Ending Year 9 with locational knowledge
May 2022
Once again this summer we’re going to end our Year 9’s experience of Key Stage 3 geography with a short series of lessons that aims to develop their locational knowledge. I wrote this lesson series in response to the publication of the Ofsted research review of geography- published in June 2021. Throughout this report, the importance of locational knowledge in geography was (unsurprisingly!) stressed. It is equally unsurprising for many of us that the report stated that the absence of locational knowledge in many pupils is well known. Perhaps we don’t like to admit it too often but many of us teach Key Stage 4 students who lack even a basic knowledge of where’s where in the world.
A recent BBC Radio 4 podcast series about direction further got me thinking. In the first episode, they discuss how smartphones and the mapping apps within them are potentially damaging the spatial literacy of the next generation. One particularly quote resonated with me: “there is a danger of individuals online being virtually connected but environmentally detached from the physical world- inhabiting a confused realm of spatial illiteracy.”
Whilst this quote was said in the context of smaller-scale map reading, I think the danger extends to spatial literacy on a global scale too. As the Ofsted research review states: “Pupils need to be taught about the absolute positioning (reference) systems in geography, particularly latitude and longitude. Location influences so many of the earth’s systems that without a grasp of it early in their education, pupils do not have one of the critical geographical frameworks that allow them to make sense of many natural and human phenomena.”
Of course, we have to be careful. We don’t want to return to an age of geography lessons routed solely in locational knowledge and learning where places are along with their capital cities and flags. However, we do need to strike a balance and ensure that we’re equipping our students with the variety of knowledge needed to fully understand our world.
So, alongside work to further embed locational knowledge throughout Key Stage 3, this short lesson series was written. As I mentioned in this webinar, some of our very best lessons are the simplest: where students are given an atlas and ‘explore’ the world. Last year our Year 9s loved it- and teaching it right at the end of July helped with that time of year where behaviour can get challenging- particularly for Year 9 students who are dropping the subject. What did we do to tackle the ‘But Miss, I’m dropping geography!’ comments? Include two lessons specifically about the countries of the GCSE History course!
The lesson series shared below is made up of the following and is based on the countries that we study as part of the Edexcel B GCSE course:
Lesson 1 & 2: Mapping GCSE Geography
Lesson 3: Our Home, the UK
Lesson 4: Mapping GCSE History
Lesson 5: Mapping The Cold War
If you use the lessons, please do let me know how you get on and any tweaks that we could include!