Resource #V152181

Précis

This is a KS5 Geography resource which engages students with the farming and working environment of Tapnell Farm Park. It includes comprehensive pre-visit, on-site, and post-visit activities. Students will learn about the concept of ?place? and how people may perceive places differently, and have a different ?mental image? of a place, depending on their age, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, and their role within the place, etc. They will consider how ?lived experiences? of place may affect a person?s view of it, and how this may change over time. They will consider Tapnell Farm Park as an example of a place, and will carry out research into both formal and informal representations of the Farm. Students will investigate ?place-making? at Tapnell, how rebranding and reimaging has strived to give the farm a new identity and image, and during their visit they will thoroughly explore what has been done to achieve this via the range of facilities, attractions, and amenities that the farm has to offer. They will also carry out a range of different field-based enquiries and surveys in order to evaluate the ?success? of the rebranding process to date. They will not only examine the positive ?side? of things, associated with all the activities and amenities on offer, but will also consider some of the issues associated with the tourist and leisure developments, and how these are being managed, including Tapnell?s approach to sustainability and ?eco?

Contextual Summary

This is a KS5 Geography resource which engages students with the farming and working environment of Tapnell Farm Park. It includes comprehensive pre-visit, on-site, and post-visit activities. Students will learn about the concept of ?place? and how people may perceive places differently, and have a different ?mental image? of a place, depending on their age, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, and their role within the place, etc. They will consider how ?lived experiences? of place may affect a person?s view of it, and how this may change over time. They will consider Tapnell Farm Park as an example of a place, and will carry out research into both formal and informal representations of the Farm. Students will investigate ?place-making? at Tapnell, how rebranding and reimaging has strived to give the farm a new identity and image, and during their visit they will thoroughly explore what has been done to achieve this via the range of facilities, attractions, and amenities that the farm has to offer. They will also carry out a range of different field-based enquiries and surveys in order to evaluate the ?success? of the rebranding process to date. They will not only examine the positive ?side? of things, associated with all the activities and amenities on offer, but will also consider some of the issues associated with the tourist and leisure developments, and how these are being managed, including Tapnell?s approach to sustainability and ?eco?/ethical tourism practices. In all, this study will form an excellent example to meet many of the criteria under the themes of ?space, place and placemaking? within the current KS5 Geography specifications.

Curriculum Relevance

Geography → Knowledge and understanding of places → Identify how and why places change

Implementation

Before their visit, students will learn a little bit of background to the farm. There is an introduction on the worksheet that should be read carefully. Then, students are introduced to the term ?place? and the physical and human characteristics that make up a place. Task 1, called ?place perceptions?, then encourages them to consider their mental image of the place they live, or of a place they know very well. Some discussion of their answers to the questions should take place here, in order to try and highlight some of the factors, and differing ?lived experiences?, that can affect different people?s perceptions of place. Next, students are introduced to ?formal and informal representations of place?. Some discussion to ensure that they know and understand the meanings of these terms should take place before they then get to know the farm through exploring a range of different resources which show informal representations of Tapnell. These include: an OS map extract, GIS, photographs, and various internet-based resources including specific Isle of Wight tourism sites. They will find out where Tapnell Farm is located, what it was like before and during ?diversification?, and what it is like now. Using all of these resources, students are required to complete the table supplied on the worksheet in as much detail as they can. As far as possible, students should be encouraged to do this independently, so that differences in opinions can be explored through discussion once the table has been completed. Targeted teacher assistance will help less able students with completing the task. As well as highlighting the ways in which different ?media? and representations can affect our perception of a place, and how these vary from person to person, it will also provide a good opportunity for discussion of the geographical terminology and concepts so that students have a firm understanding before their trip.

Key Skills Practised

• Understanding key processes in human geography: understanding ?place? and perceptions/mental images of places, and how these can be influenced by a range of formal and informal representations of a place. Farming and farm diversification into lei
• The use of a wide variety of different sources of information, including maps, GIS, photographs, social media and internet ? based materials
• Conducting fieldwork by making observations and applying their observations to a variety of specific fieldwork tasks. This will allow students to fully investigate Tapnell Farm Park as a ?place? and the ?placemaking? process that has taken pl
• Both literacy and numeracy skills are developed and enhanced through the activities in the worksheet
• Carrying out both collaborative work with their peers on given activities and tasks, and also working independently, e.g. researching
• Presentation skills ? the development and delivery of an oral presentation on a given area of what they have learnt in the post-visit activity.

Learning Opportunities

Pre-Visit

Students will learn the key terms and examine both formal and informal representations of Tapnell Farm Park, as well as the reasons behind diversification.

On Site

Students will investigate first-hand the range of activities at the farm park, consider the ?attraction? of these, potential conflicts and issues and how these are addressed/managed both for the enjoyment and safety of visitors and also for sustainability. All of this will give them an excellent understanding of the rebranding/place-making process, and they will consider how it has changed the identity of Tapnell Farm Park as a place, and evaluate the relative success of this.

Post-Visit

Students use the guidance on the worksheet to develop and deliver a presentation based a particular given aspect of what they have investigated and learnt.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to define what the following key geographical terms mean: place, formal and informal representations of place, qualitative and quantitative data, farm diversification, honeypot site, rebranding and reimaging, placemaking, ethical tourism, ecotourism and sustainability. Students will know what has been done to rebrand the farm as part of the placemaking process; they?ll be able to describe what facilities and attractions are located at Tapnell Farm Park, as an example of a farm that has diversified and rebranded to reimage itself. Students will draw graphs using data supplied, and be able to describe how visitor/tourist numbers have grown since the farm diversified, and also how employment has changed from when it was a dairy farm. Students will be able to discuss the ways in which these attractions create advantages, and potential disadvantages, for both visitors / leisure users. They will be able to name specific issues and potential conflicts, and use this information to evaluate the relative success of the rebranding process. Students will be able to discuss the various ways in which Tapnell Farm Park is managing any of these issues, and will be able to describe the attempts being made to be sustainable through energy/waste/environmental management, and eco (ethical) tourism. Students will develop and deliver an oral presentation based on a given aspect of what they have learnt.