Year 9 Environmental Quality - Geography Fieldtrip

The study of Geography is best done outdoors – pupils get to see in practice the issues and topics they explore in the classroom. During the Summer Term, Year 9 Geography pupils study the topic of Environmental Quality, and as part of their study, pupils had the opportunity to go on a one day fieldtrip, visiting a couple of contrasting locations within the urban area of Tianjin.

Pupils worked in groups, interviewing local residents and examining various elements of the environments they visited, ranging from parking and safety to lighting and litter. The various data collected on the day go on to form the basis of a written project, where pupils attempt to explain why environmental quality varies between different locations.

The fieldtrip and written project give pupils the opportunity to hone their analytical skills, where data is presented in various formats (e.g. in the form of isoline maps), and for them to learn numerous research related skills. Pupils also get to grips with the problematic nature of attempting to ‘measure’ environmental quality in an objective manner, and this is where strong links can be found between their study of Geography and Critical Thinking.