History And Geography Essay

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Recommended: Relationship between history and geography

In this assignment I will explore the links between history and geography and the implications for teaching as well as indicating the implications of these links for the school curriculum; reflecting on relevant literature, my school experiences and university based sessions. Whilst both subjects are distinguished individually in the National Curriculum (DfEE 1999) Pickford et al, (2013) consider the significant cross curricular links between the subjects that cognate the subject area due to their shared concepts and skills. However it is vital that in order to find links, a distinctive appreciation is made for geography and history as unique subjects, to ensure emersion between them is most effective (Turner and Bisset, 2000).
The study of geography involves two ‘branches’; human and physical (Scoffman, 2010). The former considers environmental sustainability and the impact human interactions have on the future whilst developing a sense of place (Cooper et al, 2006). The latter concerns the study of the earth’s surface (ibid). Despite consisting of two ‘branches’ both contribute towards raising “children’s awareness of the geographical dimensions of our everyday experiences” (Martin 2006:3). Additionally, Hoodless et al, (2006) exemplify the skills developed in geography, suggesting that the focus of geography incorporates the enhancement of; special awareness, scale, sustainability and opinions and viewpoints. The breadth of study in the National Curriculum (1999) identifies the significance of the use of localities when teaching geography.
The study of history concerns the development of people over a period of time (Hales 2002). Hoodless et al (2009) describe history as unique in its ability to promote the understanding of c...

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...rriculum to not be fulfilled. Grigg and Hughes (2013) believe that this can be resolved by making the learning explicit in short term planning by establishing the exact skill that will be developed from geography and history.
O’Hara and O’Hara (2001) establish that links between the subjects are only possible when appropriate and meaningful resources are available and time is considered effectively to ensure that all areas of the ‘theme’ are covered. As the teacher this means that time must be managed to ensure that both subjects are sharing an equal balance of the curriculum. Whilst this may be evident, Knight (1993) over looks this and suggests that linking the two subjects can maximise the area of study more effectively however this requires practitioners to consider how the national curriculum requirements can be implemented in the medium and long term plans.

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