Global learning examples A: Developing an understanding of other countries

1. Global learning examples A: Developing an understanding of other countries The samples of work in this presentation were submitted by these schools as part of their applications for the Geography Quality Mark in 2016: Blackpool Aspire School; Cardinal Allen Catholic High School; Chislehurst School for Girls; Collyer’s School; St. Thomas the Apostle College; Upper Wharfedale School; Witton Park School.

2. Criterion A1 a) Knowledge and understanding of diverse places … and key concepts e.g.interdependence and interconnections. The attached three examples of newspaper reports were written as part of the New India unit. It conveys the reasons why India has changed, and what impacts it has had on the people of India. Key terminology, including rural-urban migration and infrastructure were strongly encouraged.

3. This example illustrates a Year 7 piece of work which is a design of a sustainable building in Dubai. Year 7 had studied impossible places as a new unit and the challenges of living in places like Svalbard and building tourist attractions such as the skywalk over the Grand Canyon. Dubai was studied as a city that has experienced exponential growth despite it being located in a desert, including impacts, such as lack of fresh water, and other climate conditions. Seeking solutions to such challenges led to the design of sustainable buildings. Students were encouraged to be creative and descriptive as possible; this building illustrates key features such as the successful collection of rainfall.

4. Criterion A1 (c): attainment, progress and achievement in geography Evidence: Year 8 pupils’ work linked to China study. Pupils conducted an independent enquiry into an element of Chinese culture that they felt represented China the most. Pupils had to research into their chosen element, give reasoned arguments as to why they thought it represented China and offer conclusions as to why Chinese society values it. Evidence: Year 9 pupil’s work linked to development. Pupils conducted an independent enquiry into a country and reached a conclusion as to whether the country was an LEDC or MEDC based on the evidence that they collected.

5. Criteria A1c; A3a; B3a and B3d These are two examples of pieces of work from the Year 7 European Country project. The group who worked on Bosnia won the overall competition and the student who produced the annotated Swedish House was also highly commended. The winning group from each class are taking part in a Geography reward trip. Geography Quality Mark samples for GLP 2016

6. Choosing places: Blackpool Aspire School • Challenge is a key feature of the geography classroom and students are actively encouraged to not only participate in lessons, but also to suggest how lessons could be improved and what they would like to learn. As a result, lessons have been designed and taught on Dubai (tourism) and Australia (desert survival) as students have suggested places and themes they would like to know more about. • Ideas and starting points for lessons often come from TV programmes that students have watched and the department works hard to use outside interests from students to develop lesson ideas; ranging from Top Gear in Botswana, to Red Bull mountain biking in the Favelas of Brazil, to Levison Wood’s ‘Walking the Himalayas’. There is a strong belief within the department that students need to ‘see’ geography, rather than learn from a text book. Engaging students via multi-media forms of learning allows learners to see the geographies in everyday life around the world.

7. B1 (a): innovative and imaginative approaches and resources Evidence: Key Stage 4 exam questions and Skype session with Birla High School, India Teachers have used innovative and imaginative resources in relation to skill based questions at Key Stage 4. Students were provided with a variety of skill based questions to complete in a timed relay system, working in teams to answer all the questions in the time; they were only given the next question after the previous had been answered accurately. This allowed pupils to understand the need to be accurate and of the time constraints when completing exam questions. Pupils took part in a Skype session with Birla High School in India discussing responses to Global Warming in the countries. This developed cross cultural links, allowed pupils to take the lead in their learning and enabled technology to aid in learning.

8. B1 (b): links with the wider world and enrichment activities Emails organising geography project with Birla High School, India Year 8 pupils were given the opportunity to write travel blogs about places in the UK that they have visited and would recommend that pupils from Birla High School should visit. Pupils from India completed the same activity and the information was shared via skype conversations and emails. This allowed pupils in both countries to understand more about the wider world around them and understand more about another country. Photographs showing pupil exchange visit to Birla High School, India Pupils in Year 9 are involved in an international exchange with pupils from Birla High School in India, forging links with other cultures and gained a first hand experience of the wider world through a range of enrichment activities. Pupils stayed with local families, learning about the Indian way of life and culture, and took part in a range of school activities. Pupils completed work about global warming and climate change in groups with pupils from Birla, explaining how they believed each of the countries may be affected differently. Pupils from Cardinal Allen were also able to tell younger pupils at the school about life in the UK and share their experiences of the wider world. Pupils learned more about the wider world though levels of development and explored how and why countries around the world sometimes have less resources than others. Pupils presented the school with sports clothing and equipment.

9. Building world knowledge by participating in a GA ‘Worldwise’ event On the 6th July 2016, the Geography department at Cardinal Allen hosted a local geography worldwise quiz competition for local secondary schools in association with the GA. Teams of three from each school competed against each other in a series of geography based question rounds.

10. B1b : evidence of links with the wider world and enrichment activities. Students are encouraged to read more widely around the subject. This is promoted through a regularly updated ‘Geography News’ board in the department, and regular notices about topical articles and programmes of interest shared via the online VLE. Geography News board. A screenshot of the A2 student VLE news forum and the link to the article of interest.

11. B2b : high expectations and progression to make sense of a complex and dynamic world. Students’ preconceptions are challenged through class discussions in order to develop understanding of a complex world. Excerpts from lesson PowerPoints Screenshot from an AS scheme of work

12. Student write-up following an extra-curricular Geography talk. The talks allowed students to understand how the Geography learnt in school can apply to the wider world.

13. B1d :interest, a sense of wonder, curiosity and fascination about the world.. Geoguessr

14. B1a: Teaching makes use of a wide range of innovative and imaginative approaches and resources.

16. We found that many schools in the 2016 cohort were exploring some degree of school linking. This was helpful in exploring the nature of stereotypes which might exist (on both sides), especially when connected to the geography curriculum. There are opportunities for schools to be involved in this such as eTwinning or as a partner in an ERASMUSfunded project.