ABSTRACT
Successful teaching and learning in geography are inevitably dependent to a greater or lesser extent on resources; and with current and ever-increasing pressures on schools’ budgets the acquisition of a wide range of useful items is no doubt a daunting, if not impossible, challenge. This chapter begins, therefore, with some general comments on and advice
aimed at reducing levels of anxiety in school budget holders, generated by the prospect of having to do conjuring tricks with cash before any worthwhile geographical education can be achieved. In the first instance, schools may be surprised at the wide range of relevant
materials that can be used from resource banks of other subject areas. Many general reading books, for example, commonly found in early years classrooms, are ideal for developing into geographical topics or for illustrating specific concepts and issues – more will be said about this later in the chapter. Many items purchased for science education are obviously transferable to geographical studies, notably equipment for collecting, observing and magnifying, and for studying the weather. Sand and water apparatus is highly relevant for investigatory studies and experimentation in various aspects of physical geography. Mathematics equipment, in the form of measuring devices, and material for reinforcing elements of size and shape, is necessary for many tasks relating to the teaching of geographical skills, and resources of technology and information technology are clearly important across the geography curriculum. It would probably be true to say that every infant school could ask its pupils to undertake a sophisticated range of geographical tasks without purchase of specialist equipment. Furthermore, an impressive bank of resources for geography can be built
up at little or no cost apart from effort on the part of staff – and all schools are encouraged to begin establishing such a bank now, if a collection is not already in place. For example:
Make a school collection ofmaps of various scales, sizes and uses; consult the local Tourist Information Centre and travel agent, look out for maps in papers and magazines, and try to acquire a range of published maps, e.g. an Ordnance Survey map of the local area, a world map, an A-Z. Visit the local planning office, and ask whether any maps are available; the local studies section of the library may also be helpful.
