Education is under more stress than ever, yet any cursory look at the issues in the news right now is surely a reminder of its paramount importance. We need to be doing more than ever to improve geographical literacy and reinforce the essential value of scientific thinking. Within the time-pressured constraints of the current school curriculum, it is difficult to cover all of the mandatory content in the time available, let alone spend time on other topics and skills which are complementary, but are often currently overlooked. 

Back in 2020 we asked for your help to respond to the Covid crisis by creating a series of ‘lessons’ and support materials, to help bolster the teaching of Geography across Scottish schools in a time of crisis. Thanks to that response we managed to create thirty-two Chalk Talks – short video lessons which have now had well over 100,000 views on YouTube, and have helped teachers and pupils across the country have free access to video lessons which complement teaching of all the key examinable topics within the Scottish secondary school curriculum.

Working with an array of expert practitioners and partner bodies, such as Education Scotland, we are now keen to develop materials on topics such as:

• Fieldwork skills and field studies,
• Geography for primary schools
• Weather and climate
• Insights into university level geography
• Geographical and scientific literacy
• Geographical information
• Health & political literacy
• Inter-disciplinary learning

Topics will incorporate practical case studies, demonstrate techniques and skills, and offer videos and activities to engage teachers and young people across a whole spectrum of geographical interest areas. The aim is to really bring key topics to life, through video content, expert guidance and lesson plans and exercises, and make all materials freely available to Schools, and to teachers across Scotland, for use in the classroom and to support remote teaching and learning. We will also support the uptake with ongoing CPD for teachers and develop complementary practical exercises like local flood risk assessment.

Please help us to develop these invaluable education resources.  This is a great chance to excite, inspire and inform young people, and further equip teachers to raise more awareness amongst students of the breadth and skills geography offers. Each topic will cost us between £1,200 to £1,500 to create the materials needed, but every donation, whatever the size, will help.