Joining up the modules:

the importance of holistic geographies

Charles Rawding: Edge Hill University: GTE 2013. Hull.

Defining geography: an interview discussion.CR: Define geography Candidate: Oh, erm, followed by a list of modules studied during their degree. CR: OK. Let’s say you’re in the pub and someone walks in that you haven’t seen for a while. They ask you what you’re doing and your reply is that you’re training to become a geography teacher. Their response is ‘ I was useless at geography at school, didn’t see the point, why are you doing that?’ What would your response be? Candidate: At this point, the more thoughtful candidates launch into an impassioned defence of the relevance and importance of geography – but they don’t always provide a compelling narrative for the importance of the subject.

It is essential that we, as geography teachers, develop an effective ‘interpretive narrative’ for our subject.

(Bruner,1996:100)

An ‘interpretive narrative’ is essential to avoid the subject being viewed as an almost eclectic mix of topics that might equally easily be taught in some other area of the curriculum such as science or citizenship.

A question that is asked too frequently is ‘what kind of geographer are you?’ – the shorthand response usually being ‘physical’ or ‘human’ (Lambert and Morgan,2010:163-4), yet such a response demonstrates a failure to perceive of the subject as a single entity, a perspective which is essential for the teacher of school geography.

Geography is literally the study of the earth.

South America is nine times the size of Greenland.Africa is the second largest continent.

Concept Impact on geographiesLatitude Major determinant on world temperatures. Key

element in relation to understanding location.

Longitude Key element in relation to understanding location. Key element in understanding global variations in time.

Continentality Major influence on climatic variation, vegetation, habitat.

Oceans Major influence on climatic variation, vegetation, habitat.

Earth’s orbit Major influence on seasonal variations in climate.The atmosphere

Controls life on earth

The capitalist economy

Highlights the increasing interconnectedness of nations as capitalism globalises.

Fundamental holistic geographies.

Ocean circulations

The effect of the Japanese tsunami, 2011.

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Global atmospheric circulation

Issue Influence on geographies

Plate tectonics Volcano and earthquake distribution, major changes to continental landforms, widespread human impacts.

Climate change Key issue facing humanity – likely to have widespread impacts on climate, sea level, habitation, hazard appraisal.

Globalisation All pervasive, if contested, processes that have influence across the range of social, economic and environmental geographies.

Single issue holistic geographies.