What it’s all about

My geographical knowledge is far from encyclopaedic, but I use maps, globes, satellite images and atlases to locate those I’m not sure of. This is not just what geographers do; it’s what 21st-century citizens do and we need to start raising awareness of it in primary, writes Paula Owens.

Here are some quick ideas to help develop this kind of geographical thinking in your classroom.

Get an inflatable globe, or two; one that’s labelled and one not, so you can stick on your own labels. Play warm-up “globe tossing” games at the start of class, where pupils take it in turn to catch a globe and answer a question. “Show me a countrycontinentin the southern hemisphere”; “Show me somewhere you’ve been on holiday, etc” . Children love this game and it quickly develops vocabulary and confidence, as well as helping you assess what pupils know.

Keep a globe handy and have a map of the world andor the UK on the wall. Pin news stories, holiday leaflets, or relevant events to this on a daily or weekly basis. Locate places mentioned in stories or television programmes.

Laminate A4 maps and have them in reading boxes or on tables for reference. Have a mystery image of the week from the Nasa archives or images of landmarks to which you can add a clue each day. Have team games to see who can give locations most quickly.

You can purchase an up-to-date blow-up globe of the world from the Geographical Association Shop: http:www.geography.org.ukshopshop_detail.asp?ID=655 - pound;5.99 or pound;4.99 for GA members.

What else?

Download free teaching ideas with a blow-up globe from geography.org.uk

Find aerial images of places in the world with Nasa’s photographs.