While finishing the KS3 curriculum, I decided to try something a bit different, which can be slipped into any part of the curriculum as the idea is that it's synoptic, decision making and sort of skills based. I also wanted to focus on literacy and the love of reading, as I read so much myself, I know that it can help students with their imagination, empathy and learning new vocabulary.
For this, I thought it might be a good idea to focus around GIS, by using ArcGIS storymap and one of my books, received as a birthday present (Gerald Durrell - the Aye-Aye and I). With this GIS software, you can create stories based around maps, but there's loads of other features that you can add to it, to make it more immersive. I have used every feature available within this, so you can see what it can offer you.
Gerald became the expedition leader for the story and the end goal is for the students to complete this expedition and then recreate a short GIS storymap about somewhere that means something to them. However, at the same time as exploring the GIS software and practicing skills, they also learn about a place that doesn't usually get much focus in the Africa scheme of work, as there's so many cultures, countries and languages that are usually a much larger focus.
Here is my attempt at re-creating Gerald Durrell's expedition to Madagascar, to find the Aye-Aye: Here
Hopefully it can be of use to some of you - after 4 solid days of research, creativity and frustration!
If not, just have a look and let me know what you think. All feedback is welcome - this is currently being completed by some students i'm helping (and beta reader Diane), to see what kind of support needs to be made in the form of a powerpoint to supplement this, so that will follow when the results come in.
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
Friday, May 22, 2020
Monday, May 18, 2020
Year 10 half term coding project
I got into coding as I wanted to learn Python, to make GIS more of a flexible tool for me in the future. I can tell you that after just under two weeks of training in multiple different coding languages, I love it! I've been so impressed with what's out there, I have set a half term challenge for year 10 (powerpoint and links all included here.
It's hard and frustrating at first, but once you understand the basics of the language, you can pick it up quickly and easily and apply to many different scenarios, different complexities of code and pieces of software. Here's some of the programmes I recommend:
1. Apple Swift Playgrounds, the link found: here.
This is a game based coding app for IOS only (Ipad and Mac, not phones), where you write code for your character and solve the many puzzles that he gets into, with increasing difficulty. Swift coding is aimed at coding on the IOS systems, but many principles can be applied to other languages. I have thoroughly enjoyed this and have gained my 4 Apple teacher coding badges because of it. As an FYI: it does take the allocated amount of time to achieve these, as you have to have completed the majority of the coding course to answer the quiz questions correctly.
It's hard and frustrating at first, but once you understand the basics of the language, you can pick it up quickly and easily and apply to many different scenarios, different complexities of code and pieces of software. Here's some of the programmes I recommend:
1. Apple Swift Playgrounds, the link found: here.
This is a game based coding app for IOS only (Ipad and Mac, not phones), where you write code for your character and solve the many puzzles that he gets into, with increasing difficulty. Swift coding is aimed at coding on the IOS systems, but many principles can be applied to other languages. I have thoroughly enjoyed this and have gained my 4 Apple teacher coding badges because of it. As an FYI: it does take the allocated amount of time to achieve these, as you have to have completed the majority of the coding course to answer the quiz questions correctly.
2. As recommended by my cousin (primary school teacher) www.code.org.
This website is free and has the ability to set up classes, like seneca, and assign courses to your students at all levels. I don't like to discriminate the key stages too much, so I've included this as some of the courses for primary aged students are really great. They also cater for students up to the age of 18. I have been through a lot of the courses and the content is comprehensive - ranging from primary coding (foundation coding) all the way up to internet and digital safety and creating your own websites and apps, using code.
3. Another app, available to Apple and Android users, called Grasshopper here
This is another great app, which uses progressive story telling to teach javascript. This is particularly interesting to those looking into animation or the more visual side of coding. I have enjoyed using this app and will probably continue as it is the easiest one to keep picking up when you have a bit of time.
4. Mimo is slightly different, found here. This can be used on web browsers or via apps on both Apple and Android. The thing I liked about this is that it added levels of challenge and language that others don't use, but are applicable to coding terminology. I also liked the achievement diary and the fact that you can code through several routes: coding websites, learning to hack (thought this might be popular) and building apps, incorporating javascript.
5. Computing unplugged here - for those that have a smartphone but may be limited to what they can install on it, here's a website with loads of activities that you can do without a computer to hand. They range from very basic, hands on things, to learning the theory and uses behind coding and programming. A useful start into a new language.
For me, I'm going to continue to master Python and improve with Java and Swift. I will also look to incorporate some of the schemes of work available within these apps/websites into our geography curriculum, in order to enhance employable skills and experiences. It's been an enjoyable journey so far, and will hopefully be the same for the students assigned this project.
Have a go too, and let me know how you get on! I love discussing the challenges and possible applications for the geography classroom.
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
Thursday, May 14, 2020
GIS Making maps
I know that Digimaps has been making the GIS rounds for primary schools in particular, during lockdown. What must not be forgotten, although this is a great piece of software for looking at OS maps, historic maps and changes over time, there are other map programmes that should be used to supplement our curriculums and teach students skills that are in demand in the employment market.
There are two (technically 3, but one has the same name) that I recommend, in order to achieve this:
1. Google earth (web launcher here) and google earth pro here
I have used these a lot during lockdown in order to enhance learning and cultural capital. Google Earth web launcher has amazing features that can be used by anyone that can support google chrome (ipad, tablet, phone, computer).
The features that can be used really easily are:
Google projects. I have been using this to create virtual field trips. You can plan out your routes, add pictures, data, graphs, photos. The route can be followed and you can explain what needs to be achieved at each stop. It's worth noting that if you place a pin, you can view from street view, and follow the route that was as well, so it's like a walking tour. This only works in places with good quality maps - I've done the USA and UK in detail and Mumbai and Kampala in less detail. You can also view in 3d and add as many or as little labels to it as you like.
Google Earth pro - this is ingenious. With this, it's like a full GIS tool, but easy to use. You can measure gradients (used it to measure beach gradient for a field trip), go on sightseeing tours (pre made), add many different layers that are already available, view the earth, sky and other planets - depending on your investigation needs, have a look at landscapes at different times of the day and how sunlight impacts them, create your own maps to share (as long as the software is downloaded on the school/work/home computer system). The ideas are endless and i've had a lot of fun creating maps and trips with the two google programs combined.
2. ArcGIS
I've completed the ESRI training course for secondary students (here) and thoroughly recommend enrolling students into it, if they are able to, during lockdown (or as a scheme of work for KS3 or 4, depending on time allowance when back in school). You can make your own data maps rather than having to google image search to find a specific item that you need. Can be really good for specific case studies, or to investigate data or maps in more detail - for development, hurricanes, population. I've had a lot of fun with this so far - as you can import crime and neighbourhood data from the council website and it maps it for you.
My next task is to learn GIS coding with Python, so I can also try to teach this through KS3 or 4.
Hope this helps someone out there.
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
There are two (technically 3, but one has the same name) that I recommend, in order to achieve this:
1. Google earth (web launcher here) and google earth pro here
I have used these a lot during lockdown in order to enhance learning and cultural capital. Google Earth web launcher has amazing features that can be used by anyone that can support google chrome (ipad, tablet, phone, computer).
The features that can be used really easily are:
Google projects. I have been using this to create virtual field trips. You can plan out your routes, add pictures, data, graphs, photos. The route can be followed and you can explain what needs to be achieved at each stop. It's worth noting that if you place a pin, you can view from street view, and follow the route that was as well, so it's like a walking tour. This only works in places with good quality maps - I've done the USA and UK in detail and Mumbai and Kampala in less detail. You can also view in 3d and add as many or as little labels to it as you like.
Google Earth pro - this is ingenious. With this, it's like a full GIS tool, but easy to use. You can measure gradients (used it to measure beach gradient for a field trip), go on sightseeing tours (pre made), add many different layers that are already available, view the earth, sky and other planets - depending on your investigation needs, have a look at landscapes at different times of the day and how sunlight impacts them, create your own maps to share (as long as the software is downloaded on the school/work/home computer system). The ideas are endless and i've had a lot of fun creating maps and trips with the two google programs combined.
2. ArcGIS
I've completed the ESRI training course for secondary students (here) and thoroughly recommend enrolling students into it, if they are able to, during lockdown (or as a scheme of work for KS3 or 4, depending on time allowance when back in school). You can make your own data maps rather than having to google image search to find a specific item that you need. Can be really good for specific case studies, or to investigate data or maps in more detail - for development, hurricanes, population. I've had a lot of fun with this so far - as you can import crime and neighbourhood data from the council website and it maps it for you.
My next task is to learn GIS coding with Python, so I can also try to teach this through KS3 or 4.
Hope this helps someone out there.
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Assessment in Geography course
Assessment is something that means several things to me. Mostly, it's used to judge my teaching. A student doesn't get the results? I have to justify why my teaching has led to this, to both the school and the parents. However, what i believe it should show is not how a student can complete a test, but what i really want to know, is how much geography do they actually know and how well do they know it (this is the real reason i went into teaching). It's for this reason that I feel passionate about developing a better strategy for the KS3 and 4 curriculums I have created.
So far, the skeletal assessment framework that is in place at school at the moment has been changed by many head of departments, so I can't say that it is robust enough or producing a fair assessment of all pupils progress. This isn't something I will get to change in school, but can develop on my own and share for others to benefit. Maybe?
So, I found this course through openlean here, and although some of the ideas are older, they are still very valid and help those who are looking to improve book work for scrutiny or even to have alternate approaches to showing progress and assessment within the curriculum.
The most useful parts are as follows:
These 3 aspects of a geographical education are the points that I have been trying to assess as I personally think that they are the most important:
• Contextual world knowledge of locations, places and geographical features.
• Understanding of the conditions, processes and interactions that explain features and distributions, patterns and changes over time and space.
• Competence in geographical enquiry, the application of skills in observing, collecting, analysing, mapping and communicating geographical information.
What I couldn't work out was how to assess this and prove it in students books like a growing portfolio of excellent geography. I have the sequence and links, but not the proof that they are actually progressing, unless you add a numerical summative assessment into the mix. This course pinpointed me to a more broad framework of guidance - what do I expect students in each year to achieve? For example:
Yes, I expect all of these. With any luck, this would have been achieved. But if anyone looked in their books, would they see it? Probably not? Unless I was there to explain it. The course identified some strategies that can be used to help prove this, from short - long term. Examples:
1. let students know what the expectations are for the unit and the year, so they can see how to improve.
1. Short low stakes tests - these we already do every lesson
2. Group or individual work showing knowledge and understanding e.g. comparing two landforms and processes - why do they happen here? Peer or self assessed against a mark scheme with a self assessment sheet illustrating what points need to be improved, so students know specific weaknesses and strengths.
3. Students to look and annotate each others work - from another class or a model answer, then add to their self assessment sheet.
4. Include tasks that allow students to evaluate or assess within an enquiry, which links to environmental, social and economic issues.
5. evaluate their progress against the unit/year outcomes
6. summative assessment - can they use all of these skills to complete a test?
However, these are some of the issues we come up against in our setting, which means resources or self assessment will need to be adapted to support all learners:
1. Low literacy rates
2. Difficulty interpreting mark schemes
3. Inference and independence - students struggle to take responsibility for their own learning
So far, the skeletal assessment framework that is in place at school at the moment has been changed by many head of departments, so I can't say that it is robust enough or producing a fair assessment of all pupils progress. This isn't something I will get to change in school, but can develop on my own and share for others to benefit. Maybe?
So, I found this course through openlean here, and although some of the ideas are older, they are still very valid and help those who are looking to improve book work for scrutiny or even to have alternate approaches to showing progress and assessment within the curriculum.
The most useful parts are as follows:
Who decides what knowledge is important?
In a subject as broad as geography, what is valued by one person might not be by another. The emphasis placed on knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes varies. Geography is also dynamic and continually under construction, so the valued elements also change over time. However.....
Progression can be considered in relation to the learning experiences planned by the teacher:
These 3 aspects of a geographical education are the points that I have been trying to assess as I personally think that they are the most important:
• Contextual world knowledge of locations, places and geographical features.
• Understanding of the conditions, processes and interactions that explain features and distributions, patterns and changes over time and space.
• Competence in geographical enquiry, the application of skills in observing, collecting, analysing, mapping and communicating geographical information.
What I couldn't work out was how to assess this and prove it in students books like a growing portfolio of excellent geography. I have the sequence and links, but not the proof that they are actually progressing, unless you add a numerical summative assessment into the mix. This course pinpointed me to a more broad framework of guidance - what do I expect students in each year to achieve? For example:
• Demonstrating greater fluency with world
knowledge by drawing on increasing
breadth and depth of content and
contexts.
• Extending from the familiar and concrete to the unfamiliar and abstract.
• Making greater sense of the world by organising and connecting information and ideas about people, places, processes and environments.
• Extending from the familiar and concrete to the unfamiliar and abstract.
• Making greater sense of the world by organising and connecting information and ideas about people, places, processes and environments.
• Working with more complex information
about the world, including the relevance
of people’s attitudes, values and beliefs.
• Increasing the range and accuracy of investigative skills, and advancing their ability to select and apply these with increasing independence to geographical enquiry.
• Increasing the range and accuracy of investigative skills, and advancing their ability to select and apply these with increasing independence to geographical enquiry.
Yes, I expect all of these. With any luck, this would have been achieved. But if anyone looked in their books, would they see it? Probably not? Unless I was there to explain it. The course identified some strategies that can be used to help prove this, from short - long term. Examples:
1. let students know what the expectations are for the unit and the year, so they can see how to improve.
1. Short low stakes tests - these we already do every lesson
2. Group or individual work showing knowledge and understanding e.g. comparing two landforms and processes - why do they happen here? Peer or self assessed against a mark scheme with a self assessment sheet illustrating what points need to be improved, so students know specific weaknesses and strengths.
3. Students to look and annotate each others work - from another class or a model answer, then add to their self assessment sheet.
4. Include tasks that allow students to evaluate or assess within an enquiry, which links to environmental, social and economic issues.
5. evaluate their progress against the unit/year outcomes
6. summative assessment - can they use all of these skills to complete a test?
However, these are some of the issues we come up against in our setting, which means resources or self assessment will need to be adapted to support all learners:
1. Low literacy rates
2. Difficulty interpreting mark schemes
3. Inference and independence - students struggle to take responsibility for their own learning
There is also a very low cultural capital, which needs to be overcome. Ideas of how to overcome this were also discussed in the course. Here are my thoughts, some of which are already incorporated into the schemes of work as I was aware that this was an issue before:
1. Provide as many different places and contexts as possible, supported with videos, images, real life diaries, travel logs, blogs, articles and personal experiences. Also including VR or AR to help students 'experience' geography.
2. Re-sequence lessons so that all topics support each other.
3. Have multiple scales and skills mapped throughout the course, so that they are repeated in different contexts and topics.
4. Repeat knowledge frequently, throughout all topics, either by reference within lesson (linking back to previous relevant work) or by low stakes testing, quizizz, plickers, seneca, kahoot, making it more of an interactive experience, rather than a test.
The conclusion I have come to, is that there needs to be several assessed pieces throughout each topic, in order to create a 'portfolio of excellent geography' which shows progression for every student, no matter of their start point, so my next KS3 topic (weather and climate) will have:
low stakes testing
A weather report, where students create a weather map (location and context knowledge), script (understanding) and will answer questions about their report based on 'what if's' (enquiry). This will be self assessed.
Extended writing enquiry - against a success criteria (knowledge and understanding, including social, environmental and economic)
Summative assessment
This might help someone!
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
1. Provide as many different places and contexts as possible, supported with videos, images, real life diaries, travel logs, blogs, articles and personal experiences. Also including VR or AR to help students 'experience' geography.
2. Re-sequence lessons so that all topics support each other.
3. Have multiple scales and skills mapped throughout the course, so that they are repeated in different contexts and topics.
4. Repeat knowledge frequently, throughout all topics, either by reference within lesson (linking back to previous relevant work) or by low stakes testing, quizizz, plickers, seneca, kahoot, making it more of an interactive experience, rather than a test.
The conclusion I have come to, is that there needs to be several assessed pieces throughout each topic, in order to create a 'portfolio of excellent geography' which shows progression for every student, no matter of their start point, so my next KS3 topic (weather and climate) will have:
low stakes testing
A weather report, where students create a weather map (location and context knowledge), script (understanding) and will answer questions about their report based on 'what if's' (enquiry). This will be self assessed.
Extended writing enquiry - against a success criteria (knowledge and understanding, including social, environmental and economic)
Summative assessment
This might help someone!
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
Extra resources for year 10
Good morning all.
I hope that this post finds you well. For those of you that are looking for extra geography work, please see this website full of past papers from your specification and before (there's not too much difference in questions or content).
https://revisionworld.com/gcse-revision/geography/geography-gcse-past-papers/edexcel-gcse-geography-past-papers
I also have a booklet of questions for each topic, so if there's any that you're feeling you need more support with, then please just ask! I'll try and link them all to this post later today, if all else fails.
Paper 1: exam question booklets here
Paper 2: exam question booklets here
Paper 3: exam question booklets here
I have mark schemes for all of these, so if you'd prefer to self assess rather than send your work in, then please ask!
There's also quizizz (see previous post). I'll be adding other topics to it, to challenge your knowledge.
Seneca is still available, with lots of past assignments, which still need to be completed, and a few new ones to supplement learning of the newer topics.
If you would like any further resources, then i have end of unit tests which you can request and I'll send them through to you.
I have been asked to complete a work booklet for when you attend school. You can see this ahead of time: here
I hope you're all staying safe.
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
I hope that this post finds you well. For those of you that are looking for extra geography work, please see this website full of past papers from your specification and before (there's not too much difference in questions or content).
https://revisionworld.com/gcse-revision/geography/geography-gcse-past-papers/edexcel-gcse-geography-past-papers
I also have a booklet of questions for each topic, so if there's any that you're feeling you need more support with, then please just ask! I'll try and link them all to this post later today, if all else fails.
Paper 1: exam question booklets here
Paper 2: exam question booklets here
Paper 3: exam question booklets here
I have mark schemes for all of these, so if you'd prefer to self assess rather than send your work in, then please ask!
There's also quizizz (see previous post). I'll be adding other topics to it, to challenge your knowledge.
Seneca is still available, with lots of past assignments, which still need to be completed, and a few new ones to supplement learning of the newer topics.
If you would like any further resources, then i have end of unit tests which you can request and I'll send them through to you.
I have been asked to complete a work booklet for when you attend school. You can see this ahead of time: here
I hope you're all staying safe.
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
Monday, May 11, 2020
KS4 fieldwork
Many of you may have already seen this, however it may be of use to those who haven't. I attended several of the free fieldwork lessons around varying quality of life across a city and coasts. These fit the enquiry questions that we work towards with EDEXCEL B, so thought it might be worth have a 'practice run' as fieldwork is a weakness in paper 2 for our students.
These live lessons are really good as they talk you through the process of fieldwork, show the methods and weaknesses and allow you to reflect on the process before you actually do it yourself, as staff or a student. I think this will allow students to get more out of the actual trip they go on and therefore understand the process and outcomes better. This will mean that their extended writing or application of skills will come more naturally then them just having to work before, during and after a trip to complete a booklet of work.
The resources provided with it are also really good, although limited in methods, but that is OK as it's all groundwork and becomes very helpful when you actually start the process as it's not all new knowledge. It's a 2.5 lesson sequence - prep work (knowledge), live lesson, consolidation.
The resources for the urban trip can be found here
The urban lesson is here
The resources for the coasts trip can be found here
The coasts lesson is here
Have fun with fieldwork, everyone!
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
These live lessons are really good as they talk you through the process of fieldwork, show the methods and weaknesses and allow you to reflect on the process before you actually do it yourself, as staff or a student. I think this will allow students to get more out of the actual trip they go on and therefore understand the process and outcomes better. This will mean that their extended writing or application of skills will come more naturally then them just having to work before, during and after a trip to complete a booklet of work.
The resources provided with it are also really good, although limited in methods, but that is OK as it's all groundwork and becomes very helpful when you actually start the process as it's not all new knowledge. It's a 2.5 lesson sequence - prep work (knowledge), live lesson, consolidation.
The resources for the urban trip can be found here
The urban lesson is here
The resources for the coasts trip can be found here
The coasts lesson is here
Have fun with fieldwork, everyone!
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
KS4 quiz
Hello year 10 (hopefully you've found this, i've linked it to every lesson!).
Now you've had the chance to investigate a large amount of content within the urbanisation topic. Some of this will be revision, some of it new. Either way, I have an opportunity for you to see how much you really know about all things human geography!
Your challenge, should you choose to accept it is.....
Create an account here and take the quiz! https://quizizz.com/join
https://quizizz.com/join?class=B213188 - expires 14 days from 9/6/20
I hope you're safe and well.
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
Now you've had the chance to investigate a large amount of content within the urbanisation topic. Some of this will be revision, some of it new. Either way, I have an opportunity for you to see how much you really know about all things human geography!
Your challenge, should you choose to accept it is.....
Create an account here and take the quiz! https://quizizz.com/join
https://quizizz.com/join?class=B213188 - expires 14 days from 9/6/20
I hope you're safe and well.
Kind Regards,
Miss Cox
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