The exemplars which follow illustrate how different approaches to planning, teaching and learning can create a variety of schemes of work for geography. In each case, a summary overview of the scheme is presented followed by a detailed description of some of the units of work included. The schemes and units of work used are not prescriptive and have been chosen by way of illustration only.
Exemplar 1: Infant classes
The scheme of work in Exemplar 1 below for junior and senior infant classes is constructed around a number of themes in which different aspects of the SESE curricula are addressed in an integrated, cross-curricular approach. Suggested possible activities for some of the themes are outlined in Exemplar 1A on the pages which follow.
EXEMPLAR 1 - A possible scheme of work for infant classes
EXEMPLAR 1a - Sample units of work from a scheme for infant classes
Exemplar 2: Third and fourth classes
The scheme of work in Exemplar 2 opposite is designed for use in a rural school in County Cavan. It is largely determined by the need to include a number of geographical contexts in the programme for third and fourth classes:
- a study of the local area. The first four units -- 'Homes', 'Our own place', 'Working on the farm' and 'Making our visitors welcome' -- comprise a comprehensive local study
- a contrasting environment in Ireland. The urban area of the county town of Cavan has been chosen and has been examined in two units of work: 'Cavan: our county town' and in the study on the electricity transformer factory. Any substantial urban area in Ireland could have been used for this unit; for example, equally relevant studies could have been based on neighbouring county towns such as Navan or Monaghan, or a regional centre such as Dundalk with its brewing and port activities
- an environment in a European country. The unit entitled 'Paris: the home city of our angling visitors' provides a European context and has the advantage of a relevant link to the experiences of the children as a large percentage of the French tourists to County Cavan come on fishing holidays
- a non-European study. This has been achieved through the unit on 'Recycling' in which examples are taken from a number of developing countries and in the units on 'Homes' and 'Weather, climate and atmosphere' where a range of international examples are studied. This study also fulfils the requirement to study a global environmental issue.
Other units have been added to cover the remaining aspects of the programme and reflect the strand units of the curriculum:
- a unit designed to familiarise children with some of the natural and human features of the county and Ireland, 'My county and country'
- a unit on 'Planet Earth in space'.
Each of the units contributes to the development of the child's understanding of natural and human environments and many of them provide the context for the discussion of environmental issues on a local or global scale. The detail of some of these units is outlined in Exemplar 2A on pp. 54ff. For the purposes of illustration a wide range of possible activities has been included in each unit: these should be regarded as a menu from which teachers could select appropriate learning experiences for their pupils.
A school using a scheme such as this one could help to ensure breadth and balance in the curriculum by ensuring that in the fifth and sixth classes a different contrasting environment in Ireland was chosen (perhaps part of a large urban area such as Limerick or Cork) and further new areas in Europe and elsewhere were studied.
EXEMPLAR 2 - A possible scheme of work for third and fourth classes
EXEMPLAR 2a - Some sample units of work from a scheme for third and fourth classes