Resource #V107232

Précis

Students will be able to explain the physical characteristics that made this a good site for the development of the settlement of Southampton. Students will also be able to explain the additional characteristics that led to the development and growth of the port facilities and of industry at Fawley.

Contextual Summary

This is a geography resource which engages students with the environment of Southampton Water and The Solent, whilst on their Red Funnel ferry journey across to and/or from the Isle of Wight. It includes pre-visit, on-site, and post-visit activities. This resource focuses on the human geography of the area; specifically, the reasons for the development of the settlement of Southampton, and for the development of the port and industry on Southampton Water. In the pre-visit activity students examine the physical characteristics which made this a good site for the settlement, and use an OS map extract to identify and label these characteristics. More able students will stretch their thinking by then considering the human and physical characteristics which have influenced the growth of the city over time. While on board the ferry, students then use a variety of different sources (OS maps, factual information and photos) to gather evidence to support their ideas from the pre-visit activity i.e. to find evidence of the characteristics that make this a good location for the port. They will also be looking at the location of Fawley oil refinery and producing a labelled field sketch to show why this was a good location for this industrial development. Finally, the post-visit activity is a stimulating dragons' den-style task whereby students work in groups to select the best site for a new port development and ?pitch? their ideas in a presentation.

Curriculum Relevance

Geography → Human and Physical Geography → Coasts

Implementation

The pre-visit activity starts simply by getting students to imagine that they are early settlers and they must make their ?wish list? of the characteristics they would like to find at their new settlement site. Then, imagining that they have found it, they use an extract showing the Southampton area to label the key features which made this a good site for the settlement. More able students should be encouraged to also consider the growth of the settlement; what human / physical characteristics have influenced the growth of the city (e.g. bridges being built over the rivers, motorways / road links being developed). Really able students may even be able to identify factors that have affected the direction of growth / shape of the settlement (e.g. the area of marshy land around the River Test). Before they embark on their crossing and the on-site tasks, it would be a good idea to summarise the key ideas that students have identified so that they have a solid understanding of what factors make a good site for a settlement / port / industry. The on-site activities then focus on students looking at the port and industrial activities on Southampton Water as they make the journey across to the Isle of Wight. Initially, before the ferry departs and soon after departure, students will be able to observe the port and its surroundings. They should be encouraged to think about what they can see in relation to what was discussed and what they learnt before the trip; what evidence can they see for the characteristics discussed? On the worksheet, they are also provided with a range of figures which gives them further information from different sources; photos, maps and factual information from secondary sources, e.g. ABP. Using both their own observations and the figures provided, they should complete the table. The idea is that they show their ability to interpret a range of sources of information and apply it by explaining the evidence that they can find (either observed first-hand or gathered from the sources) for characteristics which make this a good location for the port. Essentially, they are trying to ?prove? (by giving evidence) that this is a good location for the port, and to justify why it was located here. Further down Southampton Water, towards The Solent, student will see Fawley Oil refinery and petrochemical plant, and also the now redundant power station. They are provided with a page of background information which they should read very carefully, perhaps underlining or highlighting key points as they go. The task involves them drawing a field sketch within the frame provided. It should be a simply sketch of Fawley as they pass on the ferry; the key here isn?t the complexity or artwork of the sketch itself, but more the ability to outline the key features that they can see and identify how these relate to what they have learnt about what makes this a good location for this industrial development. The background information will help them to explain some of the reasons why this is a good site for the oil refinery and petrochemical plant, but they should also be able to apply their own ideas and understanding. The aim of the post-visit activity is to work in small groups to decide on the best location for new docks to be built as part of a port expansion. The task has been set up as a Dragon?s Den style activity and students are given the ?scenario?. They are provided with a map, around which are some further images which will act as stimuli to help them to decide which areas are best (and not good!) for the new dock facilities to be built. Once they have chosen their ?site? they must put together their ?pitch? and present it to the CEO of ABP (their teacher!) who will choose the best pitch from all of the presentations. The idea is that they will show all that they have learnt about what makes a good location (and bad location!) for the new development, and they should be expected to develop and justify their plans fully. They can use the information and images on the worksheet, as well as their own photos taken on the crossing and perhaps their own research on the internet.

Key Skills Practised

• Understanding key processes in human geography (human activities; settlement, land use, economic activities - industry)
• Observation of, and analyzing, OS maps; labelling and annotating maps
• Conducting fieldwork by making observations and applying their observations to a specific task
• Decision-making and working collaboratively with peers to produce presentations (post-visit activity)

Learning Opportunities

Pre-Visit

Students will familiarise themselves with the characteristics which make a site an ideal location for a settlement, and they will also consider the additional characteristics necessary for the development of port and industrial activities.

On Site

Students use their own observations, as well as the variety of information displayed in different ways on the worksheet to complete the tasks on the ferry.

Post-Visit

Students complete the post-visit activity, which involves deciding the best location for new port facilities / docks and present their ideas.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to explain the physical characteristics that made this a good site for the development of the settlement of Southampton. Students will also be able to explain the additional characteristics that led to the development and growth of the port facilities and of industry at Fawley. Students will make observations and interpret information from a variety of different sources. Students will work in groups to work through a decision-making exercise, and produce a presentation of their ideas (post-visit activity).