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Curriculum Cymreig--Geography

Related links
Geography websites with Wales on the Web Geography resoures within NGFL Cymru

Contents- Geography curriculum guide

General resources | Maps | Community life | Travel and tourism | Population | Physical geography | Meterology and weather | Environment | Sustainable development |


Many websites cover aspects of both human and physical geography in Wales. This is a brief overview of the resources that exist.

Geography and Wales- General resources

The Countryside Council for Wales is the National Assembly's statutory adviser on sustaining natural beauty, wildlife and to further enhance the opportunity for outdoor enjoyment in Wales and its inshore waters. Its work covers such subjects as earth science, marine, agriculture, landscape, habitat and species, wildlife protection, access, grants, protected sites, and current issues regarding the countryside in Wales. The website also has an informative children's section allowing them to learn more about the surrounding countryside through a variety of entertaining ways.

Environment Agency explores issues which affect the environment in Wales. Its education provides games and animations and helps children learn more about the environment

The Forestry Commission is the government department responsible for the protection and expansion of forests and woodlands in Wales. The Commission protects Wales's woodlands on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales. The website contains information on forestry in Wales and its associated recreational and educational activities, the work of the Forestry Commission, and a news archive.

Geo-Drws 'contains a growing collection of national and international web pages and resources in order to help support the teaching of the geography curriculum in Wales.' The resource is a joint venture between ACCAC and FBA learning. It is a database of information and useful case study materials for geography teachers.

Maps of Wales

The Ordnance Survey is the governmental agency responsible for mapping the geographic landscape of Wales. Their website supports all levels of education and has a variety of free resources for schools.

The Ordnance Survey is also responsible for Old Maps. The resource 'provides online access to Britain's most extensive digital historical map archive which is jointly owned by Landmark and Ordnance Survey.' The archive has access to maps of Wales from over a hundred years ago and they are viewable online. The archive has a search engine in order to locate place names, or a county gazetteer that shows a list of place names which exist in individual Welsh counties. Multi Map provides access to interactive maps of today's Wales.

Community life

Many community websites are listed within Wales on the Web from all over Wales. It is possible through community websites to contrast life in different localities in Wales. It is possible to gather information relating to a way of life at a village in Gwynedd or Ceredigion and compare to that of a south Wales Valleys community. As many of these websites are community focused, a wide range of information is available from these online communities. Many of these resources also show how economic life have changed over the years in these towns and villages. Town or village websites in Wales provide us with an excellent overview of life in a particular locality.

Wales on the Web has a listing of community websites from all over Wales reflecting many aspects of community life. Below, are a few examples of such websites relating to community life in rural areas. For a full listing of community website, it is worth visiting Wales on the Web communities, history or tourist section for a full listing of resources relating to particular towns and villages in Wales. This a brief selection of what is available online:

Urban Wales is very much associated with south Wales. Much of the area has witnessed fundamental changes over the last quarter of century due to the disappearance of the once dominant coal industry. This a brief selection of what is available online:

Other websites reflecting community life in Wales include:

Voices of Agriculture is a project that portrays life in agricultural communities. The project is committed to creating a databank of oral and pictorial information on the changes and influences which have affected agriculture since 1947. The project aims to record specific personal experiences and help give voice to the people whose daily lives may not normally attract attention, but whose contribution to the way our society and land has evolved may have been profound, both individually, and as a group or community.

Capture Wales is an online and new media initiative from BBC Wales and portrays community life in Wales. Digital storytelling allows people to tell their stories in a new way, using the tools of multi-media production. Bringing along photo albums, precious objects, art work, clips from home videos and a clear idea for a personal story, workshop participants work alongside the Capture Wales team to bring their stories to life using new technology. Equipment used in the workshop includes laptop computers, image manipulation and editing software, scanners and digital cameras. The result is a 2-3 minute mini-documentary (250 words), suitable for showing on the internet or television.

Community regeneration is also high on today's agenda in both rural and urban Wales.

An area that has seen a transformation in recent years is Cardiff Bay. Cardiff Bay Authority website has a history of Cardiff Bay and a virtual tour to the area. The barrage itself have been heavily influenced by historic activity in the area including land reclamation, the construction of Cardiff Docks and dredging of channels to the docks. The Bay has the second highest tidal range in the world. The barrage is considered a major civil engineering project, which was started in 1994 and took 5 years to complete. The Bay itself is the home of a large ethnic population. The Butetown History and Arts Centre collects, preserves and presents the lived history of old Cardiff Bay. The exhibits, books and other materials that we produce draw on the photographs, documents and memories of local people.' The website also has a education section devoted to the curriculum.

Other cities in Wales experiencing urban regeneration are Swansea and Newport.

Travel and Tourism

Wales also has a thriving tourist industry. Many of these websites are geared towards visitors in Wales and emphasis the number of attrations available in their locality. They also act as tourist information guides. The Wales Tourist Board's Visit Wales website offers a wealth of information to the tourist industry in Wales.

The Worldwidewales project aim is to 'create an interactive audiovisual experience of Wales, which combines a travel directed with a cultural introduction to the country. This consists of a large number of mini programmes, averaging 3 to 4 minutes in length.' The mini programmes cover towns in Wales, heritage sites, Great Little Trains, historic events, walks, and scenic routes in Wales.

The Council for National Parks is the charity that works to protect and enhance the National Parks of England and Wales, and promote understanding and quiet enjoyment of them for the benefit of all. It does this by working in partnership with the National Park Authorities and other bodies active in the national parks. There are three National Parks in Wales and each one has an education service:

Population

2001 was the year for the census. Its results and population surveys are available from the National Statistics Online. The Focus on Wales part of the National Statistics Office website contains results from the 2001 Census. It provides an overview and analysis to the 2001 census results relating to the Welsh language, Welsh national identity, ethnicity and religion, health and caring, country of birth, working lives, living standards and population growth and age.

Physical Geography

The Coastal Guide Wales website provides an introduction to the coast of Wales and its coastal zone, coastal geology and landscapes, climate, cultural heritage and important demographic aspects. It also looks at the state of the Welsh coast and coastal management and planning. The essay is supported by many references and relevant links to further information regarding all aspects of the Welsh coastal zone.

A great variety of geological features and landforms are associated with Pembrokeshire. Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum is also a useful resource on the coast of Wales and Pembrokeshire. The Geological history of Pembrokeshire is brief geological history from the late Precambrian age (650-545 million years ago) to the present age. Geological maps of the area are also included with the history.

A resource covering north Wales is Cwm Idwal- it is an overview to the geography of Cwm Idwal in Snowdonia - considered one of the best examples of a glacial cwm in Wales. The site provides information on the formation of the cwm, rock types and the plants and animals that live there. The virtual tour allows you to explore different parts of the Cwm in more detail.

The Geology of Gower, part of the Geological Society website, is an educational resource that provide a field guide to the geology of Gower in south Wales. The guide consists of five 'guided tours' around sites of geological interest in the Gower area including Swansea Bay, Cefn Bryn, Caswell Bay, Three Cliffs Bay and Rhosili. There is also an introduction outlining how the geology of Gower fits into the history of the earth.

The National Showcaves Centre for Wales is at Dan-yr-Ogof, near Abercrave, Upper Swansea Valley. The website has information on attractions available at the centre that include Dan-yr-Ogof caves, iron age village, dinosaur park, ski slope and Mr Morgans farm providing a full size reconstruction of life in these parts 80 to 100 years ago. The website also has a school section with information pages to assist teachers and pupils.

Meteorlogy and Weather

For Meteorology and the Weather in Wales, it is worth visiting Wales Storm Pages, a useful educational resource on thunderstorms and tornadoes in Wales. Carmarthenshire Local Education Authority Satellite Centre provides advice, curriculum materials and training on all aspects of using weather and earth observation satellite imagery. The Met Office web pages also provide information on Wales' climate, including facts and figures on sunshine, rain, wind, temperature and snow.

The Ty Nant website describes the geological processes that lead to the formation of mineral water as bottled by Ty Nant.

Environmental Issues

A number of resources exists relating to the environment in Wales. Many are listed with Wales on the Web environment section, but below is a brief summary of what exists.

  • West Wales Eco-Centre contains information on domestic energy efficiency and renewable technologies- it also has a number of useful factsheets and a visitor centre in Newport, Pembrokeshire.
  • The Environment Centre is based in Swansea and is an independent charity focusing on environmental information, education and activity in South Wales.
  • The Bridgend Environmental Education Partnerships has educational resources packs on the environment, and environmental case studies involving local schools.
  • Keep Wales Tidy has information on eco-schools and the eco-centres programme. Their aim is for a litter free Wales. They are also responsible for Waste Awareness Wales

For Welsh Medium Education, there is Gwaith Maes, a voluntary society which supports environmental education for schools by publishing environmental material. Online access is available to gwaith Maes and it is regarded as a valuable Welsh medium resource.

Other resources include:

  • BTVC Cymru is an environmental charity helping over 130,000 volunteers every year improve their local environment
  • Groundwork Wales a leading environmental regeneration charity making sustainable development a reality in the UK's poorest neighbourhoods.

Many resources relate to environmental problems in particular areas of Wales. Gower SOS (Save our Sands Campaign) was established by local people who are opposed to the dredging of sand from Helwick Bank, a mile offshore from west Gower. It is claimed that the dredging is responsible for the reduction of sand on some of Gower's beaches. The Sea Empress Oil Spill in 1996 near Milford Haven received national coverage- this is an educational resource by the School of Biological Sciences at Swansea University relating to the environment damage made by the oil tanker. The Wye River has seen declining fish stocks in recent years due to pollution and blockages. The Wye Usk Foundation website provides environmental information on the reasons for declining fish stock and river pollution.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development has clear links with the Curriculum in Wales, notably subjects such as geography, science and citizenship. The Welsh curricula guidance section of Global Dimension provides information on the importance of global issues and sustainable development in a Welsh context.

ESD- Education for Sustainable Development website contains information about developments and resources to support education for sustainable development and global citizenship in Wales. The website has a directory and interactive map to organisations providing ESD services or support to schools and colleges (it is possible to search the directory by county, by area or enter specific requirements such as Key Stage, topic requirement, or a type of resource you are looking for). The ESD reports contains online access to publications dealing with the development and delivery of Education for Sustainable Development. Many other websites provide material relating to Sustainable Development and they include:

For resource relating to specific areas within Wales, it is worth visiting: