Geographical Enquiry Skills

Lesson Overview

Duration: 60 minutes
Year Group: Year 11
Curriculum Area: AQA GCSE Geography, Geographical skills and enquiry

Lesson Objectives

1. Understand the principles of geographical enquiry.
2. Develop skills in formulating geographical questions.
3. Identify and apply methods for collecting, analysing, and presenting geographical data.
4. Prepare for fieldwork with a practical, engaging activity.

Materials Needed

• Interactive whiteboard or projector
• A3 paper
• Coloured markers
• Pre-prepared data sets (e.g., from a local area study)
• Computers or tablets with spreadsheet software
• Laminated photos/maps of local area
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed questionnaires for survey practice

Lesson Outline

Introduction (10 minutes)

• Starter Activity:
  Begin with a brief class discussion:

  • Question: "What does geographical enquiry mean to you?"
  • Encourage students to think about geographical enquiry as a way of asking questions about the world's landscapes and environments.
  • Write down key terms from the discussion on the whiteboard (e.g., hypothesis, data collection, analysis, conclusion).

• Explain Lesson Objectives:
  Articulate the goals for the lesson, ensuring students understand the purpose of developing enquiry skills in preparation for their GCSE coursework and fieldwork.

Main Activities

Formulating Questions (15 minutes)

• Activity 1 – Group Work:

  1. Divide students into small groups of 4-5.
  2. Give each group an A3 sheet and coloured markers.
  3. Provide each group with laminated photos/maps of a local area.
  4. Ask each group to develop 3-5 geographical questions about the area (e.g., "How does land use vary across the area?").
  5. Groups present one of their questions to the class.

• Discussion and Feedback:

  • Discuss which questions could be pursued further and why.
  • Highlight effective questioning techniques.

Data Collection Methods (15 minutes)

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Briefly present different data collection methods (survey, observation, measurement, secondary data).
  • Use a simple visual aid on the projector to illustrate examples.

• Activity 2:

  • Practise by distributing the pre-prepared data sets and sample questionnaires.
  • Task the students, in their groups, to decide on appropriate data collection methods for their chosen question (from the previous activity) and outline a basic plan.

Analysing and Presenting Data (10 minutes)

• Demonstration:

  • Using the interactive whiteboard, demonstrate how to enter data into a spreadsheet and create basic graphs/charts.

• Activity 3:

  • Allow students to experiment briefly with data on computers or tablets.
  • Encourage them to think about how different presentations of data (bar charts, pie charts) can affect interpretations.

Plenary and Homework (10 minutes)

• Plenary:

  • Recap key lesson points with students, focusing on enquiry cycle: question, method, data collection, analysis, and conclusion.
  • Solicit volunteers to summarize different parts of the lesson (formulating questions, data collection, analysis).

• Homework Assignment:

  • Students should write a short reflection on how the skills learned could be applied to a real-world geographical enquiry. Suggest choosing either a local community issue or a global phenomenon.

Assessment

• Formative Assessment: Observe participation during group activities and discussions.
• Homework Assessment: Review reflections to assess understanding and application of geographical enquiry steps.

This lesson plan is aligned with the AQA GCSE Geography standards, ensuring students are not only prepared for their exams but also equipped with essential skills for fieldwork and real-world geographical analysis.