Using LEGO® in Geography lessons.

Why use  LEGO®?  It's fun!  It's tactile, it stimulates creativity, it allows visualisation of designs, it's flexible, it appeals to all (specifically boys, who are statistically underachieving) and can be re-used again and again and again and again....

Just mentioning a link between LEGO® and Geography lessons is often enough to get teachers thinking creatively, but here are some examples of just some of the ways you can use these little bricks in your lessons.

1. Make a flag
Useful aid to get students using an atlas or the internet in a research-based capacity.  Perhaps get students to make the flag from  LEGO®, write down some key facts about the country (or mini-paragraph linking your topic to the relevant country) and photograph their writing next to their flag.

2. Grouping / categorising
Get some chunky bricks, some stickers (address labels cut to size may be useful here) and go for it!  Maybe you will do locational Geography such as matching countries to their capitals.  You could use it for fun case study revision with KS4 - 5 by getting them to match case study title with other essential information such as year, cause, effect, location....
You can get students to photograph their correct answers to help with their revision.

3. Create a landscape
 LEGO® bricks can be moved.  Landscapes move.  This may take a bit more time to set up but could be a valuable way of getting students to demonstrate their understanding.  
An example could be showing the formation of a gorge caused by waterfall erosion.  You can get students to create it, photograph each stage, print it as a storyboard and explain each step.  
Otherwise there is soil, rock, water tables, volcanoes, earthquake simulation...

4. Designing
Perhaps an eco-friendly house, flood defences along a river or coast, an ecolodge, a small yet efficient house within a favela....

5.  And more!
I'm currently planning how to paint a world map on to a large  LEGO® board so I can use it flexibly within lessons.  Imagine giving everyone a brick and asking them to place it on the country that is the furthest place they've ever travelled.  The taller the country's tower, the more students have been to that place.  Imagine the conversations that could stimulate.  Imagine the other ideas that are possible here.

I'd love to hear from you if you have used  LEGO® in your lessons.  What did you do?  How did the students react?  What were the pros and cons?  Would you do it again?

Five easy ways to introduce Geography to the under fives!

Why introduce Geography to under fives?

"The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old. All schools and Ofsted-registered early years providers must follow the EYFS, including childminders, preschools, nurseries and school reception classes."

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/eyfs-statutory-framework/

As well as supporting communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development, nurseries, childminders and pre-schools must also support children in four specific areas:

1. Literacy
2. Mathematics
3. Understanding the world
4. Expressive art and design

It is true that 'Understanding the world' is quite a broad phrase, but it's easy to see links to Geography (after all, that's what the subject is all about!).  It highlights the importance of Geography, even at a really young age.  Children are assessed on their understanding of 'people and communities', 'the world' and 'technology' as part of this requirement.

The EYFS framework states, 

"Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment."

So how can we help our little ones understand our world?  Here are five easy ways...



1.  Play outside: 


Take them to different environments and encourage them to explore, ask questions and talk about what they can see.  If they're not talking yet you can name things for them, "tree", "stone", "shell".  Give them things to hold if possible.  Give them time to really look at something.  Ask them questions, "Do you think any animals live in this tree?", "Why is the ground really wet here?", "Do you think people made this hill?"  Even if the child (or you) doesn't know the answers it doesn't matter, it helps to develop an enquiring mind.

2.  Get them a globe:  For a few pounds you can get a good inflatable globe.  It may be used as a ball some of the time and that's OK, but it's great to introduce them to the concept of our planet being that shape at an early age.  You can discuss it with them, "we live here!", "Guess how long it would take to get from here to here", "this is land and this is the sea." If any relatives live abroad or anyone you know goes on holiday you can show them where it is and talk about how they travelled, how long it took and so on.

3.  Go Jetters!:  Go Jetters is a fab programme on the BBC channel CBeebies.  Four earth-exploring adventurers try to prevent Grandmaster Glitch interfering with the world's famous landmarks and natural features. Don't just take my word for it though, Dr Paula Owens, lead consultant on Go Jetters explains why children love to learn about their world in this great article... 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/learn-geography-with-go-jetters

4.  Talk about the weather:  We all love to talk about the weather don't we?!  Each morning when your child gets up, or at points during the day have a look out the window (or go outside!) and talk about the weather.  Is it sunny? Rainy?  Is it windy? How can we tell that it is windy?  What should we wear if we go outside?  Would we need sun hats? Umbrellas? Make it a part of your normal conversation when you're planning outings and outfits.

5.  Watch YouTube videos together: There are thousands of relevant videos online that can encourage children to talk about the world.  Videos of giraffes, cheetahs and meerkats introduce hot, dry environments. Dolphins  and coral reef videos show them that life exists below the surface of the ocean. Antarctic penguins or arctic polar bears show children that some parts of the world are always extremely cold.  It may even help to have your inflatable globe with you! 

Even if they can't follow, understand or remember all the facts it doesn't matter.  If they can begin to understand that the world is more than only what they see, then that's the biggest lesson of them all.