North West Region co-ordinator – Ruth Ward PROGRESS REPORT MARCH 2005 Three Primary schools and three Secondary schools are involved in the work of this group Most schools have focused their work on the local area, but have trialled some new teaching ideas suggested by the Valuing Places project to make their teaching more real and more child centred. INSET event provisionally booked for Tues Nov 8th at the Holiday Inn Runcorn

The Valuing places project- Teachers at their first meeting

Open discussion between teachers at KS2 and KS3 about the importance of Geography in the curriculum

Working together St Lukes primary school made a visit to their local market with year 4 pupils and carried out a survey of visitors to find out how far they had travelled They also asked the stall holders where the produce on sale had originated They then asked Year 10 pupils from the local High School to help them to sort and map their data

Global connections mapped with help from a Year 10 pupil from Helsby High School

How far did people travel to visit the market?

Valuing Places : Our Ladys Catholic High School Liverpool Year 7 pupils were engaged in an emotional mapping exercise around the school buildings and grounds This lower attaining class were able to read and use a map and to explain how they felt about different areas of the school They were asked to use symbols to show their feelings rather than writing about the map

Pupils were proud to show their work and explain how they felt about their school

Pupil quotes I liked being out of the classroom This is a nice area because people have put plants in. I wish we could have more plants

Overton Primary School, Frodsham As part of a topic on water pupils visited Bunbury Mill – an old flour mill Pupils mapped their journey Pupils investigated the site factors for the mill Pupils used photographs annotating them Pupils developed emotional mapping skills Cross curricular links were made to technology in particular

Pupils engaged in writing up their visit to Bunbury Mill as part of a study of water. Images of their visit are seen in in the background

These pupils are completing an emotional map of the mill

There were strong links with technology. Pupils used the flour ground at the mill to make bread in a bread maker.

Valuing Places : Whitby High School Year 7 pupils are focusing on their local area Opinions about the facilities provided and the state of their local environment were requested and discussed Pupils used card sorting activities and photo interpretation skills to help them to investigate their local area

Card sorting activity –reasons for site and growth of Ellesmere Port

Decisions Decisions!!! Pupils have seen a variety of images of the local area to remind them of the main facilities Ellesmere Port now provides for work and leisure. They had to decide which new facilities should be built, and where.

Manor House Primary School Frodsham Working with a group of gifted and talented pupils Pupils collecting data and helping to put together a learning pack about the local area focusing on transport Strong fieldwork element

Following the footpath up Frodsham hill

View from the hill – Where do these routeways take us???