Geography GCSE subject content April 2014

Today’s blog post comes from Ken Lacey, Education Manager at Ordnance Survey.  Here, Ken highlights parts of the new Geography curriculum that Digimap for Schools mapping and tools support.

Published in April 2014 the subject aims and learning outcomes of the Geography GCSE subject content document should enable students to build on their key stage 3 knowledge and skills to:

“Develop and extend their competence in a range of skills including those used in field work, in using maps and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)……..�

Within the section titled Scope of Study, reference is specifically made to maps in Para 10 where we read:

“The use of a range of maps, atlases, Ordnance Survey maps, satellite imagery and other graphic and digital materials including the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), to obtain, illustrate, analyse and evaluate geographical information. To include making maps and sketches to present and interpret geographical information�

Within the section titled Assessment of fieldwork, attention is drawn in Para 23 to “The following areas of knowledge, skills and understanding should be assessed through the fieldwork assessment� and includes the following “processing and presenting fieldwork data in various ways including maps graphs and diagrams�

Digimap for Schools provides a range of GB wide Ordnance Survey map scales including a historical One inch map layer dated 1895 – 1899 and provides a range of tools to illustrate, analyse and evaluate geographical information. The tools allow the user to illustrate their map with drawings and text, add photographs and analyse areas with the point or line buffer tool.

Available to all is Digimap for Schools free resources which provide a range of activities at all key stages to enhance the classroom experience using maps to broaden their geographic experience and skills. These include the resources titled ‘Quick ideas for using Digimap for Schools’ which presents 12 quick classroom or homework ideas which make use Digimap for Schools and ‘Digimap for Schools to support GCSE’ which highlights the use of Digimap for School at GCSE.

Latest Digimap for Schools Newsletter

The latest Digimap for Schools newsletter, for the summer 2013 term, has been released!

Click the link to view the PDF newsletter: Newsletter Issue 2

Read about the latest Digimap for Schools developments, hints and tips, the proposed new curriculum for England and how you can earn a collectable Ordnance Survey mouse!

If you would like a batch of 10-20 newsletter printed out for your school, drop us an email and we can print them and send them on. Also if you have any comments about the newsletter please get in touch also. Emails should be sent to: edina@ed.ac.uk

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