By Rebecca Sudworth.

OXFAM Pounds 15 per pack.

Each of these packs, designed for key stage 1 and early key stage 2, contains six full-colour A3 posters, one full-colour A1 poster and a booklet of notes for teachers with suggested activities for pupils. They all have the sharp edge of reality - avoiding sensationalism - which teachers have come to expect from Oxfam.

Teaching materials with a global context should reflect a balanced view of distant places. Mud huts and starvation still feature too prominently in children’s images of the world. All three sets achieve that balance, giving young children an optimistic picture of certain aspects of world food and water supplies and a glimpse into homes on four continents, including a Thai family watching television.

The author draws on the principles of the national curriculum to promote awareness of the world beyond children’s immediate locality. She also draws attention to the value of photographs as a teaching resource, giving examples of activities based on them, some of which involve group work. Teachers are told what they need and what to do, with some opportunity for extension work.