Geography in your pocket...

Image from Flickr user Nicobobinus made available under Creative Commons

Been working on an idea for a "Living Geography" activity based on the contents of pockets...

The geography in your pocket...

Could start with an image of Gollum from 'The Hobbit' who is involved in the classic exchange

with Bilbo Baggins where he asks the question "What have I got in my pocket ?"

The activity could be used for an introductory activity for a unit on Consumption and related topics...

Depending on the nature of the contents, the lesson could then be led in a range of directions from shopping and industry, technology, agriculture or globalisation...

It would make sense for the teacher to consider which direction the lesson needs to take ideally, and to perhaps prepare some items in advance and then introduce the lesson casually...

Consider the connections that can be made between the objects, the pupils' experiences and the raw material and consumption chain involved in the objects (could also consider the interactions between the objects)

I am developing this unit further for the Living Geography Regional Conferences in Wales which are coming up shortly.

Image by Alan Parkinson

One particular resource I'm working on is related to the environmental cost of the coins that are found in most people's pockets.

It's based on an excellent article that was in the MAIL ON SUNDAY magazine a couple of weeks ago. It traces the trail of DIRTY MONEY from the mines where the raw materials from coinage are extracted from the ground.

Concentrating on just one POUND coin would also go to the connection with POUNDLAND, which is doing well, and is part of the changing retail landscape of the high street, with its associated demographics.

Another popular unit is the MOBILE PHONE lesson in the Teachers' Toolkit title: "Into Africa". This always goes down well whenever it is used.

Looking at the image above, you could also consider the impact of smoking and tobacco cultivation.

For the academic background, read the RGS Social and Cultural Geography Research Group and the work of Ian Cook and others...

An interesting connection that could be made is to the idea of SUSTAINABILITY: students could consider alternative forms of currency. Could there be a future of no metal coinage ?

Also consider the connection with 2012 Olympics.

I recently received a mailing from the Royal Mint, which had apparently gone to every household in the country, which offered the chance to buy coins to celebrate the Olympics.

As usual, more half-formed ideas, but I am working on the finished resources ready for the forthcoming conferences.