The Geography Teaching Adventure

This is a new book by Steve Puttick. I bought a copy recently and read it in two days as it was immediately accessible and drew me in with the subject and its themes of curriculum and exploration, along with a critical look at the development of the discipline and its tendency towards 'whiteness'.

I've also revisited it in order to write this post.

Here's a longer review of the book following on from an earlier quick mention and a review posted on Amazon.

It's a very readable book which belies the scholarship underpinning its arguments - which are set out with admirable clarity.

There is a considered critique of a number of concepts and theories in education, as well as some of the traditional ways of 'doing things'. 

It made me rethink a couple of things that I have worked on recently, such as the 3rd run through of a unit based on the late Benjamin Zephaniah's 'Windrush Child' and work exploring stereotypes of African nations.

The book considers the power of information - something that Margaret Roberts discussed in her recent book on Enquiry.

A descriptiom from the publisher to finish:

Children are born explorers, full of wonder and hungry for stories about the world. What role might geography teaching play? What geographical stories do we tell about the world? What stories do we tell about geography itself? The book revisits an older vision of geography that is much bigger than exams and memorising information: dreams of adventure and discovery. But where geography’s imperial past used these tools for domination and control, this book reclaims exploration to nurture wonder and tell better stories that work towards more just, equitable and sustainable futures.

Positioning geography teaching in relation to major global challenges, author Steve Puttick argues that the subject has a unique role to play through its ability to think across natural and social sciences in equipping young people with the skills and knowledge they need to respond. The book offers a critical and accessible analysis of geography’s entanglements with colonialism by exploring the striations of Empire in the subject. Each chapter draws on a wide range of research in geography, and finishes with practical activities and questions for reflection that can be used individually and collectively to support teachers’ ongoing professional development.

The book is essential reading for all geography teachers at any stage of their career, as well as geography teacher educators, subject leads and school leaders with responsibility for curriculum development.