Mapping London

There is a new area of the updated RGS-IBG website which you may not have seen.
It is a project called Rediscovering London's Geography.
It is described as follows:

Rediscovering London’s Geography is a project funded by the GLA through the London Schools Excellence Fund.  It seeks to improve the quality of teaching and learning of geography in London’s schools, in addition to encouraging more pupils to study geography.
Its scope encompasses connection across primary and secondary schools involving academy, free, maintained and independent schools.
The project will:

• Create subject knowledge online resource units, including online activities and pupil assessments; focusing upon new curriculum subjects and examinations
• Improve subject knowledge via free CPD and training events in teacher networks across London and provide continuity to support the upcoming curriculum changes
• Engage pupils via Geography Ambassador presentations (by London undergraduates) and Going Places with Geography career events – all focused upon the relevance and value of geography to further study and careers

Our aims are to:

• Raise subject understanding by addressing knowledge gaps and connecting teachers with new geographical subject knowledge, thus building capacity to teach engaging and high quality lessons
• Assist the new academic demand associated with the introduction of new curriculum and examinations
• Increase teacher confidence of using specific geographical knowledge and the undertaking of London based fieldwork via a 12 month programme of professional support (to be reviewed, developed and embedded as knowledge into new schemes of work)
• Promote Chartered Geographer (Teacher) to provide formal subject specific professional accreditation in recognition of the new knowledge, professional expertise and commitment to CPD
• Promote London’s unique and changing geography via the study of the capital’s wider context of economic, social and environmental development
• Make available to pupils resources to support highest level understanding of core geographical knowledge for better achievement with new curriculum and examinations 
• Increase interest in geography amongst students whilst highlighting its relevance to further study and careers

One outcome has been the creation of teaching resources, with more to come.

The first two are now up on the website, and both would be useful to those teaching the new KS3 for the first time.

The first is a resource exploring Ice Ages and Geological Timescales, which has been written by Dr. David Anderson: Head of Geography at Eton College.

The second one is called Mapping London, and took me the first two weeks of my summer holidays to write and put together. There are 6 sessions which can be followed with KS3 students.

Thanks to the various colleagues who are mentioned along the way in the unit for their ideas which were adapted and used in various elements of the unit.
The ideas could be adapted for other cities too...

Let me know what you think...