GeogLive 26 Local Area Fieldwork

Описание: We are delighted to go from the SW of England and the River Tamar, to Reading and Oxford Street, London to compare and contrast and inspire you to teach local area geography. Use AI to support your own professional learning, curriculum making and development. Thanks to all who took part!
Focus: Local Area Fieldwork in Primary Geography
The session focused on different approaches to local fieldwork in primary geography.
Emphasis on the National Festival of Fieldwork in June and promotion of prior GeogLive! sessions and JogPod interviews as resources.
Case Study 1: River Tamar Fieldwork – Caltock Community Primary School
Context: Two small schools in East Cornwall using their local environment (River Tamar) as a core resource.
Curriculum: Redesigned to leverage locality and build emotional connections with place.
Project Highlights:
• - Fieldwork included interviews, art installations, poetry, and model-building focused on the river.
• - Collaboration with artists, photographers, researchers, and a heritage organization.
• - Emphasis on emotional engagement, cross-disciplinary learning, and place-based identity.
Impact:
• - Led to winning a national primary impact award.
• - Significant positive influence on pupil engagement and school pride.
Case Study 2: Year 3 Urban Land Use – Whitley, Reading
Context: Large, suburban, three-form-entry school.
Fieldwork Approach:
• - Local walk around the school to map land use.
• - Use of aerial photos, OS maps, and online mapping tools.
• - Final project involved children designing their own sustainable settlements.
Accessibility:
• - Adaptable for pupils with additional needs.
• - Highlighted that all places—no matter how ordinary—can tell interesting stories.
Case Study 3: Using AI in Local Fieldwork Planning
Purpose: Demonstrated how AI tools can support teachers in planning geography fieldwork.
Tools Highlighted:
• - Dutch Cycling Lifestyle Tool: Visualizes more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly street layouts.
• - 15-Minute City AI: Evaluates walkability and local amenities.
• - AI Image Generation: Used for creating discussion images about urban planning and fieldwork.
Comparison:
• - Contrasted Whitley (urban suburb) with a tourist town in the Lake District.
• - Used maps and AI-generated graphics to explore differences in land use, sustainability, and accessibility.
Primary Geography Journal – May Edition Preview
Theme: Citizen Geographer
Content Highlights:
• - Fieldwork examples from early years to upper primary.
• - Articles on children's agency, climate education, sustainability, and active citizenship.
• - Encourages enquiry-led learning and connecting geography to real-world issues.
Additional Resources
• - Book Recommendations: Suggested titles to inspire fieldwork with children.
• - GeogPod: Interviews and new ideas in audio format.
• - YouTube Archive: All previous GeogLive! sessions available for replay.