During the PGCE Geography course at the University of Bath, we were set the task of dividing into smaller groups and going out onto the University Campus to look for and devise field work opportunities.
This idea is based on the principle that there this often many opportunities for teachers to use their local area, such as the school grounds to provide appropriate fieldwork opportunities to support the curriculum.
Often teachers may be faced with a busy school timetable, which will not allow for any field trips further afield, so therefore, if they can make use of their local surroundings and area, they can still provide students with an outdoor learning environment.
The group I worked with decided to carry out a geographical enquiry into the recycling facilities on the University campus.
We went to speak to the site manager about the policies of the university regarding recycling waste, and what opportunities there would be for a group of school students if they were to attend the university to carry out our hypothetical enquiry.
Afterwards we carried out a brief hypothetical risk assessment to consider the implications of a school visit to carry out our enquiry as if the field work was to be really carried out. We also planned the event in theory, such as: What activities the students would undertake during their enquiry, setting boundaries, planning the itinerary for the day etc.
When we returned to the classroom, we also devised a worksheet to highlight the opportunities available to carry out the enquiry.
The worksheet (image shown on the left), which is aimed at KS3 students, follows the adventures of 'Ali' the Aluminium can man on his adventures to the recycling plant then to his new life as another aluminium product.
The students can carry out this follow up enquiry work when they return to school. They would be able to use the field work, to gain first hand experience into resource use and consolidate their learning with further enquiry work at school.
The whole experience was extremely beneficial, as it highlighted that with a little imagination, you can provide stimulating and beneficial field work opportunities, which are grounded with the Geography curriculum, without neccessarily even leaving the school grounds.
I intend to use this experience to develop more local field work opportunities in the future.
(Download a copy of the worksheet in a word format by clicking on the worksheet image.)
