Skill development
Building on the 5-14 curriculum work begun at the junior school, Geography in these three years emphasises the development of skills and concepts using fieldwork, map-work, projects and group-work in addition to the more traditional textbook skills.
Changes in the subject
The teaching of geography is currently undergoing a quiet revolution and we are seeing the introduction in more senior syllabuses of information and communications technology, sustainable development and global citizenship.
In order to prepare our pupils for a world where such skills and concepts are required and desired we have introduced a series of new books over the last few years. Both the pupils and the Geography Department staff have really enjoyed using them. The textbooks do still contain traditional elements of the subject, but they approach them from a 21st century angle. Pupils are as likely to learn about the geography of crime or the globalisation of the football industry as they are about river processes or the weather.
But the world is our real textbook
We hope that these courses will develop in the pupils a sense of curiosity in and a care for their environment; and that they will come away with a realisation that geography is not something to be learned solely from a textbook but that it is a dynamic subject which is continually in operation in the world around them.
Engaging with our environment
Fieldwork is an important part of any geographical education and we try where appropriate to involve pupils in practical tasks. The Seconds have a full field day studying physical geography and the Thirds look at urban change in the Leith and Newhaven areas of Edinburgh. We have a firm commitment to fieldwork and make good use of the local environment and the school's outdoor studies centre Blair House.
Geits (First Year)
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Fieldwork
Map reading is also included in the Geits' Outdoor Education visit to our field centre in Glen Doll. |
Seconds
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Fieldwork
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Thirds
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Fieldwork
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We give pupils here a foundation in map work before investigating settlement and shopping patterns. Physical geography at this level concentrates on the changing landscape, rivers and floods. The globalisation of world trade is investigated through a study of the football industry. Earthquakes and volcanoes forms the final part of the Geits’ course. 
Short fieldwork exercises are undertaken within the school grounds and in the local urban area. These may include mapwork and building and traffic surveys. .jpg)
In the Seconds our physical themes include coastal geography, weather and climate, and ecosystems such as the rain forest. On the human side we look at the geography of crime and the development of inequality in Brazil.
For the Seconds there is a full day in the field during October. The theme running through the day is how Human and Physical geography inter-relate. The morning is spent in the Royal Scottish Museum and in the afternoon pupils are introduced to the physical and human geography of Holyrood Park..jpg)
Here we consolidate previous themes and introduce more complex concepts such as land use conflict and urban and industrial change. We also further develop investigative and map reading skills. The course builds on our earlier studies of globalisation and the way in which local and individual actions can have far reaching consequences. The course uses Tourism, the Fashion Industry and Coffee to illustrate the role we all play in the global economy.
Again we have a full field day with the Thirds. The theme of Urban Geography is investigated along a coastal transect running from Leith to Newhaven. Pupils are introduced to the significant changes that are occuring in that part of Edinburgh and also to the sorts of recording skills which they might use in subsequent GCSE fieldwork. This page is: Edinburgh Academy / curriculum / geography / years1to3.htm
