#TMRGS presentation by Anna Forshaw about embedding decision making in geography

1. Use of layered decision making activities to ensure progression at Key
Stage 4
Stretch and challenge
Self
direction
Creativity
High challenge that
matches skills
Short
feedback
loops
Motivation and
rewards
Choice
starters
Decision making and
conflict management
Crisis management
Collaborative
group work
Use of same AFL strategies
through one lesson
Open ended
question
starters
Linking
concepts
Peer and
self
assessment
Continuous
targeted
questioning
Choice
activitiesIntrinsic motivation
Co-construction
Creation of
solutions
e.g.
weather
suits

2. Challenges
• Increases in knowledge content at Key Stage 4 – 2012 and 2016
• Exams requiring students to interpret an increasing array of resources and skills
and building them into demonstrating conceptual understanding
• Huge time constraints
Layered decision making
• Students drip-fed information
• Required to assess and demonstrate progression through failure
• Individual-paired-group work in a mixed ability setting (targets E-A*) in
order to interpret a wide range of resources
• Introduction of scaffolds to encourage the inclusion if evidence in written
responses
• Designation or roles to encourage students to consider processes through
the view of a wide range of stakeholders

3. 3. What questions do you need to ask to find out more information?
2. What can you infer about the image?
1. Describe the image – what can you see?

4. A consortium of fast food chains and a well
established Brazilian logging company have bid
for a 1000 hectare space of rainforest in north
eastern Brazil in which to herd cattle and collect
wood for timber products. What would be your
initial thoughts on this proposal?
Developing requirement to interrogate evidence
Initial independent brainstorm:
What do students know
already?
What impact do the processes
they are already aware of have
upon the proposal?

5. 70% of all medicines contain ingredients
found in the Amazon, including drugs
used to treat cancer and malaria
1 in 10 animals species live in the
Amazon. It is the most biodiverse place
on Earth.
There are 400 discovered Amazon tribes
and possibly hundreds more undiscovered
tribes. They rely on the rainforest for
shelter and food
There is daily heavy rainfall in the
rainforest. Without forest cover, the
rain will beat down on the soil

6. GNP per capita ($) Brazil 1970-1996 Amazon deforestation 1988-
1996
There are thousands of landless
farmers in Brazil, living below the
poverty line
Questioning:
• Thoughts so far
• How does the evidence support this opinion?
• Strongest piece of evidence?
Paired work:
Allows them to make a decision based
on their opinion
Building in use of the evidence:
Which evidence supports their opinion?
What does the evidence tell them?
Why is it a pertinent piece of evidence?
Choice in the resources used

7. • ALL will describe the location of the some tropical rainforests and will
describe impacts of human use (D)
• MOST will describe the distribution of rainforests and explain the positive or
negative impacts of human uses of the rainforest (C/B)
• SOME will analyse a wide range of evidence and consider a wide range of
opinions to draw detailed conclusions about the impacts of deforestation
(A/A*)
In your groups, you have each been given a stakeholder:
• Greenpeace representative
• Kayapo Indian representatives
• Government finance minister
• Brazilian forestry workers union
You must use the evidence provided in your envelope to complete your worksheet –
brainstorm the reasons behind your groups opinion and prepare a short speech using
the success criteria
15 minutes
Should the Boa Vista cattle ranch and logging reserve be approved?
Creates conflict and fear of failure as
some students are asked to represent a
different opinion to the one they are
comfortable with

9. Interrogate the evidence
Use the evidence to
explain
Peer assessment of
structure/work so far
BEFORE debating
viewpoints

10. • ALL will describe the location of the some tropical rainforests and will
describe impacts of human use (D)
• MOST will describe the distribution of rainforests and explain the positive or
negative impacts of human uses of the rainforest (C/B)
• SOME will analyse a wide range of resources and consider a wide range of
opinions to draw evidence based conclusions about the impacts of deforestation
(A/A*)
10 minutes to hold your committee meeting:
1. Discuss each others statements and ask any questions you
feel are necessary.
2. One person should take notes on the crib sheet as this will
be photocopied for your revision notes
3. By the end of the 10 minutes you must have made an
evidence-based decision

12. Split the information in your packs into the
following interest groups:
• Person 1 and 2 – factory worker
• Person 3 and 4 – factory owners
• Person 5 and 6 – clothing companies
Read through the information. Choose 2 courses
of action, rejecting one. Be prepared to
EXPLAIN your decisions
• ALL will work as part of a team to design a clear code of conduct (L4)
• MOST will express their own opinion and listen to the views of others
in order to design a code that meets the needs of several interest
groups (L5)
• SOME will express their own opinion and listen to the views of others
to evaluate their code (L6) and to successfully address any issues (L7+)
Multi-layered decision making

14. As a group of 6, you now have to come up with 4
rules for a clothing factory ‘code of conduct’. These
must meet the interests of all of the groups.
They can be some of your existing rules or you can
create your own. Your roles will be as follows:
1. Spokesperson 1
2. Spokesperson 2
3. The chair
4. Is the note-taker
5. Time keeper
6. The facilitator
• ALL will work as part of a team to design a clear code of conduct (L4)
• MOST will express their own opinion and listen to the views of others
in order to design a code that meets the needs of several interest
groups (L5)
• SOME will express their own opinion and listen to the views of others
to evaluate their code (L6) and to successfully address any issues (L7+)

15. Rate your role in the previous 2 group
discussions
1 = not at all
2 = a little
3 = somewhat
4 = often
5 = consistently

16. “What can we do about the Pound shops on East Ham High Street?”
A 2011 government study into
the decline of the UK high
street found that many chain
and high end stores were
moving out of the UKs high
streets.
Many were replaced by
‘Discount Stores’
The study found that whilst these stores provided some benefit to
those on low incomes, discount stores did little to help the economy of
each area
Newham was one of the area's named with a particularly high
proportion of discount stores
Practising using knowledge of local area

17. The options....
Place a limit –
pound shops
cannot make up
more than 10% of
any High Street
Offer high end
stores incentives to
open up stores on
the High Street
Encourage
specialist shops
that do not exist in
the local area to
open like the
Doctor Who shop

18. Your task is to form a
planning team. You will
explore solutions to the
issue, pick one and
prepare a proposal for the
local government
You will be given various
pieces of evidence and will
have to work together to
agree on a proposal
What skills will you need
to display?

19. Team work – your decision needs to be unanimous. You also have a
large amount of evidence to sort through in a short space of time.
Do you know each others qualities in order to work out who should
be doing what?
Analytical– can you study different pieces of evidence thoroughly
and work out how they will help you to solve an issue? Can you
identify bias in evidence?
Problem-solving – can you come to the best conclusion based on
the evidence? Can you overcome obstacles in your way e.g.
Problems with the evidence, disagreements in the group?
Persuasive – how can you use language, presentation skills and
evidence to persuade others to agree with your decisions?

20. • Scan in completed weather assessment – individual
decision making and justifying