ISSUES ON CURRICULUM PLANNING

The learning experiences and needs of pupils

The extent to which children have opportunities to explore the environment outside school and even the games which they play can influence the development of their sense of place and their knowledge of their surroundings. These should be considered by the teacher who will also find the class records and conversations with the previous teacher useful when planning a scheme of work.

The geography curriculum and the school plan

The content of the strands and strand units of the curriculum and the accompanying sections which describe the development of geographical skills and concepts at each level will provide the basis for the teacher's work with the class. Classroom work should also fulfil the requirements of the school plan for geography. Planning and selecting content When choosing and developing units of work through which the content of the programme may be delivered, the criteria for planning content which are contained in the curriculum should be considered. In particular, planning should ensure that the locality of the school is thoroughly studied and that units of work should provide opportunities to explore a range of landscapes and geographical themes in a number of varied contexts (local, Irish, European and non-European). Schemes of work should also be sufficiently flexible to respond to and capitalise on children's experiences and natural phenomena (for example a storm, an earthquake, the building of a new road) which may occur from time to time. Planning for skills and concepts development The scheme of work developed by the teacher should also maintain a balance between the treatment of content and the development of concepts and skills. The treatment of the strand units should show progression in the level of skills used and in the depth of treatment they are accorded. Progression might be shown by increasing the scale of the environment under study studying more complex processes and features using more generalised knowledge and abstract ideas expecting greater accuracy in practical investigations such as observations and recording encouraging the discussion of more involved issues and problems and developing more informed and sophisticated attitudes.

Approaches and methodologies

An effective geography programme will entail the use of a variety of techniques and classroom approaches. Approaches in which the children are encouraged to visit and explore the environment, ask questions, and engage in research and investigation will be crucial for the success of the programme. Identifying opportunities in which children may develop and use a wide range of map work, graphical, computer and other skills in practical situations will also be an important aspect of the teacher's planning. Suggestions for a range of methodologies that are particularly suited for geographical topics are described in a later section of these guidelines.

Providing for individual differences

A number of techniques may be used to provide a range of learning activities appropriate to the individual needs of pupils. Teachers could consider using a mixture of whole-class teaching and focused group work. A common lesson content might be used with all pupils but different groups of children could be set tasks of various complexities planning topics so that opportunities are provided for alternative investigation work for the more able and/or less able. The paragraph above on Planning for skills and concepts development provides examples of the aspects of topics that can influence the level of challenge involved using a range of questions and providing a range of tasks. Teachers' questioning in oral discussion should use a range of skills from simple recall to more complex comparative and analytical skills so that all pupils will have opportunities for success while the more able will be challenged. Similarly, tasks involving map work and other skills may be graded for less able and more able pupils planning for the use of a wide range of communication skills. Many pupils will have developed a sophisticated geographical understanding yet will be unable to communicate this in written form. Opportunities should be provided for children to record and tell about their work using drawing, modelling, computer-aided work, etc. intervening to give individuals and groups the direction, stimulus and encouragement they need as the children are engaged in activities.

Planning for linkage and integration

Within the curriculum statement the term linkage is used to refer to integration within a subject while integration refers to cross-curricular connections. Integrated learning, both within subjects and between curricular areas, is an important principle of the curriculum. Integration also allows blocks of time to be utilised in the most efficient way and is particularly useful in multi-class situations in small schools. A number of factors are necessary for integration and linkage to work successfully. These include: systematic planning by the teacher in order to ensure continuity and progression taking careful account of curricular requirements the structuring of topic work. Integrated topics work best when they have a single subject bias or when they emphasise particular subject whole-school planning to ensure adequate subject coverage and a balanced range of content within each subject. Linkage within geography Although the curriculum is presented in three strands teachers will find that almost all geographical studies will encompass elements from at least two and perhaps all three strands. The study of the locality and other environments will normally include the examination of both human and natural environmental features and these studies may also give rise to the discussion of environmental issues and concerns. For example, a study of children's homes may encompass aspects of human geography, natural environmental features in which the home is located and natural processes such as weathering and erosion. The study could also be extended to include homes and settlements in a number of places in Ireland and in other countries and to a discussion of how natural and other materials have been used in the construction of dwellings. Consideration could also be given to how the construction of homes has impacted upon the environment. It should also be remembered that the study of each unit in the geography curriculum will provide opportunities for the simultaneous development of geographical skills and concepts.

Integration within SESE Many opportunities exist for valuable links to be made between geography, science and history. The close alignment of Geographical investigation skills and Working scientifically is intended to demonstrate how many investigations in geography can provide opportunities for the application of scientific methods while the construction of models of environmental features will develop the skills outlined in Designing and making. The examination of natural features and fauna of local and other environments will complement studies of Living things in science while the strand Environmental awareness and care is included in both curricula. The study of environments will inevitably lead to the discussion of how places and features have been shaped by the actions of people in the past. Thus, studies of local environments in geography may be closely linked to the strand Local studies and to the biographies of individuals explored in the strand Story in the history programme. Integration between geography and other subject areas Many content elements in the geography curriculum have close links with other curricula. The crossreference notes included in the curriculum statements will help to identify possibilities for integration. The links between geography and two other curricular areas are highlighted in the curriculum. The development of the child's sense of identity and citizenship to which geography contributes is developed more fully in the SPHE curriculum while many of the skills outlined in Maps, globes and graphical skills will be dependent on the child's mathematical development. Other curricular areas with which integration may be effected include: visual arts: developing aesthetic awareness in the environment and during construction activities physical education: outdoor and adventure activities complementing map work and the development of the child's sense of place and space language: in the discussion and presentation of geographical ideas, through encouraging the child's awareness of languages in other countries and through identifying the relationships between geographical features and placenames in Irish and English.

Integration using a broadly based theme approach

A theme such as 'Water', 'Homes', or one based on a novel or story can be chosen and explored in a number of ways which would use elements of many different subject areas. This approach is often used with very young children. It requires careful planning in order to avoid superficial treatment of a wide range of content.

Seasonal factors
Work requiring visits in the environment will obviously be affected by weather though opportunities should be sought to view local environments on a number of occasions in the year so as to observe seasonal changes. Locations and sites to be explored in the environment may be quieter, or less crowded, or safer at certain times of the year and this should be borne in mind when planning a scheme of work.

The availability of resources and support

It is helpful to establish what resources and support might be available and when they will be in use by other teachers and classes. For example, different classes may need access to books from the library at particular times, parent volunteers willing to help with visits may be assisting other teachers and the factory or farm may not be able to accommodate a visit at certain times of the year.

Assessment
When planning units of work teachers should also identify how pupil progress might be assessed and work recorded. As the section on assessment in the curriculum makes clear, much assessment information may be obtained as teaching and learning take place: if the expected outcomes of a learning task are identified clearly in advance by the teacher then the progress of pupils will be more readily assessed. The information about the pupils' learning gleaned from teacher observation, teacher-designed tasks and tests and other means will provide the basis for the planning of follow-up activities and future work in geography.

CHARACTERISTIC OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

1. It should faster the growth of development of attitude and skills required for maintaining a planned social order of democratic type. To put more concretely, it should contribute towards democratic living. 2. It should not be narrowly conceived but dynamic and forward looking, sample adequately both the scientific content and the abilities of the pupils to the developed, should cater to the right use of leisure later on and should be related to the environment in which the children live. Consequently, it will then become exiting, real and imaginative. 3. It is tested and improved through research. 4. It should aim at bringing about an intelligent and effective adjustment with the environment itself. Further, it should enable pupils to acquire relevant scientific information of subsequent use in the significant areas of human living. 5. It should be psychologically sound. It should take into account the theories of learning relevant to science teaching. Further, children's capacities and capabilities, if taken into account, will lead to the development of differentiated curriculum. Incorporating geographical difference in it will be another innovation. 6. It should provide sufficient scope for the cultivation of skills, interest, attitudes and appreciations. 7. It must be mostly based upon the first hand experiences of the pupils from all the significant areas of human living. These experiences are characterized by newness, novelty, challenge, stimulation and creativity. Science Content receives increasing emphasis as the children move to the higher grades.