Citizenship Education in Geography
Geography can actively contribute to the key elements of education for citizenship through developing understanding and concern for the wider world. Pupils are also encouraged to become active and responsible members of their communities at local, national and international level.
Two examples in the geography department exemplify this.
1. ZOOLAB
Zoolab is an educational organisation that brings life and excitement to a wide range of science and environmental geography topics.
Last session, S1 and S2 pupils attended the interactive presentations within their normal geography lessons. The presentations were directly related to the geography curriculum and made cross-curricular links between geography and science topics.
S1 pupils attended a workshop named 'habitat road show'. This workshop highlighted the ways in which animals have adapted to living in different habitats. Pupils then discussed the effects of environmental damage and destruction and considered how animal habitats would be affected.
S2 pupils attended the 'rainforest road show'. This workshop took pupils on a journey through the different layers of the rainforest. It provided pupils with an opportunity to interact and touch many of the animals that live there and examined how certain species have adapted to that habitat and environment.
Pupils (and staff!) thoroughly enjoyed the Zoo lab presentations. It was a great opportunity to develop the environmental aspects of citizenship addressing concepts such as sustainability, globalisation and the environment.
2. FAIRTRADE
Geography pupils always show an active interest in the issues facing our world. As world poverty hits the national headlines a small group of S2 pupils under the guidance and encouragement of Miss P Balnaves have been doing their bit to raise awareness of Fairtrade.
A group of pupils run a fairtrade stall selling fairtrade products twice a week. This has been a very successful initiative and many pupils buy fairtrade chocolate, cookies, juice and snacks. Fairtrade products guarantee a better deal for third world producers and pupils are taking an important role to help these farmers by purchasing fairtrade products.