supporting primary geographers in the future, and developing cross-phase work), and that would enhance geography and promote GGiP.

posted 04 May 2007 06:03 PM               

I have been inspired by the amount of Primary teachers who I have already have contact with.

The GGIP have not and will not dictate to them (whoever they are). The aim is to promote Geography at any level, in this case Primary and I see no evidence that we are not working in a partnership? If anything stronger primary and secondary links may well benefit all.

posted 07 May 2007 12:13 PM               

Will add you to the updates list.

posted 07 May 2007 12:17 PM               

We will e-mail people who are registered for the Primary Geography Quality Mark. Wendy was a Gold award winner in the pilot year of the PGQM.

Have you looked at the most recent editions of primary Geographer? There are often articles worth reading that show how primary teachers are trying to deliver thoughtful and creative approaches to geography. Also see the article by Fran Martin linked to personal/ everyday geography.

posted 07 May 2007 02:43 PM               

Are there any particular areas of geographic skills or understanding that secondary teachers are finding missing when pupils begin in Yr 7, which might be useful to teach in Yr 6?

I agree with the previous comments, about the desire to move in a new direction away from the QCA units and some of the commercial packs (although they have provided a sound starting point for many teachers that might not have been confident in developing their own scheme of work). Some schools have been teaching about Chembokoli/ St Lucia/ Godstone for quite some time and I've seen the teacher's boredom with the topic being passed on to their pupils. So it would be great to develop something fresh that would inspire teachers AND pupils! I think this is especially true, considering the recent change in the Primary Strategy and focus on developing a 'richer' curriculm, with meaningful links with other subjects. Also, if it was something that teachers found exciting and inspiring, then it might mean that Yr 6 teachers might be more inclined to make some space for it in their busy, SATs driven timetable.

The ideas about ecological footprints sound really interesting and should motivate learners because it really involves them. It could be used to devlop enquiry skills (which sometimes get overlooked in the geography primary curriculum because non-specialists aren't always sure in how to facilitate them successfully) and at the end of the topic chn could communicate their findings (e.g. school news report, display, in assembly etc)which would give it a purpose.

I think that something related to sustainable development would definately be worth considering as it is an exciting area that some schools still haven't developed yet but is becoming increasingly important in today's climate. When deciding what to base the scheme on, it might be worth bearing in mind David Bell's quote (HM Chief Inspector of Schools, Ofsted, in ‘The value and importance of geography’, Primary Geographer): 'There is a need to ensure that geography is a subject which reflects the changing landscape and issues of the twenty-first century. Geography should have a leading role to play in preparing young people to face their responsibilities and develop a critical understanding of the rapidly changing world in which they live.'
I've been working with the Yr 6 teachers at my school to develop an enquiry unit investigating development in the local area, what they would like to see happening with developments in town, impacts and looking to the future. (Having said this, we are based in Croydon where there is huge scope for this type of topic!)

I also thought the chocolate 'Bean to bar' / fairtrade idea could be succesful - I recently taught a short unit on this to my Year 5 class and they LOVED it (might have had something to do with getting to try some fairtrade chocolate though!!). This topic, as mentioned previously, also has some excellent resources (such as video clips, raps, activity ideas) related to it on the Comic Relief site that I think primary teachers would find useful.

Another idea which some primary co-ordinators might find helpful, could be the opportunity to go and visit a secondary school, watching a geography specialsit teach and discussing transition, considering that MANY primary geography co-ordinators aren't specialists themselves and some have only ended up in the role because it came with something else!