Geography
Decision evaluation matrix: Saltmarsh Bay
Compare three coastal-management options using weighted environmental, economic and social criteria, then support a recommendation and identify a risk or uncertainty.
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Head of Geography
Ewan Tasker
I use local Geography fieldwork with data-processing support that leaves interpretation to pupils, asking what observations show and how securely they answer the geographical question.
Explore the collectionA little about me
I lead Geography and run the fieldwork programme. The city itself is part of that work, including visits connected with construction and the green economy. A visit gives students a place to gather information; it does not do the geographical analysis for them.
I look for data-processing scaffolds that help students handle observations while preserving the skill they are meant to practise. Support should make a method easier to follow without filling in the interpretation. Back in class, pupils still need to decide what the data might show and how securely it answers their question.
Off-site work also depends on preparation. Risk-assessment drafts need to be ready for review before a visit, and the plan has to fit the site and activity. I value resources that keep the geographical purpose and the practical arrangements visible together.
How I approach a lesson
Use city fieldwork as a source of evidence for a defined geographical question.
Scaffold data handling without supplying the interpretation.
Prepare site-specific risk-assessment drafts for review before visits.
Templates I'd use with my class
Explore these templates and decide what fits your own setting.
Geography
Coastal landforms: label, explain and decide
Identify coastal landforms, explain selected erosion processes and make a reasoned choice among fictional site options.
Geography
River fieldwork: record, calculate and explain
Record river measurements with units, calculate area and discharge, and use the data to explain a downstream pattern.
Geography
Map reading: Kestrel Vale with teacher notes
Locate places with four- and six-figure references, describe direction and distance, and justify a site choice with evidence from a fictional map.
Geography
Map reading: explore fictional Kestrel Vale
Pupils should give four- and six-figure references in easting-first order, describe direction from the stated starting place and convert measured distances using the scale. Their route and car-park judgements should cite specific features and acknowledge a disadvantage.