Key Contact
Kit Rackley
NASBTT Associate Consultant
Secondary Geography
Email: secondarygeography@nasbtt.org.uk
Twitter: @geogramblings
Latest News
Geographical Association Annual Conference
Sign up to present at the Geographical Association Annual Conference in Manchester, taking place between 4th-6th April 2024. The theme is ‘Geography for everyone’ and so in that spirit, proposals…
Subject Resources
It is my personal opinion that in today, we need Geography teachers more than ever. The world is experiencing historic and unprecedented change, whether it be through the restructuring of the way we work and connect, accelerated by the Coronavirus pandemic; the strengthening and overdue movement to decolonise the curriculum; or the uncountable number of changes being brought about by the climate crisis.
As Geography educators, it seems difficult to keep up. Fortunately, the Geography teaching community is a strong and supportive one, as this resource page will attest. Ensure you connect with associations and networks listed here, but also check out ‘Upcoming events’ in the ‘Additional Information’ section.
In that spirit, if you come across something useful and wish it to be shared here, please get in touch! This page will be updated regularly, do bookmark and come back often.
Resources
GIS, Digital Mapping & Interactive Visuals
- Digimap For Schools
- ArcGIS For Schools
- Windy
- Our World In Data
- Gapminder
- Parallel: Interactive Mapping and Data Visualisation
Blogs and Geographical Commentary
General & Pedagogical
- Why Take Geography? (Alan Parkinson)
- Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (Pirbhai-Illich, Pete, Martin)
- Teach Like Nobody Is Watching (Mark Enser)
- Powerful Geography (Mark Enser)
- Making Every Geography Lesson Count (Mark Enser)
- Geography Through Enquiry (Margaret Roberts)
Visualisations & Data
Fieldwork
For Students
Young People at a Crossroads (YPAC): Sharing and extending resources
Session Overview/Focus
In the YPAC project, researchers trained migrant-background students (aged 14-18) to interview parents about their countries of origin, with a focus on environmental challenges. Simultaneously, we interviewed the same students about their experiences of learning about climate change. This online workshop will present some creative resources developed from this project and discuss their usefulness for diversifying and decolonising climate change teaching.
Expected Learning outcomes
- Recognise how the YPAC links with the Sustainable Development Goals
- Begin to develop ideas to implement outcomes from YPAC into your curriculum
- Build confidence in leading a cross-curricular effort in utilising youth voice through the issue of climate change
Recording:
Watch the recording here:
Supporting Resources:
TEMZ Event: Secondary Geography and History - Rethinking Wider Reading through the ReTeach Project
Session Overview:
The ReTeach project for Geography is a collaborative effort by teachers for teachers seeking fresh viewpoints, deeper subject knowledge and diverse thinking. This session will support you with how to incorporate wider reading into the curriculum to improve and enrich the content that is taught, along with ideas to maximise the precious PPA time for wider reading and learning.
Expected Learning outcomes:
- Recognise and understand the value of wider reading beyond the curriculum spec
- Develop workable strategies to help you incorporate wider reading into both the curriculum and professional development.
Recording:
Watch the recording here:
Supporting Resources:
TEMZ Event - The Climate Crisis is a Mental Health Crisis: What can we do as Educators?
Session Overview/Focus:
Scientific research on eco-anxiety and related mental-health impacts has been sufficiently robust and extensive to warrant focus in reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Since we as teachers we strive for our professional practice to be research-led, therefore should act on the combination of conclusions that climate change is real with more frequent extreme weather, that our young people are increasingly anxious and that we have a duty of care to them, and therefore we must treat climate change as a safeguarding issue. This will be a self-guided session supported by a step-by-step recording and resources.
Expected learning outcomes:
(1) Understand how climate science and the research into mental health impacts (e.g. eco-anxiety) is robust and mandates action, (2) Develop strategies to tackle anxiety in you as educators, and your students (3) Be confident in teaching the climate change issue in a manner that manages anxiety (4) Feel empowered to champion climate change as a safeguarding issue in your school/setting.
Facilitator info:
Kit Marie Rackley (they/she) is an award-winning ex high-school Geography teacher in the UK. They have worked as an education consultant and project manager climate and energy scientists, including researchers based at NOAA Boulder, Colorado and as an educator and trainer at the Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco, California, and is now freelance consultant with the UK’s Geographical Association and the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT). They are a published educational author, including works with National Geographic Kids and Diverse Educators. Kit Marie is a strong and passionate advocate of youth voice and empowerment, decolonising the curriculum, and inclusive and intersectional education. Much of their work revolves around the climate crisis, focusing around framing it as a school safeguarding issue. Kit Marie runs an educational resource blog, and is host and producer of the Coffee & Geography podcast.
Recording:
Watch the recording here:
Supporting Resources:
Subject report series: geography – 19th September 2023
Ofsted: 7 key findings from its geography subject report
Research review series: geography (2021)
A review of research into factors that influence the quality of geography education in schools in England. A pdf copy is available here.
A response to Ofsted’s curriculum research review for geography
Geography: learning to make a world of difference (2011)
Ofsted survey report evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of geography in schools and assessing the challenges it faces.
Upcoming events
Geographical Association Conference (annual)
When: 3 days every April (over the Easter holidays)
Where: Blended – On location and online.
Price: Varies (Free for Student Members)
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