GA Conference and Exhibition 2025

This workshop will adopt a holistic approach in exploring the connections between outdoor learning and children's well-being. Moving beyond standard enquiry-led fieldwork approaches, we'll consider which types of learning activities are most enhanced by 'taking the learning outside', and discuss practical and creative strategies for incorporating outdoor learning across the primary geography curriculum.

The four elements – water, air, fire and earth – are materials and energies that comprise and connect the world around us and shape physical and human interactions between places and peoples. This workshop explores how geography is elemental, how elements connect life in literal and lyrical ways and embeds a fifth element – imagination – to activate rich geographical curriculum thinking.

Early Years and primary teachers know that connecting children to their locality is important. So what tools can you use? Anthony will share free data sources online to connect to locations in the UK and beyond. Participants will come and share their own free web resources, and we'll use simple data on how Oxford compares with the various locations attendees are from.

The session will explore how and why a high quality geography curriculum is more than just the sum of its parts. It will model how to embrace the interdependent nature of substantive, disciplinary and procedural knowledge. It also considers the role that creating and monitoring meaningful connections between those constituent parts has in empowering pupils to access, interpret and accumulate knowledge.