Subject Spotlight: Geography Learning at DCSZ

Do you think that Geography is only learning about the climate and mountains? Do you believe that learning Geography can make great changes to the world? In our DCSZ Geography classroom, we learn more than that. We get to understand global issues facing our world at a variety of scales and look for differences and patterns between places. During the research and discussion process, our students develop critical thinking and global perspectives.

Geography is a subject which truly brings new insights to our thinking and understanding. Here are our main topics in our IB Diploma Geography course:

This time we interviewed Mr Kevin Huntley, our Geography teacher, who gave us some insights into the geography Studies at our college.

Hello Mr Huntley! Firstly, could you please introduce yourself and your teaching background?

I have been teaching Geography for more than 30 years in the UK, Central America, Asia and Africa. Dulwich College Suzhou is my third Dulwich College having worked in both Beijing and Singapore. I am from the UK, graduating with a BA (Hons) in Geography from Portsmouth University and a PGCE from West London Institute. I am also an IBDP examiner in Geography and the Extended Essay. In addition, I give workshops for Geography teachers in the Diploma organised by the IB. For me, Geography is about getting to know the world around us through understanding global and regional issues, and how the world can become a better place.

Could you briefly introduce the courses you teach at DCSZ?

For Key Stage 3 (Year 7 to Year 9), students study Humanities,where they look at both historical and geographical units. In Year 7, students look at Places, which includes work on the growth of cities such as Suzhou and on abandoned settlements. In Year 8 we study the physical world, and this also includes human interactions by researching tourism on coastal areas, and the Three Gorges Dam project on the Yangtze River. The final year of KS3 is on a more global scale by covering economic development and the impacts of globalisation.

The KS3 curriculum leads nicely in to IGCSE Geography where students further develop their understanding of places ranging from the local scale by looking at Suzhou and then the national and international scale.

For most DP students the highlight is the fieldwork investigation. Due to travel restrictions, we investigate the urban heat island effect in Suzhou by collecting data from Mudu all the way back to SIP. Students present the data graphically and analyse using statistical tools. Now that travel restrictions have been lifted, we hope to have more fieldwork in future years.

Thanks for that introduction! Please tell us about a unit or lesson that you taught recently. 

Take Year 12 as an example. We recently completed a unit on climate change. I asked my class to create a magazine looking at the positive and negative impacts of climate change on human health, migration, and ocean transport routes. In these reports, students analysed the impacts of climate change on the above three elements, and even included an interview with a polar bear. By doing this, students will not only have a better understanding of global issues, but also, they now appreciate how our actions impact others. Then we explore solutions to make the world more sustainable including our daily actions and diet. I hope that my students implement these actions, and our world can be a better place for future generations.

A sneak peek for Year 12 magazine pages:

Beyond the subject learning, how did this also prepare students to Live Worldwise?

Learning Geography itself is global. Students have to be aware of events happening around the world and also observe their own surroundings, to see the links at the local, regional, continental and global scale. Being an international school students can learn from each other and from any trips they make from the local to international. The key is to observe their surroundings and understand their impact. Geography is everywhere!

What strategies did you use to support students’ learning in this unit? 

There is subject-specific terminology in Geography, and  it takes time and effort to understand the key vocabulary. I provide learning tools, like quizzes or online games for students to learn key terminology. 

In addition,  IBDP students need to be able to develop an argument. There is often no correct answer in Geography and students need to explore the various sides of a discussion and understand the logic behind it.  In order to develop such writing skills, we use a method called “PEEL Paragraphs.” P stands for point. The double E means evidence and explanation. The last L means link. By following these steps students can develop  their logical and critical thinking and also their writing skills.

What can students do to keep improving their Geography knowledge?

Firstly, students should follow the news especially websites such as the BBC. Secondly, they should observe their environment and understand how their environment can link to issues at a larger scale. We only have one earth. By understanding global issues, we can make changes to the world. We are all global citizens! Through Geography students can learn to take care of our world and understand the impacts that we can have on it. Students should watch any video with Hans Rosling and should read his book called "Factfulness".

Thanks to Mr Huntley for introducing his recent units and explaining what Geography learning is like at DCSZ.