Mountain views taken in Banff - Using Microsoft Photosynth

Mike McSharry has recently returned from a holiday in Banff, Canada and had put together this great shot using the FREE software from Microsoft called Photosynth.



 You can find out more about how to do this on his blog: http://mikemcsharry.com/2009/11/12/leicestershire-photosynths/

Primary History & Geography National Conference in Manchester - 15th June 2010

The GA (Geographical Association) and HA (Historical Association) ran a very successful primary conference in Manchester yesterday.  Photographs from two of the geography sessions (which was held at The Hive in Lever Street) can be accessed by clicking on the photograph.  You are welcome to download photographs from my Picasa page (I know some people in the afternoon event were interested in obtaining photographs of the mapping activity to use with their students).  I will be updating my PowerPoint presentation and making this available shortly.

Create a virtual landscape

Create virtual landscapes with `This is sand' pixels drop like grains of sand or snow - change colour and create new patterns.  The gallery has some wonderful examples.  When it loads the page looks grey and blank - there's a small box on the top left - click on it for instructions.  Thanks to Bev on Technostories for this idea.

Chembakolli - a village in India

We used drama, sense impressions, art, creative writing & data handling to help year 3 & 4 children to gain a sense of what it might be like to live in ` A Village in India'. Originally taught in 2002, this geography unit set out to embrace citizenship, art & drama and speaking & listening which fit very well with the broader approach to developing a `creative curriculum'. I created a website to share resources (though some of the pictures that I sourced from the internet are now looking very dated). The activity plan for the unit can be downloaded from the website.

I've now provided an update for this unit by creating a chart to show where the learning acitivities fit into the >>>> (click on the red text) New Primary Curriculum (NC 2011).

You can download this from here.

Ideas for using images

Lots of good ideas for using images in this Google presentation - though not all of these ideas are focused on geography (a few are) many to them can be adapted. Why not share some of your own ideas and help to build this resource. It was started by Anthony Evans of Redbridge LA. He'd welcome your ideas too!

Flip Flotsom - exploring the idea of sustainability through the journey of the humble flip-flop in Kenya

I've just come across this poem and video on YouTube (though you may know it as it's been around since at least 2003). I think both are wonderful - the poem and video are lyrical explorations of what happens to a `flip-flop' from the time it is manufactured to the time it is recycled.

Flip Flotsam

This is the beach
where the flip flops come
at the end of their
flip flop trip.

And where does a
flip flop trip begin?

the floor of a flip flop factory;
on the shelf of a flip flop shop;
or the foot of a flip flop fan?

See Elspeth Murrays website for a full version of the poem (and lots more too!) She sounds really great and has done lots of work in schools.

You will find the video on You Tube

This video is also available from Jouneyman Pictures who have lots of documentary videos available to support geography though not all are suitable for primary children.)

50 plus Creatively Simple Ways to Teach Primary Geography

Following in the footsteps of Tom Barrett and Tony Cassidy I've started a collaborative Google Presentation. The idea behind this is that people with an interest in sharing ideas for Primary Geography work together to pool ideas. SO I NEED YOU TO SHARE TOO! There are two ways you can do this - preferably you send me your e-mail contact address and I add you as a collaborator so that you can edit the Google Doc. If you don't feel very confident about this then please send me your idea and I will add it myself. I'd like this to be a collaborative endeavour - please contribute. e-mail: wnorth@geography.org.uk

`MapIT Picture IT Write IT' seminar at the 2009 TES Education Show in London

It was really good to meet everyone at my seminar session at Olympia yesterday and absolutely fantastic to meet so many people who are enthusiastic about geography. I've updated the PowerPoint and credited photographers & schools where appropriate. I'll send everyone who left me their e-mail address a copy of the PowerPoint (probably later this week) and I'll also be sending you an invitation to join the Primary Geography Champions NING - though if you don't want to wait you can click on the link above and register today. If you'd like to contact me directly my contact details are on the Geographical Association website.

The PowerPoint has been split into two halves to make the download size more manageable:

Map It Picture It Write It Part 1

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Map It Picture It Write It (Part 2)

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Using picture books to develop geographical ideas

When teaching an integrated curriculum it is important to understand how the `big ideas’ from different curriculum subject or area can contribute the developing children’s understanding of the world.

Place space and interconnectedness are three of geography’s `big ideas’.  Here they are used in conjunction with `key questions’ to help you plan the geography component of a study  starting with a picture book that has a strongly geographical theme.

Using Picture Books to develop Geographical Ideas

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