Westminster Institute of Education MAKING SENSE OF GEOGRAPHY IN COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY BOOKS FOR...
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Transcript of Westminster Institute of Education MAKING SENSE OF GEOGRAPHY IN COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY BOOKS FOR...
Westminster Institute of Education
MAKING SENSE OF GEOGRAPHY IN COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
Professor Simon Catling
Westminster Institute of Education
‘Populist’ geography texts for younger children
• A long-standing personal/professional interest• Types of books about geography that you can buy in
chain and independent bookshops in the Children’s section from the Geography shelves.
• Have collected some 70 such books, over last 20 years
• Currently examining 30 books from 1996-2005• Such books are bought after very little consideration
in the shop
Westminster Institute of Education
YOUR TASK
• To provide a quick, personal response to the book in front of you
• Please make legible notes using the form provided
• Add no additional notes after time given to respond
• Return form to Simon
Westminster Institute of Education
What do you find on the shelves? (1)
• Books titled ‘Geography’ and books about the ‘World’ and the ‘Earth’
• Books that take you ‘round the World’ to countries, fully or selectively
• Books that focus on the physical or natural environment
• Books that focus on people in places and/or daily life around the World
Westminster Institute of Education
What do you find on the shelves? (2)
• Books that are highly illustrated, with photographs and/or colour pictures - scenic
• Books that use globes and world maps (80%+), and continental maps
• Books that are descriptive: tell you about, outline, show what like and what happens
• You learn about: places and environments, human and physical features, some natural processes, aspects of people’ lives, economic activity, leisure, cultural differences
Westminster Institute of Education
Some emerging images of geography (1)
• Geography is interested in the World• Geography as a systematic study of the natural and
human environments• Geography as the study of countries and regions of
the World• Geography uses maps• Geography has a limited interest in environmental
matters and concerns• Geography as knowing about the World and as
having some sense of how it works
Westminster Institute of Education
Some emerging images of geography (2)
• Geography looks to the national and global scale, rarely locally
• Geography is not that up-to-date, eg with GIS, GPS, aerial/satellite photos
• Geography seems not to use investigative approaches, even exploring the internet
• Geography avoids contentious matters and challenging topics
• Geography does not want to tell anyone what it is about or how it studies what it does
• Newer and developing geographies….????