How can school grounds be used effectively to explore space?

A lot of the work that the department are doing at the moment involves the exploration of space. We believe that young people's understanding of space (a key concept in the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum) is underdeveloped. To further support this work, we were delighted to be awarded an Innovative Geography Teaching Grant by the Royal Geographical Society with IBG.

The project abstract reads:

Space may be the final frontier but it’s closer than you think. Do our students engage with and understand the spaces in which they live and learn? Are they able articulate how they feel and what they think about space? Do they feel constrained by the spaces around them, or do they feel empowered by it?

This project aims to explore these questions. Drawing upon inspiration from a number of cutting edge projects, (mywalks, Urban Earth, Guerilla Geography, Mission Explore, the Big Art Project, 360 degree photography, Doorstep Geography) the project will draw together their strengths and, crucially, demonstrate how they can be used within the geography classroom and to facilitate transition between Year 6 and 7.

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David Rogers

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