NSS Learning and Teaching Strategies for Geography1 Planning and Managing the Curriculum

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NSS Learning and Teaching Strategies for
Geography-(1)Planning and Managing the Curriculum

• Curriculum Development Officers and
• Ms. LAM Lin-fong (HK KLN KFWA Sun Fong Chung
  College)

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GM Food?
Farming?
Famine?
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• Corn
• Ethanol (??)
• (a biodegradable fuel additive produced from
  corn)
• E-85 (85 ethanol 15 gasoline)
• A clean-burning, renewable fuel for flexible
  fuel vehicles

Transport?
Sustainable Development?
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Concepts in Geography do not exist in isolation!
Jilly OBrien - Concept mapping in geography
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Experience Sharing-Using concept maps in the NSS
Geography Curriculum
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• To highlight the focus and main concepts of
  each issue / elective
• To provide more examples / elaborations
• To show some of the linkages among different
  issues / electives
• To provide e.g. on the classification of concepts
• To show the complete picture

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Difficulties and suggestions

• To decide the focus of an issue
• To distinguish between headings and concepts
• To group different concepts together
• To find out the inter-connection among different
  issues and electives
• To identify the missing parts (items which are
  not directly listed in the curriculum) in the
  maps

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Concept maps can be used to

• Organise ideas / concepts in a structured way
• Improve the quality of knowledge understanding
  of answers
• Connect new ideas with prior knowledge
• Look at the links between different parts of a
  curriculum
• Prepare for tests/examination (A good revision
  tool)
• Analyze long questions and organize answers
• Facilitate decision-making

A useful tool for the planning management of
the NSS Geography Curriculum
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Advantages of using concept maps

• A visual organiser to summarise information
• A good planning tool
• A useful tool to highlight one of geographys Big
  Concepts Cause effect
• Deductive inductive reasoning and speculation
• No two concept maps will be the same, so they are
  good for differentiation

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Suggested steps of constructing concept maps

• 1.Write down major terms / concepts about a
  geography topic
• 2.Write each term on a separate piece of card
• 3.Sort the cards
• 4.Put aside those cards that
• - you do not understand
• - are not related to other terms

Earthquakes
Aftershocks
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• 5.Arrange the cards left with their relationships
  to construct a concept map
• 6.Stick the cards together
• 7.Draw lines between terms to show their
  relationships
• 8.Write on each line the relationship you
  identified
• 9.Re-consider the cards you put aside in Step 3

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Clear instructions debriefing

• Good preparation
• Clear instructions
• Case-specific information generalisations
• Debriefing follow-up activities

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Follow-up activities

• Writing tasks (differentiation)
• Drawing other concept maps, e.g. a case-specific
  one
• Using IT for searching information (e.g.
  Internet) drawing concept maps (e.g.
• What if activities

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Free mind mapping software

• e.g. FreeMind
• http//freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Ma
  in_Page

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Extend thinking Higher order thinking
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Quality of concept maps
Quantity of Links ?
Quality of Links ?
Degree of generality

Degree of abstractness
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Suggested assessment criteria

• Number of descriptive facts /concepts (levels)
  and links
• Errors
• Quality of the descriptions and explanations
• Relationships interactions among the components
• Incorporation with personal experience prior
  knowledge
• Elements of speculation

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Concept mapping supports the development of
thinking skills in geography

• Active learning
• Collaborative learning
• Visual and spatial learning

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The development of generic skills

• Critical thinking skills
• Creativity
• Problem-solving skills
• Collaboration skills
• Communication skills
• Information technology skills

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Critical thinking in geography

• usually occurs in association with issues,
  arguments or problems.
• To facilitate geographic decision-making
  (identify, organize, analysis, evaluate)
• To ask questions about an issue/ a problem, e.g.

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• What is the issue or argument?
• What evidence supports this position?
• What is the source of this evidence?
• Is this issue presented accurately?...
  completely?
• What assumptions have been made?
• Whose viewpoint is represented?
• Are there other ways of looking at this issue?
• What do I believe and why do I believe it?
• (Source Sharma, M. B. Elbow, G. S. (2000).
  Using internet primary sources to teach critical
  thinking skills in geography.)

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• To evaluate data, sources arguments (including
  the reliability of the information)
• To translate information into knowledge

• Sharma, M. B. Elbow, G. S. (2000). Using
  internet primary sources to teach critical
  thinking skills in geography.
• Places regions
• Physical systems
• Human systems
• Environment society

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• Lesson Exemplar-
• Planning of Kai Tak

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Lesson exemplar Planning of Kai Tak
Present S4-5 Geography Syllabus Theme
City Issue Sustainable City
NSS Geography Syllabus Building a sustainable
city Are environmental conservation and urban
development mutually exclusive?
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This exemplar included

• Lesson Plan (9 pages)
• A set of worksheets (4 pages)
• Information Folder 1 (13 pages)
• Information Folder 2 (6 pages)
• Master Plan of Kai Tak for Third Public
  Consultation (1 page)

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Prior knowledge

• The concept of sustainable development
• Urban renewal in Hong Kong
• Conflict between environmental conservation and
  urban development in Hong Kong

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Characteristics of this lesson exemplar

• Generic skills collaboration skills,
  communication skills, critical thinking skills,
  study skills
• Higher order thinking skills decision making
  (with the help of graphic organizer)

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Development of generic skills

• Critical thinking skills
• search for relevant information
• determine the strength of an argument
• make reasonable judgment
• Study skills
• Collaboration skills and communication skills
  (think, pair and share)

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Types of thinking skills
Metacognition
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Decision-making
Why is there a need to make a decision?
What choices do I have?
What are the consequences of each choice?
How important are these consequences?
Which is the best choice?
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Step 1 Why is there a need to make a decision?
Why is there a need to develop the area?
What are the criteria for making the decision?
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Step 2 What choices do I have?
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Step 3, 45 What are the consequences of each
choice? How important are these consequences?
Which is the best choice?
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• Evaluation depends on
• Criteria chosen at the beginning
• Principle of sustainability
• The foci of the design of these concept plans

Advantages and disadvantages
Best choice
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Conclusion Master Plan for Third Public
Consultation
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Latest revised plan 18.6.2006
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References

• 1.Leat, D. (Ed.) (2001). Thinking through
  geography (2nd ed.). Cambridge Chris Kington
  Publishing.
• 2.Nichols, A. (Ed.) (2001). More thinking through
  geography. Cambridge Chris Kington Publishing.
• 3.Brien, J. O. (2002). Concept mapping in
  geography. Teaching geography, 27(3), -126-130.

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• 4.Cowlard, K. A. (1990). Decision-making in
  geography A manual of method and practice. Great
  Britain Hodder Stoughton.
• 5.Goddard, C. P. (1998). Decision making
  exercises for GCSE geography. Surrey Thomas
  Nelson Sons Ltd.
• 6.Sharma, M. B. Elbow, G. S. (2000). Using
  Internet Primary Sources to Teach Critical
  Thinking Skills in Geography. Westport Greenwood
  Press.

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NSS Geography Professional Development
Programmes for Teachers
NSS Enriching Knowledge for the Geography
Curriculum Series
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• The End
• Thank You