What is Place Based Learning? (PBL)
*Sobel, D. (2005). Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms & Communities (2 ed.). Great Barrington, MA: The Orion Society.
HEC Global Learning Centre and Mapping for Change at UCL have developed an online project enabling children to explore and take ownership of their local environment, to share their views and findings and work together to seek solutions, using the Mapping for Change online community map. See an example map
Through a child-centred approach children look at their environment and explore issues of sustainability, local geography and history and their connections to the wider world; whilst through creative activities they express their views, feelings, memories and hopes for where they live.
HEC Global Learning Centre offers a package of sessions for students looking at grid and story mapping, exploring the locality, recording their findings and views on an online map, with photography, text and poetry.
- Introduction to maps and places
- Walk around the local area, story maps
- Mapping my world; local and global links
- Walk to school diaries and poems
- Sustainability
Key curriculum areas: Literacy, Geography, History, ICT, Sustainability.
Outcomes: Children have a clearer understanding of their local area and community, and their place within it, having looked at issues they perceive as important. The maps produced can be used throughout the school. Participating teachers will have received training using online maps, and have access to lessons plans and additional resources for use in the classroom.
Enquiries: hecschools@gn.apc.org
