Promoting diversity in geography and history

Introduction

The latest online meeting of the Primary Humanities Network (Gloucestershire) took place on 21 November 2020.

Attracting delegates from Gloucestershire, neighbouring counties and from Europe, the meeting focused on the consideration of new websites and resources to support the new curriculum.

The GA’s Strategic Plan for 2020-2025 includes three aims and objectives, one of which focuses on ‘creating a more inclusive and sustainable geography education community’ and ‘promoting greater diversity in geography education and the Association’ (https://www.geography.org.uk/Journals/GA-Magazine).

In the same magazine, Alan Kinder, Chief Executive, and Susan Pike, the current President, write about ‘From compassion to action, through geography education’ in the section entitled ‘Policy matters’.

The latest edition of Teaching Geography has a thought-provoking and informative article written by Charlotte Milner about ‘classroom strategies for tackling the whiteness of geography’ (https://www.geography.org.uk/Journals/Teaching-geography).

GeogPod, the GA’s podcast, is often more relevant to secondary teachers and above.  However, episodes 12 and 13 may well be worth listening to as they discuss the issues around diversity within geography and defining and decolonising the subject (https://www.geography.org.uk/GeogPod-The-GAs-Podcast).

This quarter’s Primary Geography journal also mentioned diversity; take a look at ‘Fundamental British Values: Geography’s contribution to understanding difference’ by Fatima Pirbhai-Illich and Fran Martin and ‘Democracy in the classroom’ by Lily Smith (https://www.geography.org.uk/Journals/Primary-Geography).

Further insight into British Values and geography can be gleaned by visiting the following pages of the GA’s website: https://www.geography.org.uk/teaching-resources/british-values-geography.

A useful resource for Key Stage 2 teachers is ‘The UK: Investigating who we are’, part of the Geography Plus series (https://www.geography.org.uk/Shop/Geography-Plus-The-UK-Investigating-who-we-are/9781843772712).

In their ‘Critical thinking in practice’ guide, there is an activity called ‘Odd one out’, which helps to identify communality and reflect on difference (https://www.geography.org.uk/Critical-thinking-in-the-classroom).

To read the full list of recommended websites and new resources, check out the following link:

Term 2’s virtual Primary Humanities Network meeting goes European!