1. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This Web site reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities 3
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities
Toolkit Overview

2. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This Web site reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities 3
GeoCapabilities 3

3. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This Web site reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities 3
Explanation of terminology (toolkit diagram)
Current (academic) Geography – this can be from a text, a person, a
broadcast, but inspires and updates your personal geographical knowledge
and understanding…we give some sources for migration geography
https://www.geocapabilities.org/migration-resources/
PDK – Powerful Disciplinary Knowledge - the concepts (place, space,
environment etc.) contexts (such as unique place-based events) and
procedural knowledge and skills (such as enquiry with geographical data)
which are distinct to geography and allow people to connect their own lives
to the world, thinking seeing in new ways.
Maude (2016) has classified geography into a simple, five fold
categorisation of ways in which geographical knowledge is powerful, which
can be used to plan for developing the PDK of geography, and also to
evaluate it https://cutt.ly/xmRc5t3
For more on these terms and others see
https://www.geocapabilities.org/glossary/
Continued over…

4. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This Web site reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities 3
Vignette - A vignette is brief example of PDK, written by you (the
teacher) usually based on a single inspiring source you have read/
seen/ listened to.
The vignette is short (2-3 paragraphs, or even just some bullet points)
but in it you capture the significance of thinking geographically, i.e.
seeing something differently through geographical concepts. In the
vignette you include a visual (such as a key graph, map, photo or
table). It is great to share vignettes with colleagues, as an activity.
A template for vignette writing and examples is available
Vignette Template https://cutt.ly/CmRboLK
Migration Vignettes https://www.geocapabilities.org/vignettes/
Continued over…
Explanation of terminology (toolkit diagram)
For more on these terms and others see
https://www.geocapabilities.org/glossary/

5. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This Web site reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities 3
Artefact – This is key to the planning stage.
An artefact is a rich resource, used in the classroom on
which a lesson or series of lessons hang. It can be returned
to, is multi-layered in meaning and, used with your
teaching approaches (the activities and enquiry you use to
develop understanding) it can help unlock the potential of
the geography you expressed in your vignette. A well
chosen photograph, infographic, piece of text, speech,
song…any form of media can make a rich artefact.
Continued over…
Explanation of terminology (toolkit diagram)
For more on these terms and others see
https://www.geocapabilities.org/glossary/

6. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This Web site reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities 3
Social Justice – is a widely used concept that is very
significant for teachers in three key ways:
i. Distributive justice – this means a fair share. In
geography this frequently occurs, such as access to food,
water, health and education. Gaps have widened and
inequality has knock on effects, thinking about the future
for people (globally, nationally or locally) involves questions
of distributive justice. It is also a concept that resonates
with inclusion and fair share of access to education and
knowledge for each child in your classroom.
For more about social justice and how it links to the GeoCapabilities Approach
see https://www.geocapabilities.org/geocap3-social-justice/
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over…
Explanation of terminology (toolkit diagram)

7. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This Web site reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities 3
Social Justice – This is a widely used concept that is very
significant for teachers in three key ways:
ii. Relational justice – this is about being able to work
together and avoiding extreme individualism or a ‘dog eat
dog’ view which undermines relational justice. Many
geographical issues connect to this, climate change,
migration, development and global health for example.
In the classroom it resonates strongly again - letting
children have a say, work together and learn without feeling
stupid or that they are competing all the time.
For more about social justice and how it links to the GeoCapabilities Approach
see https://www.geocapabilities.org/geocap3-social-justice/
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over…
Explanation of terminology (toolkit diagram)

8. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This Web site reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities 3
iii. Agency – this means freedom to exercise some
control and power over your life, work and big decisions. It
can mean for an individual or a community. Questions of
agency (and lack of it) has led to protests about how
people live with others and in nature, now and in future.
Geography teachers need some agency (to choose what
and how to teach) and an argument for education (at the
heart of the human capabilities idea of education) is to
give young people agency through powerful knowledge
that they can connect to their lives and put to use.
For more about social justice and how it links to the GeoCapabilities Approach
see https://www.geocapabilities.org/geocap3-social-justice/
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over…
Explanation of terminology (toolkit diagram)

9. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This Web site reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities 3
Social Justice - framing the diagram
A big part of the GeoCapabilities 3 project is to involve
your students as you plan and evaluate what they have
learned and understood from learning (knowledge, skills,
as well as values, attitudes and questions) and to have
social justice in mind in step one – when thinking about /
developing your own geography and aims.
Hence social justice frames all steps in the diagram.
For more about social justice and how it links to the GeoCapabilities
Approach see https://www.geocapabilities.org/geocap3-social-justice/
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over…
Explanation of terminology (toolkit diagram)

10. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This Web site reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities 3
Evaluate – GeoCapabilities 3 recommends a ‘before
and after’ approach so that teachers can see how their
students have progressed, and which helps look at
what is meaningful for your students’ lives.
A simple planning tool for you and an evaluation tool
to use with your students have been developed.
These tools help to focus on:
a.the powerful geographical knowledge content
b.what is significant for the students’ lives
c.how teaching approaches can make it accessible
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over…
Explanation of terminology (toolkit diagram)