New Perspectives on Geographical Inquiry in the UKPaul CornishDirector of HumanitiesThe Coopers’ Company and Coborn SchoolLondon, UK

Skills or Knowledge?

“A school shouldn't start with curriculum content. It should start with designing a learning experience and then check it has met national curriculum requirements.” (Guardian)

Mick Waters, QCA (2010)

The National Curriculum should set out clearly the core knowledge and understanding that all children should be expected to acquire in the course of their schooling. It must embody their cultural and scientific inheritance, the best that the past and present generations have to pass on to the next.

DfE The Importance of Teaching (2010)

Department for Education

The accumulation of fragmentary facts as an end to itself is like learning a language by simply learning lists of vocabulary: you may know lots of words but you still cannot speak the language. For that you need grammar. By the same token, you cannot speak a language by only knowing some of the grammar! You need some vocabulary. Lambert (2011)

David Lambert

Future 1: Govian Elitism

Future 2: A Knowledge Society

Future 3: Objective Knowledge

Three Futures

Govian Elitism

A ‘Knowledge’ Society

Objective Knowledge

Subject Knowledge

The basic elements that students must know to be acquainted with a discipline or solve problems in it. a.Knowledge of terminologyb. Knowledge of specific details

and elements

Kn1 Core Knowledge

The interrelationships among the basic elements within a larger structure that enable them to function together. a. Knowledge of classifications and categories b. Knowledge of principles and generalizations c. Knowledge of theories, models, and structures

Kn2 Content Knowledge

How to do something; methods of inquiry, and criteria for using skills, algorithms, techniques, and methods. a. Knowledge of subject-specific skills and al-

gorithms b. Knowledge of subject-specific techniques

and methods c. Knowledge of criteria for determining when

to use appropriate procedures

Kn3 Procedural Knowledge

Student Experiences

Subject SpecialismTeacher Choices

Underpinned by Key NC Subject Concepts linked to Content knowledge

Subject- Specific Knowledge: Core- The Vocabulary. Content- The Grammar. Procedural- Investigation/ enquiry

Learning Activity- to assist in the acquisition of knowledge. How does this use procedural knowledge?

How does this take the learner beyond what they already know? Not just every day knowledge from the world outside the classroom (Young)

Using Knowledge in Curriculum Making

Geographical Inquiry

Geographical Inquiry enables connections to be made between KN1, 2 and 3.

“an approach to learning that accepts that knowledge has been constructed and prioritises the need for students to make sense of things for themselves… not as an optional approach, to be used occasionally.

(Roberts, 2010)

Geographical Inquiry

1. Creating a need to know 2. Using data 3. Making sense 4. Reflecting on learning

Geographical Inquiry

1. Creating a need to know 2. Using data 3. Making sense 4. Reflecting on learning

Why does Madagascar Face an Uncertain Future?

Google Earth Geographical Inquiry

Explore the resource and fill in the table to assess how the lesson will fulfill the 4 criteria for a rigorous geographical inquiry.

Geographical Inquiry