» Geography Teachers' Association of SA Inc.
Place for Geography Book II
PLACE FOR GEOGRAPHY Book 2by
Niranjan Casinader, Christine Casinader, Derrith Lancashire, Vivienne Lynch, and Sarah North
reviewed by Graham S Harness
rrp: unavailable at time of review
This is a well presented book of some 250 pages. It has an uncluttered format with an easy to read text. Information is presented by means of colour and black and white photography, full colour and monochromatic diagrams, tabulated text and data, flow charts, full colour and monochromatic maps and graphs. The plethora of maps diagrams and photographs are well placed and carefully sized to give the book a ready appeal which not lost on closer inspection.
Of particular interest is the large number of exercises presented in the book. Many of these exercise come with a number of "options". Each "option" is designed to achieve the same learning outcomes but by a different learning approach. Congratulation must be given to the authors for this innovative approach to addressing the issue of student's different learning styles. However I have two concerns in the way this book may be used.
My first concern is that teachers may use these exercise, not as alternatives, but as sequential exercises that all students should do. Whereas I believe that the authors intention was that some students would do Option A and some Option B and others Option C etc. At least if all the "options" are used students will experience different teaching and learning styles and will not suffer the same degree of disadvantage as when only one teaching and learning style is used.
My second concern is that teachers may be inclined to pick only those options that suit their teaching and learning style and continue to disadvantage some of their students. A possible manner of overcoming this would be for future editions of this book to include in large print the word "OR" between each option. However, I cannot see a really fool proof manner by which the authors or publishers could avoid this potential misuse of their book. We must trust the professionalism of geography and SOSE teachers in this matter.
The other aspect of this book which greatly impressed me was the inclusion of nine Skill Sheets at near the end of the book. These will develop a number of geographic skills which students will need in their studies of geography (and other subjects). While the exercise do refer students to these sheets I suspect they could go unnoticed. Perhaps placing them in the chapters may be more useful. This is the second Longman publication which has included a skills section that I have come across this year. Again I congratulate both publishers and authors on the inclusion of these skill sheets.
Also worthy of note, and enhancing this book, are its appendices. Which include map outlines, some puzzle answers, and a "Future Problem Solving Program Booklet"
This book covers a number of traditional geographical topics and presents them in an interesting and stimulating manner. The chapter topics are in
general indicative of the content and include:
1. The Weather Around us
2. Up River Down River
3. Mountain Building
4. Plate Tectonics: Environments on the Move
5. Beyond Bali: The Two Sides of Indonesia (This chapter would be useful for
schools that are emphasising Asia throughout their curriculum).
6. Deep in the Forest
7. Wealth from the Ground: Mining in Australia
8. Let's Go Shopping (This chapter provides an introduction some aspects of
economic and urban geography).
These topics have been designed to address the all the strand and key learning areas of the Curriculum and Standards Framework, and with some adaptation it will also readily address strands and outcomes from the Statements and Profiles. There are four books in this series and they are
intended to address levels 3-7 with the main emphasis on levels 4-6. Book
2's emphasis is level 5 but it can also address the levels immediately above and below.
The Introduction of the book states that while the underpinning strand has been that of Place and Space this book will address other strands in the SOSE key learning area. Importantly the book can address strands in other Key Learning Areas such as Mathematics, Health & PE, Science and Technology. I felt it was a pity to see the table outlining this relegated to the inside of the back cover and left apparently incomplete. However a teacher in South Australia may find this useful as they rework this table to fit with the Statements and Profiles.
Some schools which are teaching units of Geography and History rather than an integrated approach to SOSE will find this a very useful text book and they should give it serious consideration when choosing a new text book. Those schools using an integrated approach may find this book more useful as a class set reference or as a teacher reference rather than as a student text book.
Recommended.
