I have made a range of topic-specific resources based upon activities in David Leat’s ‘Thinking Through Geography’. They can be dropped into individual lessons or into a ‘Nigeria’/‘Africa’ scheme of work.
NIGERIA OR BRITAIN
Pairs of images for students to discuss, with interesting Nigerian trivia
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Six sets of Nigeria-related photos to discuss and suggest the next feature
ODD-ONE-OUT
Six sets of Nigeria-related keywords, place names, etc. Can be used as starters
LATERAL THINKING
Six Nigeria-related dilemmas to solve (if possible!)
ODD-ONE-OUT
Six sets of Nigeria-related images, can be used as starters
LIVING GRAPH
Choose 10 clues from 20 to annotate graphs of Nigeria’s oil revenues
MIND MOVIE STORYBOARD
Script (and images) about a family affected by the oil industry in the Niger Delta
CLASSIFICATION
32 facts about malaria in Nigeria to sort into a Case Study sheet
MOST LIKELY TO…
Six sets of Nigeria-related photos with a decision making element
WHO? WHAT? WHY? WHEN?
Photos of Nigeria to help formulate ‘W’ questions and prompt discussion
IT’S A MYSTERY
32 facts for a pair-share activity about high-level corruption in Nigeria
MIND MOVIE SCRIPT
The story of a Nigerian migrant attempting to reach Europe
THOUGHT CHAINS
Using a concept map about the Great Green Wall to construct logical analysis
HEXAGONS AND GEOG WEB
Make links to explain terrorism (Boko Haram, Niger Delta Avengers) in Nigeria
MAKING A…
Choose from a menu of features to design a sustainable Sahelian school
DECISION MAKING
Use a variety of resources to choose a low tech way to halt desertification
ROLE PLAY
Resources to help decide if the Eko Atlantic development should be completed
Reading Photos
Twelve photos to promote discussion and connect Geographical features
I have made a range of topic-specific resources based upon activities in David Leat’s ‘Thinking Through Geography’. They can be dropped into individual lessons or a ‘China’ scheme of work.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Four sets of China-related photos to discuss and suggest the next feature
ODD-ONE-OUT
Six sets of China-related keywords, place names, etc. Can be used as starters
LATERAL THINKING
Six China-related dilemmas to solve (if possible!)
ODD-ONE-OUT
Six sets of China-related photos, can be used as starters
LIVING GRAPH
Choose 10 clues from 20 to annotate demographic graphs of China
MIND MOVIE STORYBOARD
Script (and images) about the plight of the Uyghurs in China
CLASSIFICATION
32 facts about the Great Sichuan earthquake to sort into a Case Study sheet
MOST LIKELY TO…
Five sets of China-related photos with a decision making element
WHO? WHAT? WHY? WHEN?
Photos of China to help formulate ‘W’ questions and prompt discussion
IT’S A MYSTERY
32 facts for a pair-share activity about the effects of the Three Gorges Dam
MIND MOVIE SCRIPT
The immediate after-effects of a typhoon hitting the Yangtze Delta
THOUGHT CHAINS
Using a concept map about Foxconn electronics to construct logical analysis
HEXAGONS AND GEOG WEB
Make links to explain China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea
MAKING A…
Choose from a menu of urban features to design a sustainable Chinese city
DECISION MAKING
Use a variety of resources to locate a new electronic car factory in China
ROLE PLAY
Resources to help decide on ‘Pandas or profit’ in China
Reading Photos
Twelve photos to promote discussion and connect Geographical features
A 'footsteps' project about India in the 21st Century. Pupils research data and illustrations to complete the booklet. Footsteps follow sections called: Hypothese; Expected Outcomes; Background; Methodology; Data Presentation; Analysis; Conclusion; Evaluation.
Questions for research include:
'Today, India is becoming so wealthy because...'
'In the past, the British Empire affected India because...'
'Today, the UK is linked to modern India because...'
'Not everyone is happy with modern India’s development because...'
Powerpoint and activities outlining how deforestation and mining provide energy but also damage the environment
Blooms and 9-1 differentiated questions/activities
eg Grades 1-2 (Knowledge): (a) Use the data to complete the two divided bar graphs (causes of tropical deforestation & global energy consumption). (b) Fill in the blanks on the separate sheet to analyse your completed divided bar graphs
Grades 8-9 (Evaluation): (a) Read about firewood, mining, fracking and biofuels (highlight the main environmental effects as you go). (b) Compare and evaluate the effects of those four human activities. (Write three paragraphs for 8 marks)
Completing and analysing divided graphs
Find out why humanity’s growing demand for energy supplies can lead to deforestation
Find out how human activities involved in the energy industry can cause serious environmental damage
Geography Case Study
Hoad’s Wood, near Ashford in Kent, is a site of specialscientific interest (SSSI).
Parts of the nature reserve have experienced serious damage from unconsented felling and fly-tipping of waste material, including hazardous material.
All natural features are presently lost and the ground level has been raised by several feet.
This resource includes a variety of lesson activities to pick and choose:
Which organism is the ODD ONE OUT ?
ILLUSTRATED GLOSSARY: ‘Pollution’ worksheet
PHOTOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS worksheet
QUESTION GRID: Hoad’s Wood (5Ws &1H)
TRUE FOR WHO?
Link to TV spotlight on Hoad’s Wood pressure group
Six worksheets for CLASS ROLE PLAY (local builder, mobile tyre fitter, local family with young children, local Residents’ Association, Kent Police Force, Kent Wildlife Trust)
Hoad’s Wood (stakeholders’ conclusion) worksheet
TEACHERS’ BACKGROUND INFORMATION (3+ pages)
Geography Case Study
45.5% of the workforce in India are employed in agriculture, and yet only produces 15% of the nation’s wealth.
68% of Indian farmers own less than 1 hectare of land , leading to each farming family receiving an average annual income of less than U$300.
India is the World’s largest milk producer, its dairy herds create (deposit?) 730 million tonnes of manure every year!
So what can be done?
This resource includes a variety of lesson activities to pick and choose:
Photographic Analysis: Maharashtra Farmer making ‘cow cakes’ to dry in the sun before burning as fuel. (Photo & worksheet)
Which energy keyword is the odd one out?
Which chemical compound is the odd one out?
(Both activities promote discussion and thought processes)
Lateral Thinking about Cow dung! (Find ways to link the four images… Then write three sentences to explain your ideas)
Several slides to project to help set the scene (Dezi the Cow from Maharashtra)
Indian Cow Dung Hexagons. (Explain what is NO so good about manure)
Concept Map: ‘Manure to Energy’ - 35 facts to sort and colour code (Locations; Causes; Effects; Management; Supporting Data)
Geography Web: ‘Manure to Energy’ - Using knowledge learned so far, make links between six features (eg Indian dairy farmer, climate change, British citizen) and then explain the links.
Link to video: ‘Biogas: From Grass to Gas’
Annotate the diagram: ‘Dung Power!’ - Two-sided worksheet: a) information to be sorted; b) diagram of an anaerobic digester / bioreactor.
Teachers’ Background Information: Includes links to original BBC article, academic articles
Geography Case Study
Can the situation be summed up? Possibly.
Israel wants to safeguard the security that Jews have fought for since the Holocaust of the 1940s.
The Palestinians of Gaza and the West Bank want to live in their own independent land that they feel was stolen from them in 1948.
But is either situation likely to happen?
This resource includes a variety of lesson activities to pick and choose:
Which geographical area is the odd one out?
(Gaza - Israel - Palestine - Jerusalem)
Class discussion & written response.
Which disaster is the odd one out?
(Afghanistan 2001-2021 - Warsaw 1944- Indian Ocean 2004 - Worldwide 2035)
Class discussion & written response.
Lateral Thinking about the Geography of War.
How are these four photographs linked?
(Resources - military - refugee camp - ‘stop the boats’
Class discussion & written response.
Worksheet: Critical Thinking: Israel-Gaza War.
What do I know? How do I know? What is important? What is missing? What is my plan of action? How did I do?
Links to videos explaining the situation:
“The Hamas attack on the Supernova festival 2023” (BBC)
“Israel, Palestine and Hamas explained” (Channel 4)
Photographic Analysis: Israel-Palestine 7th October 2023.
Class discussion of initial satellite image from the day.
Follow-up slides asking: “What can we say about the geography inside of the Gaza Strip?” (Densely populated)
“What is this land mostly used for?” (Farms, kibbutzim)
“What is happening here?” (Fires, smoke)
Photographic Analysis: 21st century Gaza.
Six photos showing life in the years before the 2023 attacks (developed cityscape; park; refugee child; beach; nightlife; modern hospital)
Worksheet: Analyse the photos -definite, inference, missing info.
Photographic Analysis: Israel-Palestine (since 7/10/23).
Six photos showing the situation since the attacks (hostage taking, IDF, bomb damage, the missing, funerals, foreign aid)
Worksheet: Analyse the photos -definite, inference, missing info.
Living Graph: Israel-Palestine Population.
Worksheet: line graph of total population of Israel-Palestine, incomplete line graph of Jewish population.
Data for Jewish population since 1930.
Living Graph clues: Israel-Palestine Population (21 pieces of info to read, sort, select).
Follow-up slides: completed graph, questions for class discussion - analyse key changes in the graphs (low steady population to WW1; post-Ottoman collapse + Balfour + Holocaust + declaration of the State of Israel; diverging lines, infer reasons for rapid growth of Jewish poulation vs very rapid growth of non-Jewish population).
Worksheet: Living Graph conclusion: Israel-Palestine.
(Debrief
Worksheet - Hexagons: Israel-Palestine.
Explain in detail how each image is linked geographically.
(Magen David, Nazi swastika, star & crescent, weapon, death, running person, family).
Teachers’ Background Information: Includes links to original BBC article, academic articles.
This resource includes a variety of lesson activities to pick and choose:
*** Starters**
(1) Illustrated glossary of four key settlement terms relevant to Portsmouth - Students draw their own interpretation of the definitions.
(2) Odd-one-out Powerpoint slided - Students discuss and write about four key physical terms relevant to Portsmouth.
(3) 5Ws & 1H - Students discuss the illustrations and their relevance to the founding of Portsmouth in 1194. (Second slide gives possible answers).
Inter-Galactic Address
(1) Can you be in more than one place at once? Sheet of (up to) 19 features such as your school, Portsmouth, Eurasia, the Milky Way. Students cut them up and arrange them in order of size. They can then write their classroom’s or their home’s inter-galactic address. Template allows the place names to be personalised to your own location.
(2) Link to interactive ‘Scale of the Universe’ which goes from sub-atomic to extra-galactic!
Location Factors
(1) Worksheet of classic ‘find the best location for a settlement’ activity, but specific to the Portsmouth area.
Students assess five potential sites against eight location factors (eg shelter, sunlight, defence).
(2) Worksheet - allows written conclusion to the ‘choosing the best site’ activity.
(3) Powerpoint slide - Students discuss: ‘Can you suggest where A to E might be in Portsmouth?’. Second slide gives potential answers.
Portsmouth Site & Situation Mystery
(1) Thirty-two clues to cut up and distribute amongst the class. Includes references to France, Portsdown, marshes, Portsea Island).
(2) Students swap info to enable them to annotate a historic map of Portsmouth to explain why Portsmouth was a good location for Britain’s main Naval Base. (Two versions of the map are included - one with more scaffolding for the annotation, one with an example).
(3) Worksheet - Students write a response to the hypothesis: ‘Portsmouth was an excellent site for a town and dockyard to be built’.
(4) Worksheet - Alternative conclusion: Students make links between six images arranged in a set of hexagons.
Home of the Royal Navy
Why did the naval base move from Portchester to the Port’s Mouth?
(1) Concept map - Students discuss and colour code thirty-five facts according to named locations, negatives about Portchester, positives about Portsmouth. Includes reasons why the Roman’s chose Portchester, deforestation, silt, narrow harbour entrance.
(2) Worksheet - Students can use the info they have learned to annotate a map of the Portsmouth area… Or can simply write an extended conclusion as exam practice.
(3) Powerpoint slide: photographic analysis - Portsmouth Harbour aerial view to be discussed as a plenary. (What does the photo tell us? What can be inferred? WHat does the photo not tell us?). Second slide gives possible answers.
Place names
(1) Powerpoint slides introducing the value of place name etymology to geographical understanding of a place (Hilsea as an example).