Global Citizenship

What and why

Curriculum

In the whole school

School speakers

Literacy and English

Geography people and places

A note on terminology

An introduction to Global Citizenship

Schools linking and twinning

Geographical Education's place in the modern world

An introduction to Global Citizenship and geography

Traditionally, Geography has had strong links with issues of Global Citizenship, because of its potential to help children interpret their environment and understand the world around them. An approach to Geography which promotes Global Citizenship is important for the following reasons.

• It encourages an all-round view of places. Some children may have negative perceptions of places, both within the UK and in distant localities. This has often been gained through one-sided media coverage, which does not always give the reasons behind particular situations.

• It encourages a questioning approach to information. It is important for children to realise that everything is written from a particular viewpoint and tends to be biased in some way.

• It challenges stereotypes and prejudiced views. The things children see when they look at a particular photograph might be different from the things you see. For example, in showing a picture of rural life in a distant locality they may register the lack of shoes or some animal dung, rather than the thriving market that you see. It is important to avoid this leading to prejudiced views or feelings of superiority.

• It is possible to bring a global dimension to all aspects of Geography. There are an infinite number of links and similarities between peoples' lives around the globe.

• It can link different aspects of the curriculum. Stephen Scoffham suggests the following ideas for linking Geography, environmental education and active citizenship within the local community:
  
  - go on field trips to field work or environmental centres;
  
  - set up a lunchtime or after-school environment club (external organisations can be involved);
  
  - enter an award scheme or competition such as Eco-Schools;
  
  - undertake practical environmental projects either as a study day or as part of a residential school trip;
  
  - take part in seasonal events such as Riverwatch, Industry Week, Environmental Week (organised each May by the Civic Trust), or Geography Action Week (organised by the Geographical Association each autumn).

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