“Fieldwork is not the same as a field trip but both are important as part of a vibrant geography curriculum. Regular fieldwork is important so that it can be embedded in the curriculum and progression built. However, field trips are also important. They are exciting and broaden students’ horizons beyond their local area and experiences.” Source: Geographical Association blog
Many schools take their children on residential courses in Year 6. These courses are arranged with different foci, sometimes based around trying never-before-attempted outdoor pursuits, other times, developing personal skills like independence.
Successfully completing activities outside their classroom like rock climbing, kayaking and zip-lining help children build confidence and resilience, and are often used to mark the transition from primary to secondary school.
How to incorporate an element of geographical fieldwork
There are opportunities to incorporate geographical fieldwork into such residential courses. You may fear that this could detract from the whole experience, but in practice, it can actually enhance it. What’s more, it’s an approach endorsed by the Geographical Association.
A Case Study: Newham in London to the Forest of Dean
In this instance, the geography fieldwork took place before and en route to the Wye Valley, which offers a fantastic landscape of forests, rivers, hills and historical sites to explore.
Part of the fieldwork plan is shown below:
All the elements were compliant with National Curriculum guidelines and created to reinforce the geographical knowledge the children should have at Upper Key Stage 2 level.
Before setting off, the pupils were introduced to their destination of St Briavels through an Ordnance Survey map study. The aim here was to provide knowledge and build awareness about the place they were visiting.
The children were encouraged to:
identify physical (rivers, slopes, hills) and human (settlements, communications) features of the landscape,
use compass directions and grid references to identify places and features, and
plan routes to navigate from place to place on the map.
In addition to this, they revised map skills, such as understanding symbols, measuring distances and generally reading maps.
On the journey itself, which was 150 miles and took 4 hours by coach, the children were encouraged to spot geographical features (practise observational skills and landscape interpretation). This added interest to the journey whilst reinforcing the pupils’ geographical knowledge.
To record their information, a comprehensive field notebook was provided which contained:
· route information (including road and motorway maps)
· a geological map and
· a regional map showing how they would cross at least two main escarpments travelling from the London Basin over the Chilterns through the Cotswolds across the River Severn estuary to the Forest of Dean.
Children could also make a photographic record of their journey if they wished to.
Interested in similar geographical fieldwork?
If you’d be interested in incorporating some fieldwork into your next Year 6 residential or indeed in organising a dedicated fieldwork trip, and need some help with the content, we’re the ideal people to call upon.
With over 25 years’ experience in education and a passion for geography, we can source all the information and resources you need, so that you can focus on its delivery.
To find out more, please visit our website or contact us by emailing b-cltd@hotmail.co.uk or phoning 07966 379621.
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