NSS Learning and Teaching
Strategies for Geography-(1)
Planning and Managing the
Curriculum
Curriculum Development Officers and
Ms. LAM Lin-fong (HK & KLN KFWA
Sun Fong Chung College)
GM Food?
Farming?
Famine?
• Corn
• Ethanol (乙醇）
•
•
(a biodegradable fuel
additive produced from corn)
E-85 (85% ethanol + 15%
gasoline)
A clean-burning, renewable
fuel for “flexible fuel
vehicles”
Sustainable
Development?
Transpor
t?
Concepts in
Geography do not
exist in isolation!
Jilly O’Brien - ‘Concept
mapping in geography’
Experience SharingUsing concept maps in the
NSS Geography
Curriculum
1. To highlight the “focus” and main
concepts of each issue / elective
2. To provide more examples /
elaborations
3. To show some of the linkages among
different issues / electives
4. To provide e.g. on the classification
of concepts
5. To show the “complete picture”
Difficulties and suggestions:
• To decide the “focus” of an issue
• To distinguish between “headings” and
•
•
•
•
“concepts”
To group different concepts together
To find out the inter-connection among
different issues and electives
To identify the missing parts (items which
are not directly listed in the curriculum) in
the maps
…
Concept maps can be used to:
• Organise ideas / concepts in a structured
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
way;
Improve the quality of knowledge &
understanding of answers;
Connect new
ideas tool
with for
priorthe
knowledge;
A useful
Look at the
links between
different parts
planning
& management
of a curriculum;
of
the
NSS
Geography
Prepare for tests/examination (A good
revision tool) ; Curriculum
Analyze long questions and organize
answers;
Facilitate decision-making;
…
Advantages of using
concept maps:
• A visual organiser to summarise information
• A good planning tool
• A useful tool to highlight one of
•
•
•
geography’s Big Concepts – ‘Cause & effect’
Deductive & inductive reasoning and
speculation
No two concept maps will be the same, so
they are good for differentiation
…
Suggested steps of
constructing concept maps:
1.Write down major terms / concepts about
a geography topic
2.Write each term on a separate piece of
card
Earthquakes
3.Sort the cards
Aftershocks
4.Put aside those cards that
- you do not understand; &
- are not related to other terms
5.Arrange the cards left with their
relationships to construct a concept map
6.Stick the cards together
7.Draw lines between terms to show their
relationships
8.Write on each line the relationship you
identified
9.Re-consider the cards you put aside in
Step 3
Clear instructions & debriefing
• Good preparation
• Clear instructions
• Case-specific information & generalisations
• Debriefing & follow-up activities
Follow-up activities
• Writing tasks (differentiation)
• Drawing other concept maps, e.g. a casespecific one
• Using IT for searching information (e.g.
Internet) & drawing concept maps (e.g.
• “What if” activities
•…
Free mind mapping software:
e.g. FreeMind
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wik
i/index.php/Main_Page
What if:
The
government
pays
subsidies
…
…
…
Winners
Losers
Extend
thinking …
Higher
order
thinking …
Quality of concept maps:
Quantity of
Links ?
Degree of
generality
Quality of
Links ?
Degree of
abstractness
…
Suggested assessment criteria:
• Number of descriptive facts /concepts (levels)
•
•
•
•
•
and links
Errors
Quality of the descriptions and explanations
Relationships & interactions among the
components
Incorporation with personal experience & prior
knowledge
Elements of ‘speculation’
Concept mapping supports the
development of
thinking skills in geography…
• Active learning
• Collaborative
learning
• Visual and spatial
learning
•…
The development of generic skills
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Critical thinking skills
Creativity
Problem-solving skills
Collaboration skills
Communication skills
Information
technology skills
…
Critical thinking in geography…
usually occurs in association with issues,
arguments or problems.
• To facilitate geographic decision-making
(identify, organize, analysis, evaluate…)
• To ask questions about an issue/ a
problem, e.g.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is the issue or argument?
What evidence supports this position?
What is the source of this evidence?
Is this issue presented accurately?...
completely?
What assumptions have been made?
Whose viewpoint is represented?
Are there other ways of looking at this
issue?
What do I believe and why do I believe it?
(Source: Sharma, M. B. & Elbow, G. S. (2000). Using internet
primary sources to teach critical thinking skills in geography.)
• To evaluate data, sources & arguments
(including the reliability of the information)
• To translate information into knowledge
Sharma, M. B. & Elbow, G. S. (2000). Using
internet primary sources to teach critical thinking
skills in geography.
•Places & regions
•Physical systems
•Human systems
•Environment & society
•…
Lesson ExemplarPlanning of Kai Tak
Lesson exemplar –
Planning of Kai Tak
Present S4-5 Geography Syllabus:
Theme: City
Issue: Sustainable City
NSS Geography Syllabus:
Building a sustainable city – Are
environmental conservation and urban
development mutually exclusive?
This exemplar included:
• Lesson Plan (9 pages)
• A set of worksheets (4 pages)
• Information Folder 1 (13 pages)
• Information Folder 2 (6 pages)
• Master Plan of Kai Tak for Third Public
Consultation (1 page)
Prior knowledge:
• The concept of sustainable development
• Urban renewal in Hong Kong
• Conflict between environmental
conservation and urban development in
Hong Kong
Characteristics of this lesson exemplar
• Generic skills – collaboration skills,
communication skills, critical thinking skills,
study skills
• Higher order thinking skills – decision
making (with the help of graphic organizer)
Development of generic skills
• Critical thinking skills
 search for relevant information
 determine the strength of an argument
 make reasonable judgment
• Study skills
• Collaboration skills and communication
skills (think, pair and share)
Types of thinking skills
Thinking Skills
Basic-level thinking skills
Distinguish, sort and classify,
compare and contrast, observe, recall,
explain, comprehend, make analogise,
infer, list & sequence, match, analyze,
define and synthesize
Higher order thinking skills
Critical thinking,
Creative thinking,
Problem-solving and
Decision making
Metacognition
Decision-making
Why is there a need to make a decision?
What choices do I have?
What are the consequences of each choice?
How important are these consequences?
Which is the best choice?
Step 1: Why is there a need to make a decision?
Why is there a
need to develop
the area?
What are the
criteria for
making the
decision?
Step 2: What choices do I have?
Collaborative
learning: think,
pair and share
Reading and
analyzing
information
Use of graphic
organizer
Ability to
synthesize
information
Step 3, 4&5: What are the consequences of each
choice? How important are these consequences?
Which is the best choice?
Evaluation depends on:
• Criteria chosen at the beginning
• Principle of sustainability
• The foci of the design of these concept plans
Advantages and disadvantages
Best choice
Supported
with
reasons
Conclusion:
Master Plan for Third Public Consultation
Latest revised plan – 18.6.2006
Study skills
Catering for
learners’
diversity
References
1.Leat, D. (Ed.) (2001). Thinking through
geography (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Chris
Kington Publishing.
2.Nichols, A. (Ed.) (2001). More thinking
through geography. Cambridge: Chris
Kington Publishing.
3.Brien, J. O. (2002). Concept mapping in
geography. Teaching geography, 27(3), 126-130.
4.Cowlard, K. A. (1990). Decision-making in
geography: A manual of method and
practice. Great Britain: Hodder &
Stoughton.
5.Goddard, C. & P. (1998). Decision making
exercises for GCSE geography. Surrey:
Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd.
6.Sharma, M. B. & Elbow, G. S. (2000).
Using Internet Primary Sources to Teach
Critical Thinking Skills in Geography.
Westport: Greenwood Press.
NSS Geography –
Professional Development
Programmes for Teachers
“NSS Enriching
Knowledge for
the Geography
Curriculum
Series”
~ The End ~
~ Thank You ~