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Cultural and Environmental Education
Geography
Literacy in Geography
Autumn 2012
These materials are for classroom use only.
Efforts have been made to trace and acknowledge copyright holders.
In cases where a copyright has been inadvertently overlooked, the copyright holders are requested to contact the
Cultural and Environmental Education Administrator, Catherine Begley, catherinebegley@pdst.ie
© 2012 Cultural and Environmental Education, Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST),
01 4358585 , catherinebegley@pdst.ie
© PDST, 2012 Page 1
Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST)
Cultural and Environmental Education
Geography
Contact details
National Coordinator Conor Harrison
Mobile 087-2405710
E-mail conorharrison@pdst.ie
Administrator Catherine Begley
Telephone 01-4358585
Fax 01-4358596
E-mail catherinebegley@pdst.ie
Address 14 Joyce Way
Park West Business Park
Nangor Road
Dublin 12
Associate for Geography: Tony Dunne
Acknowledgments
With special thanks to Vera Kerrisk, Ken Hickey who generated the materials and to Tony Dunne, Associate
for Geography, who acted both as writer and editor on the project .
Note: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the geographical data contained herein. Any
inadvertent errors are regretted.
© PDST, 2012 Page 2
CONTENTS
Title Page
PDST Contact Details 1
Contents 2
Introduction 3
Listening and Speaking 4
‘Blind’ Listening 5
Listening and Speaking 7
Stimulating Discussion Using Photographs and Cartoons 11
Question Quotas 14
Bingo 15
Reading and Writing 23
Using a Textbook 24
Readability 25
Fry Graph 26
Using the Fry Graph 27
Skimming, Scanning and Summarising 28
K-W-L Reading and Comprehension Strategy 32
Cloze Tests 35
Exam Keywords 38
Structured Writing 39
Postcard Exercises 45
© PDST, 2012 Page 3
Introduction
Few would argue that literacy, numeracy and graphicacy are the foundations of
educational development. Little progress is possible for students if these
fundamental skills are not acquired and mastered fully as early as possible. In
subject centred educational systems these fundamental skills may seen to be
the sole responsibility of individual teachers. For example, literacy may be laid
at the door of the English teacher, numeracy at the door of the Maths teacher
and graphicacy at the door of the Geography teacher. Such rigid specialism may
eliminate many opportunities to practice and reinforce these fundamental skills
in other subject areas thus slowing the student‟s possibility of development.
Reinforcing the acquisition of literacy, numeracy and graphicacy skills in
subjects areas across the curriculum, it is felt, will optimise our students
chances to develop these critical skills as efficiently and quickly as possible.
PDST has been tasked with the job of demonstrating how literacy and numeracy
skills can be introduced and reinforced across the curriculum. The Geography
Team adopted this strategy in Autumn 2012. The two in-services provided since
then on „Population‟ and „Resources and Economic Activities‟ have demonstrated
how Geography can support the development of literacy and numeracy and the
accompanying resources provided many class room examples of how this could be
achieved. (These resources will be available soon on the PDST website at
PDST.ie) This approach will continue in future in-service.
This booklet focuses on literacy and demonstrates how it can be reinforced in
the Geography classroom through a variety of exemplar activities which can be
photocopied for immediate use. In particular the booklet focuses on the four
key skills in literacy: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Activities are
provided in each of the skill areas but these skills are not mutually exclusive so
some activities integrate two or more of the skills.
It is hoped that this booklet will be a useful reference for Geography teachers
and that it will ultimately encourage practitioners to think about their role in
the development of their students‟ literacy. It is hoped that teachers will
develop their own strategies for reinforcing literacy in their classrooms.
© PDST, 2012 Page 5
Blind Listening
Careful listening is a fundamental skill for absorbing
information, understanding concepts and interacting with
people. Very often people are distracted from listening
because there is a visual stimulus competing with the aural
one. By closing their eyes during an aural exercise the focus
is taken off the visual and placed firmly on the aural re-
enforcing its importance.
The visual world is not excluded completely from such „blind‟
activities as the students will usually generate mental
pictures of what they are listening to.
This technique can be employed in all aspects of geography.
Here are a few examples you might wish to try. Get
students to close their eyes when listening to the radio. In
all types of fieldwork closing one‟s eyes focuses attention
on the surrounding sounds, e.g. coastal waves, flowing water,
traffic, wet and windy weather etc.
Give the class a minute or two to settle down.
Read the following piece as dramatically as possible.
Depending on the level of the class the reading may be
repeated once or a number of times.
Ask the students to open their eyes.
© PDST, 2012 Page 6
Questions students to encourage them to comment.
„My sister Ann and I were on the holiday of a lifetime
in San Francisco, California. We were visiting our aunt
Sive who had emigrated from Ireland in the 1980‟s.
She lived on the 10th floor of an apartment block. I was
gazing out the window when suddenly there was a
tinkling sound as the glasses in the press began to
vibrate. Then there was a rumbling sound like a truck
passing but it was louder and it was coming from every
direction. Then the building began to sway. Ann
screamed, „the glass in the window is bending‟. Sive
shouted, „Earthquake! Quick into the door frame: it‟s
the safest place‟ We ran to aunt Sive who put her arms
around us to protect us. All the time my mind was
puzzling over the question: „Why is the furniture not
moving?‟
1. Name the speaker‟s sister and aunt.
2. Where were they on holiday?
3. What floor were they on?
4. Give three signs that an earthquake was happening.
5. Why is a door frame a safe place during an
earthquake?
6. Why did the furniture not move?
© PDST, 2012 Page 7
7. Describe what happens to buildings during an
earthquake.
Listening and Speaking
Listening and speaking are interdependent, both are vital to literacy
development, effective communication and effective learning.
Listening is a cognitive act that requires students to pay attention
and think about what they hear. Listening helps students to make
sense of and understand what another person is saying and hence
learn from them.
Speaking is the most pervasive use of language as almost every
aspect of learning and socialising involves it. While speaking comes
naturally and easy to some students, it is not the case for many
others. A lot of students lack confidence, simply because they are
afraid of saying something that is silly or incorrect. Others believe
that they lack the ability to speak fluently and coherently. It is
therefore very important that all students be encouraged to speak
in class and be given the opportunity to articulate their thoughts,
ideas and viewpoints. Praise and positive reinforcement are also of
great importance.
There are many activities that can be used to structure
student‟s speaking and listening such as role play, debating or the
discussion of photos, diagrams and maps.
The use of a photo, diagram or map to initiate discussion.
Using a data projector or visualiser present a photo, diagram
or map to a class.
Distribute number cards or letter cards to all students.
© PDST, 2012 Page 8
Ask students to study the diagram, photo or map and to
discuss and explain the formation of a landform corresponding
to the number or letter on their card.
© PDST, 2012 Page 12
Stimulating Discussion Using Photographs and Cartoons
Photographs
A photograph is an excellent resource for creating a discussion
around a topic. Ask students to study a photograph in great detail
and then either ask questions around it or invite them to make
observations. Photographs can be sourced from text books, printed
photographs, photopacks, downloaded pictures shown on the data
projector or simply aerial photographs from the examinations. If
you have taught the photograph section of the course, it is good
practice to use the accepted terms when identifying areas of the
photograph, e.g. right foreground etc. Alternatively, a more
systematic approach would be to ask students to study the
photograph in detail, starting at the bottom left-hand corner and
moving in an S shape to the top right-hand corner. It is important
for students to support their answers with evidence from the
photograph where possible. On the next page there is an example of
a photograph and sample questions that could be used by the
teacher.
Cartoons
The use of cartoons is also very common in both Geography exam
papers and textbooks. However, they can prove very challenging for
students to identify the hidden message or attitude that is shown in
the cartoon. Therefore, they are an ideal resource for developing
discussion and conversation in the classroom. Cartoons can be
sourced in textbooks, newspapers or onlin
The cartoon below would allow discussion around topics such as
north/south divide, inequality, famine, aid, N.G.O.‟s and obesity.
© PDST, 2012 Page 13
Bustee Dweller
Questions
1. Describe what you see in this picture?
2. How does it differ from your home?
3. What is the climate type in the area?
4. What is the person in the left foreground doing
5. What problems might this woman face?
6. Why are the peoples shoes outside the door?
7. Based on the number of shoes, how many people do you think
live in this house?
8. What do you think the steel pans in the right fore-ground are
used for?
© PDST, 2012 Page 14
‘Poor Devils’
Questions
1. Describe the landscape in the cartoon.
2. What, do you think, is the climate in the area?
3. How many people are shown in the cartoon?
4. Contrast the people in the newspaper with the other people in
the cartoon?
5. Why, do you think, the cartoon is called „Poor Devils‟?
6. What is the message of the cartoon about the world?
© PDST, 2012 Page 15
Question Quotas
It can be a good idea when organising a class discussion around
photographs, cartoons or on a topic, to assign students a quota of
questions they can ask. Depending on the numbers in the individual
class, three to five questions/ observations per student is a good
balance. This strategy helps to maintain order, especially if you have
a student who is very eager and tends to hog a topic. If this
strategy is introduced at the start of the year, students will
understand it very quickly, making class discussions more productive.
© PDST, 2012 Page 16
Bingo is a wonderful teaching tool to have at your fingertips no
matter what subject you are teaching. Use bingo in any content area
that has a vocabulary with definitions for students to learn. Even
though the objective of this activity is to encourage students to
study, it also enables students to use kinesthetic, visual and auditory
learning techniques. Students use auditory learning techniques as
they must listen carefully to the definitions and words called out.
Visual learning techniques are adopted as students search for
corresponding definitions or words on the bingo cards. Kinesthetic
techniques are also used as students get to mark definitions or
words on the cards. The basic premise of Bingo is simple as students
start with a bingo card containing key words and they mark off the
words corresponding to the definitions read by the Bingo "caller."
Winners make a complete line going vertically or horizontally. Also
teachers may prefer to play "Black Out" which means the winner is
the first student who marks of all of the spaces on the bingo card.
There are two bingo packs included in this booklet, one
relevant to the study of economic activities and the other relevant
© PDST, 2012 Page 17
to the study of climate and weather. Both packs contain cards of 15
definitions to be read by the “bingo caller” (teacher or student) and
6 bingo cards with 15 corresponding words. Should you require more
bingo cards you will have to prepare extra ahead of time, making
sure that all cards are configured differently.
Preparation
1. Distribute a bingo card and marker to each student.
2. Once students are settled and paying attention, read out a
definition from the definition card. If students recognize the
word it defines and have that word on their bingo card, they
mark the word off. When a student gets a row either
horizontally or vertically, they may say “bingo.”
3. When a student wins, he or she must tell the teacher each of
the words in their row, as well as the definitions that go with
them. This gives all students in the class an oral review of
words they may not have on their cards.
4. If preferred, laminate blank copies of a bingo card. You can
then allow students to choose 15 key words from a list and
write them with white board markers onto their card in any
square they choose. This gives them ownership of the activity.
Erase the cards after each bingo game and allow students to
choose a different set of words.
5. Alternatively the “bingo caller” can call out words instead of
definitions and the students will mark the corresponding
definitions on their cards. Allow students time to read the
definitions before the activity begins.
© PDST, 2012 Page 18
Things that are
provided by nature that
have not been processed
(altered).
Raw Materials
Inputs, processes and
outputs.
System
Services that people
need.
Tertiary Economic
Activities
The process of
gathering a crop, e.g.
grass and cereal crops.
Harvest
Something that can be
used again and again. It
will never run out, if it
is managed properly.
Renewable/Non Finite
Resource
A limit on the amount of
fish that can be caught
annually by EU member
states.
Quota
An oil company that has
been involved with the
development of the
Corrib Gas Field since
2004.
Shell Corporation
Natural resources
obtained from the
earth, e.g. Farming.
Primary Economic
Activities
Shallow bogs up to 4
metres in depth located
in hilly upland areas.
Blanket Bog
Artificially applying
water to dry land and
crops using canals,
piping and sprinklers.
Irrigation
Over-fishing may lead
to the exhaustion of
certain fish species.
Depletion
The raising of cattle
for beef production.
Beef Farming
A company that has
branch plants located in
many different
countries.
Multinational Company
Power generated by the
force of falling water
resulting from dams
built across rivers, bays
and estuaries.
HEP
Natural resources are
processed into
manufactured goods.
Secondary Economic
Activities
© PDST, 2012 Page 19
Raw Materials
System
Tertiary
Economic
Activities
Blanket Bog
Renewable/Non-
finite resource
Quota
Beef Farming
Profit
Dairy Farming
Desertification
Primary
Economic
Activities
Harvest
Multinational
Companies
HEP
Secondary
Economic
Activities
Raw Materials System Renewable/Non
-finite Energy
Harvest Quota
Tertiary
Economic
Activities
Shell
Corporation
Capital Raised Bog Irrigation
Sustainable
Exploitation
Mixed
Farming
Multinational
Companies
HEP Secondary
Economic
Activities
Economic
Activities
System Tertiary
Economic
Activities
Harvest Farm Labour
Quota Shell
Corporation
Primary
Economic
Activities
Raised Bog Irrigation
Depletion Tillage Farming Sustainable
Exploitation HEP Trawler
© PDST, 2012 Page 20
Raw Materials System Tertiary
Economic
Activities
Tillage Farming Inputs
Barrier Shell
Corporation
Outputs Miller Irrigation
Depletion Beef Farming Multinational
Company
HEP Secondary
Economic
Activities
Economic
Activities
System Tertiary
Economic
Activities
Fleet Farm Labour
Quota Shell
Corporation
Primary
Economic
Activities
Peat
Exploitation
Irrigation
Over-fishing Beef Farming Sustainable
Exploitation
Multinational
Company
Secondary
Economic
Activities
Raw Materials System Tertiary
Economic
Activities
Harvest Renewable/Non-
finite Resource
Quota Shell
Corporation
Primary
Economic
Activities
Blanket Bog Irrigation
Depletion Beef Farming Multinational
Company
HEP
Secondary
Economic
Activities
© PDST, 2012 Page 21
A layer of gases that
surrounds planet Earth.
Atmosphere
An imaginary line around
the centre of the earth
spaced equally between
the North & South Pole.
Equator
Moving Air
Wind
A cylinder marked in
millimetres used to
measure rainfall.
Rain Gauge
A scale that describes
wind speed and strength
by observing its effect
on the landscape.
Beaufort Scale
Clouds like fluffy cotton
wool pods located at
medium altitudes in the
sky.
Cumulus Clouds
An instrument used to
measure humidity, in
other words the amount
of water vapour or
moisture in the air.
Hygrometer
Rain that occurs when
cold and warm air
masses meet.
Cyclonic/Frontal Rain
The unit of measurement
of temperature.
Degree Centigrade
Height above sea level.
Altitude
A boundary between two
air masses.
Front
The most common or
frequent wind in an
area.
Prevailing Wind
Rain that occurs when
air is forced to rise
over mountains.
Relief Rain
People that prepare
weather forecasts.
Meteorologists
A pressure area that
brings cloudy skies, rain
and windy weather.
Low pressure area /
Cyclone/ Depression
© PDST, 2012 Page 22
Atmosphere
Tropic of
Cancer
Humidity
Rain Gauge
Anemometer
Cumulus Cloud
Wind
Cyclonic
/Frontal Rain
Kilometres Per
Hour
Latitude
Air Mass
Prevailing Wind
Convectional
Rain
Meteorologists
Low Pressure
Area/Cyclone/
Depression
Atmosphere
Equator
Wind
Hygrometer
Beaufort Scale
Stratus Cloud
Humidity
Relief Rain
Degree
Centigrade
Latitude
Front
South
Westerly
Winds
Convectional
Rain
Meteorology
Anticyclone
Ozone Layer
Equator
Precipitation
Stevenson
Screen
Beaufort Scale
Cirrus Clouds
Temperature
Relief Rain
Degree
Centigrade
Latitude
Rain Shadow
Prevailing Wind
Convectional
Rain
Meteorologists
High Pressure
Area
© PDST, 2012 Page 23
Air
Equator
Wind
Rain Gauge
Beaufort Scale
Cloud Cover
Atmospheric
Pressure
Cyclonic/
Frontal Rain
Degree
Centigrade
Latitude
Front
Prevailing Wind
Convectional
Rain
Meteorologists
High Pressure
Area/
Anticyclone
Atmosphere
Equator
Wind
Campbell Stokes
Recorder
Anemometer
Cloud Cover
Sunshine
Convectional
Rain
Millimetres
Latitude
Front
Prevailing Wind
Relief Rain
Meteorologists Low Pressure
Area/Cyclone/
Depression
Atmosphere
Equator
Wind
Rain Gauge
Beaufort Scale
Cumulus Cloud
Humidity
Cyclonic/
Frontal Rain
Degree
Centigrade
Altitude
Front
Prevailing Wind
Relief Rain
Meteorologists
Low Pressure
Area/Cyclone/
Depression
© PDST, 2012 Page 25
Using a Textbook
Many students have difficulty in using their textbook, because they
simply do not have the skills to know how to use the book. Here are
some points that are worth addressing with them:
The Contents page(s) – this is the part of the book that lists
the chapters in the book and their page numbers. It is also
often divided into the various sections of the curriculum.
Chapter – A book is broken down into chapters. A chapter is a
section of the book on a specific topic. Each chapter may have
a summary box at the end and questions from that chapter.
Some textbooks also give learning outcomes at the start of a
chapter.
Diagrams – Textbooks will have many diagrams which are often
referred to as figures, for example fig 1.
Tables – Textbooks will have many tables of information, often
containing numbers. These can be referred to as tables, for
example, table 3.
Glossary – Textbooks often have a glossary at the back of the
book which lists important key words and their definitions.
Index – Textbooks may contain an index at the back of the
book, which lists the important words and topics, in
alphabetical order, giving the page number in which you can
find them in the textbook.
It is advisable when using a textbook to highlight important
points in the book. However, if you do not wish your students
to write on the book, a good tip is to use coloured post-its to
make notes and stick into the relevant pages in the textbook.
As the majority of books are now available digitally, teaching
students how to use a textbook can be done very simply using
the data projector.
© PDST, 2012 Page 26
Readability
Readability is the level of difficulty of reading materials. A high
readability level means the material is difficult to read. Low
readability means it is easy to read. Readability is said to exist at
three levels:
1. Frustrational - the reading level is too high leading to frustration
2. Instructional – the reading level is beyond the student‟s level but
because of high motivation and/or help from teachers or parents
the student can cope. In such circumstances students can cope
with readability levels 2 years above their own level.
3. Independent – the reading level is well below the students level.
It is suggested that homework should only be set on materials
which are 2 years below the reading level of the students.
Adapting Readability Levels
If the readability of a text is above the students‟ level then it may
have to be adapted for independent work by students. The
readability of a text can be adapted by:
Use easier synonyms for difficult words.
Use simple short sentences.
Make concepts as concrete as possible
Have a clear organisational pattern
© PDST, 2012 Page 27
Fry Graph
The Fry graph below is a graphical way of working out the
readability level of a written text.
© PDST, 2012 Page 28
Using the Fry Graph
Randomly select three sample passages and count out exactly 100
words in each, start with the beginning of a sentence.
Count the number of sentences in each 100 words calculating the
length of the fraction of the last sentence to the nearest one-
tenth e.g. 6.7 sentences
Count the total number of syllables in each 100 word passage. A
short cut for doing this is as follows. If a word has more than one
syllable mark the extra syllables over one as shown in the
sentence below. When you get to the end of the passage, count
the number of marks above the extra syllables and add 100.
Example: „There was a terríblé flood on the rivér.‟ = 11 syllables
as there are 8 words and 3 extra syllables.
Work out the average number of syllables and the average
number of sentences for the 3 passages you choose
Draw lines on the graph to represent the average number of
sentences and the average number of syllables. Plot a dot where
the two lines intersect. The area where the dot is plotted will
give you the approximate US grade level. The Irish reading level
is 5+ US grade level so you must add 5 to the result you get
on the graph.
If a great deal of variability is found in syllable count or sentence
count, putting more samples into the average is desirable.
When counting syllables for numerals and abbreviations, count one
syllable for each symbol. For example, 1945 is four syllables, IRA
is three syllables, & is one syllable.
Worked Example on the Fry Graph
Average sentence length 6.3
Average syllable count 141
Plotted on the graph these values give (see dot on the graph) US
grade level of 7. One must add 5 to this to get the UK reading
level. This gives a reading level of 12.
This is only an approximate guide.
© PDST, 2012 Page 29
Skimming, Scanning and Summarising
Novels, textbooks, magazines, newspapers, manuals, letters and web
pages are just a few of the things that people read every day. As
efficient readers, people have learned to use many styles of reading
for different purposes. Two important and regularly used reading
styles are „skimming‟ and „scanning‟.
Skimming
Skimming is a reading style that makes it possible for people to read
quickly to get the general gist of an article or passage. People skim
to decide whether information is of use, relevance or interest to
them. People skim as they glance over a newspaper to ascertain
whether an article deserves a closer read. Skimming is useful if
people have a lot of information to read in a short amount of time.
Skimming can also be an effective way of quickly reviewing
something that has previously been read, so as to recall important
parts. As people skim they are not reading word by word nor are
they trying to comprehend every word. Instead they read three to
four times faster than their normal reading pace. It is very
important that students be shown how to skim. Encourage students
to make skimming a step they always take before they intend to
read anything.
Encourage students to do the following:
Read the first and last paragraphs of an article first.
Read the titles, headings and subheadings.
Read the captions of accompanying illustrations, photos, tables
etc.
Read the opening sentence of each paragraph.
© PDST, 2012 Page 30
Read quotes and phrases that might be in italics or bold print.
If time permits skim read each of the remaining paragraphs to
get a general idea of what each is about. Only read each
paragraph to understand what it's generally talking about, and
try to ignore less important information.
Skim read a summary of an article if available.
Finally, skimming is a very useful tool for revision, so learn it
and use it. Reviewing frequently and rapidly is the best way to
remember information from notes that have already been
carefully studied.
Scanning
Scanning is the skill of looking for specific information such as
individual words, facts or answers in an article or passage. When
scanning, people know exactly what they need, they do not read for
meaning and usually stop reading as soon as they locate the
information they require. Scanning often comes before skimming as
scanning is necessary to determine if an article has the required
information. Once the article is scanned, it can then be skimmed for
more detail. People scan as they search for a name in a telephone
book, for a word in a dictionary or for a topic in a contents page,
book index or web page.
Scanning is a skill that students already use. Students scan when
looking up a word in a dictionary or when locating specific answers in
a reading comprehension. When students scan, they move their eyes
quickly down the page seeking specific information. Many students
are completely unaware of the fact that scanning is a skill, that it
has a name or that it is beneficial to their learning. It is very
© PDST, 2012 Page 31
important that students are made aware of scanning and encouraged
to use it.
Remind students to pay attention to different font sizes,
styles, colours, italics and to words that are bold faced.
Since scanning is a skill that needs to be practiced, introduce
students to a scanning game. Select three to five keywords and
write them on the board. Ask students to scan a specific
article to find how many times the keywords appear in the
article. Alternatively ask students to scan an article for
unfamiliar words, search for their meaning in a dictionary and
record them.
Summarising
To summarise is to write in your own words a condensed version of
information that you have read or listened to. It is an important
skill that students must acquire so as to obtain and study
information from books, teachers and lecturers. Summary writing is
a skill, but it does not come naturally to students, it needs to be
taught and practised. It is however well worth the time and effort
as it also helps to improve students‟ reading, comprehension,
thinking, writing and editing skills. Comprehension is very important
because if students fail to understand information they have read
they may find it very difficult to create their own version, in words
that make more sense to them.
© PDST, 2012 Page 32
Encourage students to do the following:
Distribute to students a handout containing a short story, e.g.
„The eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of
Pompeii‟.
Tell students to read the story to find out what it is about.
Tell students to reread the story, highlighting or underlining
the main points.
Explain to students the importance of reading the story a
number of times so as to develop a clear understanding of it.
Ask students to write notes using keywords that sum up each
of the highlighted main points.
Ask students to condense and re-write the main points of the
story in their owns words.
Remind students to write simple, short and clear sentences.
Encourage students to edit their work, ensuring that it makes
sense.
Ask students to read their summaries to check that they have
included all the important points.
© PDST, 2012 Page 33
K-W-L Reading & Comprehension Strategy
The KWL Reading Strategy developed by Donna Ogle in 1986 is a
graphical organiser designed to help students develop their reading,
their comprehension and enhance their ability to remember
information. The strategy also elicits students‟ prior knowledge of a
topic, it sets a purpose for reading, provides an opportunity for
discussion enabling students to expand their ideas beyond what they
have read. Therefore KWL supports learning before, during, and
after reading. In fact it is a reading strategy that can be used with
any subject to motivate students and to develop their interest in a
topic prior to reading.
The letters KWL stand for "what we know", "what we want to
know", and "what we learned". The KWL table is therefore divided
into three columns titled Know, Want to know and Learned. In the
first column students write what they already know about a topic.
This step is to be completed before the reading. The next step is
for students to think of and generate a list of questions that reflect
what they want to learn during the reading. When students think
about what they want to learn, they engage themselves as active
learners rather that passive listeners.
Students write their questions in the second column. This step is
also to be completed before the reading. In the third column
students write the information they have learned from reading.
Students may have discovered answers to many if not all the
questions listed in the previous column. Once students read the
passage they have the opportunity, in a structured manner, to
summarize what they have learned. For a struggling reader,
summarizing is essential and must be done in writing. It is important
© PDST, 2012 Page 34
to encourage students to share the information that they learned
with others to increase understanding, active participation, and
interest, which improves overall comprehension and retention of
material read.
Using K-W-L in the Classroom
1. Distribute a three-column KWL worksheet to each student.
2. Select a passage with a familiar theme.
3. Direct students‟ attention towards the passage. Remind
students not to read the passage until step two is completed.
Encourage students to study the title of the passage and any
accompanying pictures or diagrams.
4. Begin a brainstorming session and activate students‟ prior
knowledge by asking them to list in the K column what they
already know about the topic of the passage. Gather
information from each student or group and record their
thoughts on the board or overhead projector.
5. Then ask students to list what they want to learn. Initially the
guidance of the teacher is needed to lead the discussion by
asking questions based on the level of knowledge generated in
the first step. Direct students to read the passage and write
down information they learn as well as new questions that rise.
6. After reading the passage, engage students in a discussion of
what they have learned.
7. Students should summarize the discussion in the L column of
the KWL table.
© PDST, 2012 Page 35
K
What I Already Know?
W
What I Think I Will
Learn?
or
What I Want To Know?
L
What Have I Learned?
© PDST, 2012 Page 36
Cloze Tests
Cloze tests are very easily adapted for differentiated learning.
There are three different types of cloze tests given as examples
here, the first has no word bank, the second has a word bank and
the third has a word bank plus the first letter of the word in the
correct blank space.
Example one: No word bank
Soils
Soil is a natural _________. Without soil there would be
no ______ for animals or humans. Soil is made up of five
main ingredients, mineral matter, ________, living
organisms, ________ and _______. Ireland has four main
soil types. The most common soil type in Ireland is
_______ _______. Wet upland areas, covered in forests
often have ________ type soil. The other two soil types in
Ireland are ________ and ________. Tropical _______
soils are found in tropical and equatorial regions. Excess
water can wash minerals and nutrients down through the
soil, this process is called _________. A soil profile
consists of a number of __________. If leaching is very
severe, the soil becomes cemented together to form a hard
layer called the _________. People can make soil more
fertile by adding _________ and __________. People can
make soil less fertile by __________.
© PDST, 2012 Page 37
Example Two: Word bank
Soils
Soil is a natural _________. Without soil there would be
no ______ for animals or humans. Soil is made up of five
main ingredients, mineral matter, ________, living
organisms, ________ and _______. Ireland has four main
soil types. The most common soil type in Ireland is
_______ _______. Wet upland areas, covered in forests
often have ________ type soil. The other two soil types in
Ireland are ________ and ________. Tropical _______
soils are found in tropical and equatorial regions. Excess
water can wash minerals and nutrients down through the
soil, this process is called _________. A soil profile
consists of a number of __________. If leaching is very
severe, the soil becomes cemented together to form a hard
layer called the _________. People can make soil more
fertile by adding _________ and __________. People can
make soil less fertile by __________.
Word Bank:
air, irrigation, gley, peaty, resource, podzols, fertiliser,
leaching, food, red, hardpan, brown soils, horizons, water,
overgrazing, humus.
© PDST, 2012 Page 38
Example Three: Words bank and the first letter
Soils
Soil is a natural R________. Without soil there would be
no F_____ for animals or humans. Soil is made up of five
main ingredients, mineral matter, A_______, living
organisms, W_______ and H_______. Ireland has four
main soil types. The most common soil type in Ireland is
B______ S______. Wet upland areas, covered in forests
often have P_______ type soil. The other two soil types in
Ireland are P_______ and G_______. Tropical R______
soils are found in tropical and equatorial regions. Excess
water can wash minerals and nutrients down through the
soil, this process is called L________. A soil profile
consists of a number of H_________. If leaching is very
severe, the soil becomes cemented together to form a hard
layer called the H_________. People can make soil more
fertile by adding F_________ and I__________. People
can make soil less fertile by O__________.
Word Bank:
air, irrigation, gley, peaty, resource, podzols, fertiliser,
leaching, food, red, hardpan, brown soils, horizons, water,
overgrazing, humus.
© PDST, 2012 Page 39
Exam Keywords
The following is a list of keywords that regularly appear on
Geography exam papers. They are listed along with their definitions
in the separate categories of both Literacy and Numeracy.
Literacy
Analyse – Examine in detail.
Contrast – Point out differences.
Compare – Explain similarities and differences.
Complete – Finish.
Describe – To give an account.
Discuss – To talk over.
Examine – To look at closely.
Explain – To give a clear account.
Identify – To select.
Indicate – To point out.
Label – To attach information.
Locate – Indicate the position.
Name – To give a name.
Outline – A rough draft.
State – Express in words.
Study – To investigate slowly
Summarise – Give a brief account of the main points.
Verify – To confirm.
Numeracy
Calculate – To work out by mathematics.
Estimate – To calculate the approximate value.
Evaluate – To assess the value.
Quantify – To determine the amount.
Total – Add up.
© PDST, 2012 Page 40
Structured Writing
Writing is an action that students engage in for a variety of reasons.
Students write to text, to tweet, to email, to complete homework,
assignments and exams. While there are many reasons for students
to write, there is often only one reason students don‟t write, that
being their „fear‟ of the blank page. Students may fear making
grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Students may also fear
that everything they write is riddled with errors. Furthermore
students often do not feel comfortable writing freely allowing their
ideas to flow. So how do we as teachers dispel student‟s fear of
writing?
Perhaps begin with a structured writing template. A structured
writing template contains a number of question boxes. Each question
acts as a prompt to get students writing about a particular topic.
The idea behind the question box is to encourage students to create
a paragraph. If the questions are removed from the original
template, the written information takes the form of an essay. To
help students adapt to the strategy at the beginning, present them
with answers but in the wrong order. Overtime students become
accustomed to this approach and capable of completing writing
templates independently without prompts or answers.
© PDST, 2012 Page 41
Structured Writing
Kolkata – A Densely Populated City
Describe Kolkata referring in particular to its location &
population.
Explain why Kolkata‟s population has grown so rapidly.
(5 Reasons)
© PDST, 2012 Page 42
Explain the effects of Kolkata‟s rapid population growth and
its high population density. (4 Effects)
© PDST, 2012 Page 44
Overcrowding is a huge problem in Kolkata. The population density is so high
that there is not enough space for everybody. Approximately two thirds of the
population live in severely overcrowded bustees or shantytowns. Families live in
tiny makeshift shacks made of waste plastic, timber and canvas. There is no
electricity, running water or sanitation in many of the bustees. Another half a
million people have no home at all and live on the streets. They are known as
pavement people.
Poverty leads to population growth. People who struggle to make ends meet
have more children in the hope of sending them out to work and generating an
income. Since infant mortality is high, families also have more children assuming
that not all of them will survive.
Even though Kolkata stretches for 60 km along the River Hooghly, there is little
open space. Apart from a large park in the centre of Kolkata, every patch of
land is occupied by tightly packed buildings. Houses lack gardens and the
streets are busy and overcrowded. Children play on the streets, while traders
sell their produce and many others live and sleep on the streets also. The
streets of Kolkata are where life is lived and the rich and the poor mix.
Kolkata is located on flat swampy land alongside the River Hooghly in Eastern
India. It is the country‟s second largest city and also one of India‟s most
densely populated cities. Kolkata has a population of over 14 million according to
the 2011 census. The city formerly known as Calcutta was officially changed to
Kolkata in 2001.
Wages in urban areas such as Kolkata are higher than those in the countryside.
Families leave the countryside in the belief that they can earn a better income
in Kolkata.
© PDST, 2012 Page 45
Clean water is scarce in Kolkata. Only the wealthy have access to tap water, but
there is no tap water in the poorer districts or bustees of Kolkata. The poor
collect water from water pipes on the streets. The water in Kolkata is highly
contaminated, either poisoned by the old, worn out lead water pipes or polluted
with human waste.
Farmers find it very difficult to earn a living from their small farms. They
struggle to support their families. They leave the land in search of a better life
in cities such as Kolkata. Other farming families are forced to leave the land
and move to Kolkata because of famine, flooding during monsoon season or
evictions.
Kolkata has a reputation of being one of India‟s most polluted cities. Air
pollution is a cause of growing concern. Some 60% of people in Kolkata suffer
from respiratory ailments caused by air pollution including breathing
difficulties, asthma and lung cancer. The fuels used in vehicles particularly in
the two stroke engines of rickshaws contribute greatly to air pollution. Sewage
facilities do not exist in Kolkata, raw sewage flows through open drains in
streets and bustees. Domestic waste and rubbish also build up on the streets.
People move to Kolkata because many rural areas lack water supplies, schools,
hospitals and electricity.
Young people flock to cities such as Kolkata because they see cities as places of
better opportunities.
© PDST, 2012 Page 46
Postcard Exercises
Give each student a blank postcard and ask them to write a postcard
home or to a friend explaining the characteristics of the
environment they are in. Here are a few examples:
You are a tourist in Majorca, write a postcard giving details of
where you are, the weather, activities you did, the culture and
the people.
You are a tourist in a country with a Boreal climate; write a
postcard giving details of the country you are in mentioning the
climate, the people and the vegetation etc.
You are a tourist who has experienced a natural disaster such
as an Earthquake or a Volcano. Write a postcard giving details
of your experience.
You are a tourist on holidays in a city with a high population
density such as Kolkata. Write a postcard giving details of the
city, how people live and how different it is to your life at
home.
You are a tourist on holidays in the area shown on the Aerial
Photograph. Write a postcard about your activities while
staying in this area, describing it in detail.
This exercise is an excellent revision exercise at the end of a
chapter. Also, where differentiated learning is necessary, a
postcard can be made out in cloze-test format to help less able
students to complete the task. Attached you will find a blank
postcard which is suitable for photocopying.
Recommended