ABSTRACT
One of the main ideas in this chapter is that geographical themes and issues involve complex problems that rarely have precise or clear-cut answers. This chapter also highlights how learning is itself an untidy process that does not fall into the neat and orderly sequences that many would have us believe. Finding out about the real world is, inevitably, a much messier process than studying sanitised textbook examples. If the curriculum is to be meaningful it involves, as Catling and Pickering (2010) argue, investigating real issues rather than separating children from them. Getting your hands dirty is part of the process of engaging with this fascinating subject.
