Geography Fieldwork in the Junior Secondary HSIE-SOSE Syllabus - Case Study Example

SIЕ SYLLАBUS FIЕLD WОRK A Case Study on Geography fieldwork in the junior secondary HSIE/SOSE syllabus Submitted By: NAME: INSTITUTION: COURSE: INSTRUCTOR: DATE: © 2014 INTRODUCTION Teaching and learning of geography is best facilitated through fieldwork. In fact Wendling (2006) emphasizes this by alluding that “geography without fieldwork is like science without experiments”. Wyatt and colleagues (2008) further underscore the importance of using fieldwork in geography for both learners and teachers. Accordingly, the technique helps to demystify the complex processes employed in geographical inquiry. It is the intention of the current case study to explore the significance of using fieldwork in teaching a junior secondary HSIE/SOSE geography syllabus. To achieve this, the case study is presented into two parts: A and B. Part A is an essay showing how fieldwork can be used to satisfy certain aspects of a junior secondary HSIE/SOSE geography syllabus while part B is a double lesson plan for a fieldwork activity to help teach the said syllabus. The case study concludes by a short wrap-up. Part A: Structured Essay The use of fieldwork in teaching a junior secondary HSIE/SOSE geography syllabus is capable of contributing towards certain aspects of the syllabus as demonstrated below. i). Meeting the syllabus outcomes The Junior Secondary HSIE/SOSE geography syllabus begins at Years 7 – 10 and the outcomes of the syllabus at this level are clearly outlined. Using fieldwork to teach the Junior Secondary HSIE/SOSE geography syllabus is very fundamental in meeting the expected outcomes. The syllabus for instance expects students in Years 7 and 8 to have acquired critical knowledge and skills necessary in analysing and evaluating decisions made concerning the utilisation and management of natural resources deemed to affect the environment and economic sustainability of a region (DeWitt & Storksdieck, 2008). Similarly, the students must possess the necessary knowledge and skills to properly pinpoint the aesthetic value of a given locality. These attributes in my view can be acquired through fieldwork where the students are imparted with knowledge to use various geographical tools like maps and other features that can be used to make informed decisions about resource utilisation (Marsh & Hart, 2011). In Years 9 and 10, the syllabus expects the students to start understanding the relationships existing within and between ecosystems in different place settings (Wyatt et al, 2008). They must also understand how geographical and environmental inquiry processes are applied in investigating the relationships mentioned in the foregoing. The use of fieldwork will thus equip students with knowledge and skills that can be crucial in evaluating ideas that can foster sustainable environments (Reynolds, 2009). When the students get to Year 10, the use of fieldwork in their geography syllabus will be able to analyse all the interacting forces that bring about the evolution of urban centres. This will necessitate the students to develop geographical skills important in resolving environmental issues in order to facilitate managing and making places as observed by Marsh & Hart (2011). ii). Enabling students to understand the relevant issues from various perspectives The use of fieldwork in teaching of a junior secondary HSIE/SOSE Geography syllabus on the one hand helps promote critical thinking in the students. Tudball and friend (2009) argue that students become ‘self reliant’ and ‘autonomous’ in their quest for information. The method allows them to ‘brainstorm’ amongst themselves and hence “think critically” as they reflect on the various ways they arrived at information. Fieldwork in this sense will help students become independent in ‘gathering, interpreting and evaluating’ information for the purposes of formulating informed judgments about decisions (Reynolds, 2009). Similarly, Cennamo and associates (2010) go further to maintain that fieldwork helps students enhance their abilities in bringing about social change and fostering a better environment. According to views forwarded by Marsh & Hart (2011), the teaching of geography through fieldwork equips students with necessary attributes to help them make their own opinions and stand by them. The students will be able to view the world and all it contains humanely. It is therefore my intention to use fieldwork to benefit my Junior Secondary learners in these innumerable ways. iii). Incorporating Values Education into teaching As students are allowed to ‘discover information’ on their own through fieldwork, their learning experiences becomes permanently imprinted in their minds and lasts a lifetime. This in my views becomes a values education as espoused by Tudball & Forsyth (2009). Fieldwork on a wider scale will enable students to ‘develop knowledge and essential understandings’ about the history and geography of their country. This will make the students to better understand aesthetics of their surroundings and country as a whole, thus valuing their resources. As stated by Cennamo et al (2010), fieldwork will inculcate environmental stewardship in everyone and thus “encourage each one to recognise that they are a part of the environment and should act as caretakers and custodians of it”. The environment in this instance is considered as a component of various systems and the failure of just one part affects the functioning of the whole system. In my teaching of the Junior Secondary HSIE/SOSE geography syllabus using fieldwork as a method, I’ll put more emphasis on the impact of man’s activities on the natural ecosystems and the importance of a harmonious co-existence between man and the environment (Reynolds, 2009). Additionally, it will be necessary to incorporate significant world events in my teaching to broaden my students’ view of geography as a discipline. iv). Developing Civics and Citizenship Education It is not in doubt that students taking geography are usually exposed to greater chances of enhancing their knowledge and understanding of a myriad of issues affecting our lives. This is particularly enhanced by use of fieldwork as a teaching technique in geography. Based on this argument, my teaching of the Junior Secondary HSIE/SOSE geography syllabus will use fieldwork to expose students to becoming better citizens. This can only be achieved by inculcating life skills and understandings that will help the students to make working decisions that can operate both locally and nationally. In this way, the students have the autonomy to exercise their rights and responsibilities as citizens (Tudball & Forsyth, 2009). When students acquire knowledge through fieldwork, they develop a sense of belonging and as such become ‘informed, active citizenships’ capable of contributing beneficially to matters touching on geographical issues particularly the environment. Such geographical issues as noted by Marsh & Hart (2011) and Tudball & Forsyth (2009) may reside in challenges posed by population explosion and environmental degradation. Reconciliation of these challenges among others requires the interventions of someone will astute skills possibly acquired through fieldwork in geographical study. Part B: Lesson Plan for a Fieldwork Activity In this lesson plan using a fieldwork activity, I intend to teach geography in a Junior Secondary syllabus. Since a fieldwork activity covers a wide range of materials that cannot be completed in one lesson, my lesson plan will therefore cover a double lesson of 120 minutes but still leave some more work to be completed during another similar settings. Thus my lesson plan contains the following inclusions. THE LESSON PLAN Subject: Geography Topic: Fieldwork Year level: 7 – 12 (Junior Secondary HSIE/SOSE syllabus) Lesson Title: Introduction to Fieldwork Period: 1 & 2 Time: 8:00 – 10:00 A.M Day: Monday Lesson Duration: 120 Minutes Number of students: 10 Lesson Purpose Description To enable students develop skills of gathering, interpreting and recording information. Learning objectives By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to: Define fieldwork Describe the different methods of primary data (information) collection Apply the acquired skills and knowledge and record observed information Identify the relationships between the living and physical environment using the collected data Students’ Prior Learning Prior to commencement of the fieldwork activity, the class teacher enquires from the students about their knowledge of fieldwork in a Geography lesson. The students indicate their interest in having a fieldwork activity outside their classroom. The teacher asks the students define fieldwork and list some of the things they expect to see when they move out into the field. The teacher also enquires about the necessary geographical tools to be used in the field to identify the specimens. To increase the students’ interest, the teacher introduces the fieldwork by summing up all what the students ought to see in the field. Teaching Skill Development To develop my teaching skills, the students will be allowed as much autonomy as possible to interact with one another and the environment during the fieldwork activity. The students will be given full autonomy to work on their own, brainstorming where possible and reflecting on their results. Teaching and Learning Preparation Teaching/Learning resources: Geographical tools such as Maps, Charts, Graphs, Note books, Collecting pot/tray/bag, Pooters, Nets, Tweezers or paintbrushes for small things, Magnifying glasses, Collecting tank, Cameras, and identification charts (John, 2006). Also, some safety guidelines will be written down for the students to follow during the fieldwork activity. This will help to forestall some of the potential risks of working outside and handling certain plants or animals (Wyatt et al, 2008). Activity 1: Investigating a habitat Students move outside to the area to be investigated in groups of threes and go over the safety guidelines to internalise all that should be taken care of during the activity and make clear the boundary lines for the fieldwork. Allow the students to explore and collect all the particular living things with full autonomy in their respective groups and make a list of them. Request the groups to select a particular organism each and then study them in fine details (Cennamo et al, 2010). They should record their observations on a worksheet prepared and provided to each group before the start of the fieldwork activity. The students will also make clear drawings of their specimens to develop their drawing skills as they reflect on the kind of habitat the organism lives as well as what the organism feeds on (John, 2006). The students will need to note the special adaptations possessed by the specimen especially for avoiding predation. Finally, the students will take photographs of the living things they observed for use back in the classroom. Activity 2: Access to ICT Equipment As earlier indicated, geography has a rich and varied context for the use of information and communications technologies to enhance learning. Cennamo et al (2010) identify ‘the Internet, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)’ as the commonest tools for geographical fieldwork activity. For this reason, ICT is very necessary during a geography fieldwork activity. For the purpose of this second activity, access to computers or ICT equipment will be necessary to record information on a spreadsheet particularly producing a page of a field-guide on their particular species (Cennamo et al, 2010). Once the students have written their description and chosen the photos to use, they will then need to research further information from the internet or library resources on their particular species. Once all pages have been written they can be collated into a field-guide of the living things in that specific habitat and the guide can be used by other classes (John, 2006). Syllabus Outcomes Students will develop: Autonomy in their quest for information Critical thinking in decision-making process Reflective thinking analysing and evaluating issues of environmental significance Knowledge and skills to identify aesthetics of a particular place Understanding of using geographical tools particularly the map and ICT An understanding of the relationship between different ecosystems in a given place Astute skills to be resolve environmental crises The WORKSHEET Structured Fieldwork Activity i. Date of fieldwork activity: ---------------------------------------------------------------- ii. Place of fieldwork activity:……………………………………………………….. iii. Name of officer receiving us:…………………………………………….. Location of the Area of Study Latitude:…………………………………………………………… Longitude:………………………………………………………….. Direction:…………………………………………………………… Distance from the nearest town:…………………………………….. Village:………………………………………………………………. Surrounding villages:………………………………………………………. Relief of the Area of Study Describe the relief of the area of study under: Geology i) Rock types………………………………………………………………... ii) Rock structure……………………………………………………………... Identify the land forms/features…………………………………………………….. Soil type…………………………………………………………………………….. Climate Of The Area Of Study  Type of climate……………………….climate zone…………………….  Characteristics of climatic type identified…………………………………  Amount of rainfall received per year………………………………………..  Rainfall regime……………………………………………………………..  Temperature………………………………………………………………….  Cloudiness………………………………………………………………….  Humidity……………………………………………………………………  Name of the local winds…………………………………………………… Vegetation  Type(s) of vegetation……………………………………………………….  Characteristics of the vegetation……………………………………………..  Spatial distribution of vegetation……………………………………………..  Uses of the vegetation……………………………………………………….  Its relationship to the: (i) Climate………………………………………………………………….. (ii) Soil………………………………………………………………………. (iii) Drainage………………………………………………………………… Drainage Of The Area Of Study Drainage patterns-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drainage features------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Demography Of The Area Of Study  Size of the population ------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of men-----------------------------------------number of women------------ Number of children-----------------------------------------------------------------------  Population distribution-------------------------------------------------------------------  Population density------------------------------------------------------------------------  Settlement patterns----------------------------------------------------------------------- CONCLUSION The case study has clearly demonstrated the importance of fieldwork in teaching a Junior Secondary HSIE/SOSE geography syllabus. First of all, it is noted that students have a positive attitude towards fieldwork and have their interest heightened to greater levels. Wyatt et al (2008) explain that fieldwork “provides opportunities for experiential, holistic learning, and developing subject knowledge and technical skills within a non-threatening environment”. This is witnessed I throughout this case study where students were found to have developed holistically after undertaking a fieldwork activity. REFERENCES Cennamo, K. S., Ross, J. D. & Ertmer, P. A. (2010), Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use, Wadsworth, Cengage, Chicago DeWitt, J. & Storksdieck, M. (2008), A short review of school field trips: key findings from the past and implications for the future, Visitor Studies, 11(2), pp. 181-197. John, P. D. (2006), ‘Lesson planning and the student teacher: Re-thinking the dominant model’, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 38, 4, pp. 483–98. Marsh, C & Hart, C. (2011), Teaching the Social Sciences and Humanities in an Australian Curriculum, (6th Edition) Pearson Australia Reynolds, R. (2009), Teaching Studies of Society and Environment in the Primary School. Oxford University Press, South Melbourne Tudball, L & Forsyth, A. (2009), Effective practice in Civics and Citizenship Education. A guide for pre-service teachers. Commonwealth of Australia Wendling, L. (2006), ‘Field trips for sticky learning and interdisciplinary literacy’. Social Education, 45, 2, Spring, pp. 22–25. Wyatt, T., Carbines, R., & Robb, L. (2008), A Study into the Teaching of Geography in Years 3- 10. Report to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Erebus International. Read More