Find out more about the University of Plymouth
Find out about geography at the University of Plymouth
The University of Plymouth offers the following outreach and engagement opportunities for schools, students and teachers:
Events and lectures
The Mark Blacksell Public Lecture Series
The purpose of this lecture series is to bring scholars working at the forefront of geography to University of Plymouth to present their research to a public audience. The lecture series is named after Professor Mark Blacksell, a human geographer with unusually widespread interests and expertise. Recordings of past events and information about future lectures can be found here
Changing Places A Level Day
Based on the theme of ‘changing places’, this day-long event introduces students how to undertake research in human geography. The day is structured around a series of hands-on workshops that teach students the techniques used by geographers to understand place. It is a hugely popular event (with over 350 students attending with schools from across the South West and Southern England and Wales) and is held annually in late November. For more information contact Dr Simon Dickinson (simon.dickinson@plymouth.ac.uk).
A Level Geohazards Conference
With geohazards and climate change high on the world agenda, this event is a day with inspiring talks to inform students of recent developments in all aspects of geohazards – from volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis to floods caused by glaciers. The conference is usually held in April, is aimed at A Level students interested in geosciences, physical and human geography, and attracts schools from around the UK. For more information contact Professor Sarah Boulton (sarah.boulton@plymouth.ac.uk)
Visits to and from schools
The School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Plymouth welcome invitations to participate in outreach events such as talks, short workshops or careers fairs. These can either be through University staff visits or by visits to the University of Plymouth. They do not charge for speakers but would require you to cover reasonable travel and subsistence costs for staff visits. Find out more
Talks currently available for GCSE and A Level:
- It's the end of the world as we know it? Geography, Population and Resources (A level)
- Changing Places: Rebranding Urban and Rural Areas (A level)
- Urban Planning, Place Marketing, and … Terrorism? (A Level)
- Urban and Waterfront Change (GCSE and A level)
- But the climate has always changed! (GCSE and A level)
- Flying and climate change – what are your carbon emissions? (A level)
- Geography: using GIS for the extended project (A level)
- Living in a ‘pop-up’ world: is pop-up architecture the answer to our urban problems? (A level)
- Building back better: how do disasters change places? (GCSE and A level)
- When did humans begin to transform the biosphere? (GCSE and A level)
Open days
Find out more about open day dates using our Directory of Open Days
Scholarships, funding and opportunities
This exciting one day workshop, with additional optional field trip to Dartmoor, introduces female A level students to the Earth sciences and demonstrate the world of careers open to Earth science graduates today. Find out more
Teacher CPD and resources
2010-11 Canterbury Earthquakes teaching resource
Dr Simon Dickinson has put together a video and worksheet (resource 20) as a part of the RGS-IBG Geography at Home series. The resource introduces students to how the earthquakes impacted the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It focuses on how the disaster, and recovery from it, might be changing the identity of Christchurch as a place. The video introduces some evidence which suggests present processes of development are leading to new place meanings and identities.
Top Spec Geography
The Climate Crisis: This teaching resource, authored by University of Plymouth geographer Dr Tim Daley, provides an overview of the climate ‘crisis’, including its origins, the main drivers, its impacts, and some proposed solutions. The book can be purchased here or a free copy may be available from Dr Daley (tim.daley@plymouth.ac.uk)
Introduction to Place resource
In collaboration with Time for Geography, this video briefly introduces the concepts that geographers use to understand place. It is suitable for GCSE and A Level students and introduces them to the concepts of location, locale and sense of place.
Food in the UK
Changing Food Production and Demand: This video, in part designed by University of Plymouth geographer Dr Kim Ward, explores how the geography of our food has changed in recent history, with the development of new methods of food production, complex food supply chains and changing customer demands and expectations.
