Resource #V107162

Précis

This set of resources helps students to learn about how change in climate and subsequent geological/geographical change shapes human lives and development over time by studying the Solent area, a specific south-eastern coastal environment of the UK.

Contextual Summary

This three-part resource (pre-visit, on-site, post-visit) is designed to develop and apply understanding of large scale change of geological & geographical physical features and human adaptation to such change. Pre-visit activities lay the foundation to the topic by exploring the geological and pre-historic past of Europe and Britain with focus on the creation of the Solent Area. On-site activities, to be used on board a Red Funnel ferry, focus on the observation of geomorphological processes in the Solent Area in the present and to record evidence of change and human adaptation to it. Post-visit activities invite students to use the facts and information gained in the previous tasks to research and imagine the future geological & geographical changes of the Solent Area focusing on possible human adaptations to climate change/rise of sea level. The understanding of the Key Geographical Questions (What, Where, When, Why, How) will be developed and applied in the course of this three part structure. The pre-visit tasks are based on the question ?How did it get like this??; the on-site activities on the question ?How is it changing?? and the post-visit tasks on ?What might be the effects of change?? Understanding of the creation of river & coastal landforms and geomorphological processes (erosion/weathering, transportation & deposition) are required. The resources help students engage with the topographical features of the UK?s South-East coastal region from Southampton Harbour via Southampton Water and the Solent to East Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

Curriculum Relevance

Geography → Human and Physical Geography → Physical Geography

Implementation

The resources will require students in section I (pre-visit) to re-cap their understanding of human and physical processes (creation of river & coastal landforms, geomorphological processes: erosion/weathering, transportation & deposition) by applying them to the past of the Solent Area in the context of the most recent glacial period. The on-site field work activities are designed to focus attention on the constant interaction between physical change and human intervention/adaptation in the present. Post-visit tasks allow students to use their knowledge and understanding to consider future climate change/rise of sea level and its implications on the Solent area.

Key Skills Practised

• Application of Key Geographical Questions to explore change through geological/pre-historic past, present and future of the Solent area
• Reconstruction of living conditions of palaeolithic people by using geological, geographic and archaeological information
• Discussion of how climate change affected their environment and how pre-historic people adapted to change
• Comparison of pre-historic and present situation of humans with regards to consequences of climate change
• Lateral thinking and making cross-curricular connections

Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate and develop their knowledge and understanding of the Key Geographical Concepts and Questions and their central role in investigating and identifying the interaction between physical and human change. They can demonstrate & develop use of directional and geographical key vocabulary and concepts.