Student Book
Lesson plan Unit 1 What is a geographer? pages 4–5
Lesson 1.2 How do you work like a geographer?
About the lesson This lesson explains in more detail how a geographer works through a
process of geographical enquiry. The steps of enquiry are introduced and
the structure of each lesson in Progress in Geography is outlined to
demonstrate how enquiry is embedded into all 180 lessons across the
course. It would be useful to read the GA guidance about geographical
enquiry www.geography.org.uk/Good-geography-skills/Geographical-
enquiry and/or www.geography.org.uk/geographical-enquiry-in-the-
classroom/
The different types of geographical data are explained. A news article
outlines why geography is an important subject. The article explains that
people with geographical knowledge and skills are increasingly important in
our interconnected world. Pupils can look through Progress in Geography to
find examples of people that have a career in geography.
Prior learning Lesson 1.1 introduces enquiry and the vision of progress for the course.
Pupils should have engaged in geographical enquiry and used geographical
data in Key Stages 1 and 2.
Learning To understand how to conduct a geographical enquiry.
objectives To identify different types of geographical data.
To appreciate why geography is an important subject.
Key geographical enquiries, primary data, secondary data, quantitative data,
geographical qualitative data
terminology
Command words compare, identify, list, give
Linked activity Student Book pages 4–5
sheets Lesson presentation 1.2
Activity worksheet 1.2a general: What are the stages of a geographical
enquiry?
Activity worksheet 1.2b support: What are the skills of a good
geographer?
Activity worksheet 1.2c stretch: What are the different types of
geographical data?
1.2 Homework: How do you work like a geographer?
Teaching the lesson
Episode Teaching guide and supporting Answers to student activity Time
resources questions
1 Create a need to know 5 mins
Progress in Geography: Key Stage 3 Second Edition Boost © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 2024 1
Student Book
Lesson plan Unit 1 What is a geographer? pages 4–5
Pupils can share their findings from
the Stretch and challenge task from
Lesson 1.1.
2 Learning objective: Activity 1 15 mins
To understand the how to a)
conduct a geographical enquiry
Step 1 Ask questions
Progress in Geography Hodder
Step 2 Collect geographical
Education includes a video outlining
data
the book series and the vision to
becoming a geographer 2.21–3.9 Step 3 Present data
mins, geographical data 4–5,
geographical enquiry 5–6 how the Step 4 Analyse data,
course book works communicating
findings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=V1CUg4E1Tq0 Step 5 Reach a conclusion
Step 6 Evaluate your work
Outline what geographical enquiry is
b) Pupils identify examples of how
and an example from Progress in
they used these steps in their
Geography B – Lesson 4.7 pages 74–
primary schools.
75, explain that if pupils conduct their
own weather enquiry using the steps Activity 2
shown in this lesson then this will be
Vision statement flap:
primary data as they collect it
themselves; if they use the data Investigate the world through
provided in the spreadsheet, and increasingly complex geographical
use the satellite images this is enquiry.
secondary data as it was collected
Investigate and ask your own
by someone else.
geographical questions.
Use maps of a variety of places at
Questioning pupils to identify the different scales, routinely, to
sequence of enquiry using C. develop your understanding of
places and space.
Pupils complete Activities 1–2. Make sense of people and places
using a wide range of geographical
data, to identify patterns and
connections.
Strengthen your informed ideas
about places and people by
justifying your views, when
reaching conclusions and making
decisions.
3 Learning objective: Activity 3 20 mins
To identify different types of Geographical information or
geographical data sources that are used to make
sense of what is being studied, and
This excellent 3-minute video from
to support arguments and justify
Progress in Geography: Key Stage 3 Second Edition Boost © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 2024 2
Student Book
Lesson plan Unit 1 What is a geographer? pages 4–5
BBC Geography on fieldwork links conclusions.
the last phase about enquiry
Activity 4
sequence with primary data. Pupils
follow the sequence as they watch Primary data. You collect data
the video. It includes a good yourself, conducting fieldwork,
example of an evaluation of the taking photos, drawing field-
fieldwork enquiry. This phase of the sketches, conducting surveys and
lesson will be progressed in Lesson questionnaires.
1.10 which focuses on fieldwork. Secondary data: Data you have
www.youtube.com/watch? not collected yourself. It can be
v=nc9RVbg66Sw from textbooks, newspapers,
websites or published data.
Explain the different types of
geographical data. Quantitative data: Records
quantities, numerical or statistical
Pupils complete Activities 3–5.
information.
Qualitative data: Records
subjective qualities, often people’s
opinions or beliefs. Can be
presented in different ways
including text, photos or sketches.
Activity 5
Source A is secondary qualitative
data as it comes from a news
website and it is the jounalist’s
opinion.
Source B is secondary quantitative
data as someone else has
collected the data which is
numerical.
4 Learning objective: Activity 6 10 mins
To appreciate why geography is With issues such as climate
an important subject disasters, migration, conflict over
water and resources getting more
Introduce The Guardian news article
intense we need geographers more
from 2 September 2022
than ever and employers will
www.theguardian.com/news/2022/se
continue to seek them out.
p/02/weatherwatch-geography-gcse-
Geographers apply their
curriculum-employers
understanding of patterns and
The Royal Geographical Society processes in the world to predict
page on Choose Geography change and plan in order to make
includes an introductory 1-minute decisions to solve problems.
video:www.rgs.org/choosegeograph Studying geography will help you
y/ understand the world now and in
Professor Iain Stewart – what your future, and support you to
geography means to me: make informed decisions.
www.youtube.com/watch?
Progress in Geography: Key Stage 3 Second Edition Boost © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 2024 3
Student Book
Lesson plan Unit 1 What is a geographer? pages 4–5
v=t7eKyN3VyI0 Activity 7
Lesson 3.2 – farmer
Find an example of a geographer at
work in Progress in Geography – Lesson 4.3 – meteorologists
Lesson 7.2 a hydrologist. Lesson 5.2 – geologists
Pupils complete Activities 6 and 7. Lesson 7.2 – hydrologist
Lesson 9.4 – demographer
Lesson 15.9 – glaciologist
Plenary Pupils discuss the enquiry title for 5 mins
the lesson and identify the elements
of how a geographer works both in
school and as a career.
Progress in Geography: Key Stage 3 Second Edition Boost © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 2024 4
