Six Years as One: Planning the Geography Curriculum for Junior and Senior Secondary Education

Six Years as One: Planning the Geography Curriculum for Junior and Senior Secondary Education

2009 H1N1 Flu Outbreak MapGoogle map1. Which three countries have been most affected by swine flu?2. Which regions have been most affected by swine flu?3. Which regions have been least affected by swine flu?Case Study:S1S2S3CityNatural HazardsFood ProblemThe Trouble of WaterManufacturing IndustryEnergyS4S5S6Opportunities & RisksManaging River & Coastal EnvironmentDynamic EarthChanging Industrial LocationBuilding a Sustainable CityTransportCombating FamineDisappearing Green CanopyGlobal warmingWhy?Task 2What did the Curriculum Guide said?

Case Study:S1S2S3CityNatural HazardsFood ProblemThe Trouble of WaterManufacturing IndustryEnergyCore ModulesThemes:From HK to the World Variations in space, people and placesFrom China to the World Enquiring regional problems arising from human-environment interactionsChallenges for our world Managing global issues in a sustainable wayCase Study:S4S5S6Opportunities & RisksManaging River & Coastal EnvironmentDynamic EarthChanging Industrial LocationBuilding a Sustainable CityTransportCombating FamineDisappearing Green CanopyGlobal warmingThemes:Living with our physical environmentFacing change in the human environmentConfronting global challengesAny other considerations?General guidelines to planningConcepts, knowledge and skills from simple to complex, easy to difficultChoice of case study a balanced coverage from local to global examplesProgression:Breath of studyDepth of studySpatial scaleDevelopment of skillsIncreasing opportunities for pupils to examine social, economic and environmental issuesNeeds of students (interest / strength / weakness)

Different mode of junior form PSHE curriculumPlanning of Junior Geography CurriculumIntegrated Mode(Geography is not an independent subject)

Mixed Mode (S3 Geography)

Independent subject Mode(S1-3 Geography)

Planning of Junior Geography CurriculumEnquiry learningEssential learning elementsKnowledge, concepts and skills, values and attitudes

Integrated & mixed modeCurriculum Auditing for the Integrated curriculum Check whether the integrated curriculum has covered the essential learning elements Topics related to Geography Find out the knowledge, concepts or skills coveredFind out the missing elementsTask 3Planning of Junior Geography CurriculumCharacteristics of each topic:TopicCharacteristicsCity

Illustrate the knowledge & concept of landuse, urban problems, sustainabilityIntroduce the map reading skillsConduct simple fieldwork taskNatural Hazards

Introduce physical geographyIntroduce prior knowledge on Plate Tectonics / Geological HazardTrain map reading skills

Characteristics of each topic:TopicCharacteristicsTourists

Interesting topicIllustrate the concept sustainability & global interdependenceTrain elementary map reading skills and use atlas / Google MapChanging Climate

A very hot global issueIntroduce climatic patternIllustrate the concept of people-environment interaction & global interdependence

Characteristics of each topic:TopicCharacteristicsFood problem

Understand the knowledge and concepts related to FarmingConduct simple fieldwork

The trouble of water

Learn about the physical characteristics of ChinaIllustrate the concept of managementTrain map reading and graphic skills

Characteristics of each topic:TopicCharacteristicsPopulation problem

A topic that will not be taught in higher levelIllustrate the concept of spatial distributionThe problem is related to other issues, e.g. disease, urban problemsTaming the sand

Learn about the physical characteristics of ChinaIllustrate the concept of desertification, managementInterpret satellite and aerial photographs

14Characteristics of each topic:TopicCharacteristicsManufacturing industry

Develop global perspective and the concept of global interdependence & place and regionTrain statistical and graphic skillsEnergy

A very hot global issueIllustrate the concept of global interdependenceTrain statistical and graphic skills

Characteristics of each topic:TopicCharacteristicsDisease

Illustrate the concept of spatial distribution & global interdependenceOcean

Illustrate the concept ecosystemInterpret satellite photographs

What do you think about this curriculum? School background:

Characteristics of students: average ability, rather passive, come from lower socio-economic classNo. of Geography lessons: two 40-minute lessons per weekTask 4What do you think about this curriculum? The choice of the topicsThe time available to cover the contentStudents learning of these knowledge and skillsAny other comments?15 minutesBreakWhat do you think about this curriculum? Good points:Follow what the Curriculum Guide suggestsChoice of topics: interesting, related to daily lifeBad points: Content is too muchMap reading skills are too difficult for S1 studentsSequence of the modules

Curriculum design of S1-3 Geography Curriculum Core

Core

Core

Core

Elective

Other considerationsTrimming the curriculumNumber of specific examplesContent Sustainable City:Do all cities look the same? (choose any 1-2)Western citySE Asian citySouth American cityWhat problem is our city facing?Traffic congestion problemUrban decay problemSpecific examples (choose any 1-2)GuangzhouTianjinSeoulHelsinkiExampleExampleThe Trouble of Water:Major water problems in China (overall view)Water cycleMajor rivers in ChinaConcentrate on only one/two kind(s) of water problem: causes, impacts and solutionsWater management experience of one countryProgressionKnowledgeBreath of studyDepth of studySpatial scale

Skills

Choice of case studiesOther considerationsPrinciples that guide the planning of progressionBuild upon students existing knowledge and previous experience;Match carefully to pupils capabilities and interestTake into account of the ways in which pupils mature (intellectually, socially and physically)Be important in pupils future learningS1 Students common mistake ()

= 150-100 = 50 = 1.3 x 10000

50501300050 = 1:260Mix up R.F. and linear scale

ExampleOther considerationsProvision of fieldwork experienceFormative assessment

Planning of Senior Geography CurriculumPrior knowledgeRelated topics

Opportunities & RisksDynamic EarthRiver & Coast

Planning of Senior Geography CurriculumTropical Rain ForestGlobal WarmingWeather & ClimateCombating FaminePlanning of Senior Geography CurriculumTransportZhujiang Delta Sustainable CityTransportPlanning of Senior Geography CurriculumConcept and knowledgeSimple to complexEasy to difficultConcrete to abstract Example:

City Opportunities& Risks

Planning of Senior Geography CurriculumMap reading skillsLower order to higher orderExample:

Lower levelHigher levelUrban mapsMaps with contour lines Map symbolsInterpretation of featuresGeoInfo Maphttp://www2.map.gov.hk/gih3/view/index.jsp

Simple contour line mapMore typical featuresAs a startHypothetical example S4-6 GeographyIndustrySustainable city(Transport) (Zhujiang Delta)3. Opportunities & risksRiver & coast(Dynamic Earth)

5. Tropical rain forestGlobal warming(Weather & climate)7. FamineInterface between Junior & Senior Geography CurriculumIssue-based enquiry

Interface between Junior & Senior Geography CurriculumDevelopment of spatial perspectives

38Interface between Junior & Senior Geography CurriculumEssential learning elements (curriculum auditing)

Interface between Junior & Senior Geography CurriculumData response enquiry

Information / Data:Question:1a. 20131b.201362. Map evidence ExplainCompare

Interface between Junior & Senior Geography CurriculumWriting skillsHigh order thinking skills

Graphic organizerInterface between Junior & Senior Geography Curriculum

Framework for essay writingInterface between Junior & Senior Geography Curriculum

High order thinking skills problem solvingQuestions & answer

Software for calculating gradient and identifying relief featureshttp://diy.fwg.hk/download/geog/map/Map-S.htmlhttp://diy.fwg.hk/download/geog/map/Map-TC.html47Software for calculating gradient and identifying relief features

Calculation of gradientSoftware for calculating gradient and identifying relief features

Drawing of Cross-sectionContour lines from 2D to 3D

http://www.rgs.org/webcasts/activities/contours/contours.htmlContour lines from 2D to 3D

Contour lines from 2D to 3D