Instructions for Activity 2 – Planning a rainforests enquiry sequence
Materials needed (per pair): 1 set of cards, 1 piece sugar paper, 1 glue stick, felt tips
Timing: Depending on level of discussion and time taken to share, around 45 minutes
Aim: To focus on selecting and sequencing activities to develop skills in constructing a rigorous and engaging
enquiry sequence, designed around a set enquiry question and big idea.
1. Make sure you have already introduced and illustrated the idea of an enquiry sequence – a set of 4-5
lessons focussed around an enquiry question (which has both pith and rigour), building up in a
structured way to an outcome activity which answers that question. The group will also need some
existing experience of common activities in geography (e.g. living graphs). The enquiry question is
driven by a particular big idea in geography (interaction in this example); though of course you’ll bump
into other ideas along the way. It’s important to note that the outcome activity is not necessarily just
something produced right at the end of the sequence – it could well be built up bit by bit over each
lesson (e.g. adding parts to a display, building up notes on an essay planner), certainly the children
should be well aware of the outcome activity and enquiry question from the early stages of the
sequence.
2. The aim of this activity is to work on the choice of learning strategies to build up children’s expertise in a
certain topic step by step until they have the geographical understanding and factual knowledge
necessary to make a good job of the outcome activity. This will take time and carefully scaffolded input.
Different classes and individuals will, of course, need different levels of support and challenge,
depending on prior knowledge, experience etc.
3. Before the session, cut up the cards (note that the first one with the enquiry question on is larger) and
check you have the other resources available.
4. Introduce the big idea and enquiry question. Explain that there is a choice of 2 outcome activities for the
enquiry sequence – each pair or small group should choose one (though they could always change their
minds later!). Each group may also like to have a particular class (year group, prior knowledge and
attainment etc) in mind as they work.
5. Each pair/small group then reads each activity card and sorts them onto three piles. The three piles will
be yes, no and maybe:a. Yes – relevant to this enquiry sequence and a strong activity – can see this being used.
b. No – either a good activity but not relevant to this particular sequence (e.g. analysing view of
the rainforest in ecotourism brochures, which would be more appropriate to a sequence on
representation) or a rather weak ‘busy’ activity which you wouldn’t want to use in any sequence
(e.g. ‘drawing lots of animals’).
c.
Maybe – not directly foregrounding interaction, but might be necessary as a knowledge-builder
to ensure children really know what they’re talking about, especially if they haven’t studied this
topic before.
When each group has their three piles, bring the whole group back together for a few minutes to
compare thoughts. Which cards definitely belonged to a particular pile? Which were more tricky? If
there is a disagreement, ask for the dissenting group’s justification - they may be interpreting the activity
in a different, but useful way. Check the ‘red herrings’ e.g. examining the ecotourism brochures is an
interesting activity, but really more suited to bring out the big idea of representation than interaction.
You’ll find some groups want to include almost all the ideas because they are ‘good geography’ – this
may be true, but we don’t have to cram everything into one sequence – the class could always go on to
a second sequence about the rainforest driven by another big idea (e.g. change or representation) if this
was felt to be appropriate.
6. Now each group should order the activity cards to form the bulk of their enquiry sequence. This will
involve more selection as they get a firmer idea about what will happen and how progression in
understanding will be secured. Have a few blank cards for any additional activities which people think
of. The entire enquiry sequence will probably be 4-5 x one-hour lessons in length, including production
of the final outcome, but precise timing isn’t a focus in this activity.
7. When each group is happy with their choices, ask them to glue their sequence down onto the sugar
paper in chronological order, and, in felt tip, to justify the choice and position of each activity.
Photographs showing ‘one I constructed earlier’ (Rainforest Photo One) and one from some Cambridge
PGCE students (Rainforest Photo Two) can be downloaded as a guide to possible outcomes. What is
point of each activity within the whole? What aspect of factual knowledge, conceptual understanding or
Liz Taylor 27.10.07
process/method of communication is being built up at each stage? When are new ideas being
introduced, when are familiar ones being reinforced or recapped? Why would the sequence work?
Whilst participants are annotating their sheets, circulate and push for more detailed explanations if
necessary. If a group realises they’ve missed a stage or have a redundant activity, it is fine to make
changes.
8. The dissemination and feedback stage – there are various ways of doing this depending on the nature
of the group and the amount of time available – e.g. viewing the finished work as an exhibition,
snowballing, or short presentations of a couple of contrasting examples to the whole group. You may
wish to provide feedback on individual ideas (e.g. by peer comments on post-its in an agreed format) or
discussion may be more general. Whatever you decide, the key is to give the whole group a chance to
see and learn from others’ work, to affirm what’s been learned, and to pull out common
themes/issues/good ideas, as well as to raise any points which concern you.
This activity works by controlling certain aspects of the medium term planning process (the choice of enquiry
question, the limited choice of outcome activity, the provision of possible learning activities) so that participants
are free to focus fully on other aspects of the planning process (selecting and sequencing). Next time round, you
will want to remove some of this scaffolding to build up other skills. A key need may well be how to write a good
enquiry question (one which has both pith and rigour) – try giving a list of questions on a different topic for
critical evaluation, then ask participants to write their own. See the list of rainforest questions in Resource One
for some ideas…
Acknowledgements:
This activity was developed for Suffolk Advisory Service’s Heads of Geography Conference, November 2007,
and also used with Somerset LEA’s Heads of Geography Conference in that month. Thank you to Dale
Banham, Sam Woodhouse and all the participants for their enthusiastic involvement!
Liz Taylor 27.10.07
Enquiry question: How well does the Amazon rainforest ‘work’?
Big idea: Interaction
Outcome activity option 1: Display board illustrating
ecosystem interlinkages and evaluating the ways
people can work with or against the ‘system’ (title ‘How
well does the Amazon ‘work’?)
Outcome activity option 2: Essay with diagrams:
‘How well does the Amazon rainforest ‘work’?’
(Discursive or analytical text type)
GoogleEarth or atlas activity – where is the Amazon
Rainforest?
‘Journey in the rainforest’ mind movie (with rainforest
sounds in background).
Plant adaptation to the climate: studying houseplants
from the school foyer or visit to the local Botanic
Garden.
Pin board activity to show food web in the rainforest.
‘Design a plant/animal’ activity (see More Thinking
Through Geography, Nicholl, A.)
Living graph to show daily weather changes in one
part of the Amazon rainforest.
Constructing a display of rainforest structure.
Drawing lots of animals which live in the rainforest.
Mobiles to show food chains in the rainforest.
Card sort (paper or on IWB) – nutrient cycle in the
rainforest
Video clip – David Attenborough going up through the
layers in the rainforest
Video – Place & People (Channel 4) – ‘How the Forest
works’ (presentation of location, structure and
ecosystem)
Video – Place & People (Channel 4) – ‘Exploiting the
Forest’ (presentation of history of exploitation of
rainforest resources esp. farming, timber, ranching)
Considering an example of a familiar ‘system’ (e.g. a
car engine, or your school lunch queue). What are the
parts involved? How do they fit together? How do you
know if it’s working well? What can make it go wrong?
Examining ecotourism brochures – what view are they
giving of the Amazon?
Domino definitions – rainforest ecosystems
vocabulary.
‘What if?’ activity – diagramming all the knock-on
effects of deforestation.
QuADS grid (question, answer, details source) to
structure notes from textbook or library books on …
Essay planner – guidance and space for key point
notes to gradually build up material for writing the final
essay.
Brainstorm or card sort – ideas for solutions to issues
of deforestation
Individual or class brainstorm – what do we already
know about the Amazon rainforest?
(Use the back of this card for your own idea if you’d
like to add one in
Liz Taylor 27.10.07