‘Place’ as point of departure for critical thinking in geography

Abstract

Geography was previously one of three subfields in the Norwegian primary and lower secondary school’s social studies curriculum. In the new curriculum from 2020, Geo­graphy as a subject has become less clear. At the same time, the new curriculum may provide new opportunities to develop students’ geoliteracy. Geoliteracy means being able to read and understand geographical texts and have knowledge of location, places, and interconnections. Furthermore, it means the ability to use geographical thinking to assess different alternatives for actions and make decisions. There are few empirical studies on geography teaching at primary school level, and international research has been particularly concerned with multimodal texts and graphic representations. The critical aspect of geoliteracy in a broad sense, and the role of places in this regard, has received less attention. This article discusses the following research question: How can different approaches to place develop students’ geoliteracy and critical thinking?

This article is based on a qualitative classroom study in fifth grade during lessons about Norwegian counties. The analysis shows that the teaching assignments facilitated students’ geoliteracy while reading and constructing maps and finding information about places on the web. Most of the assignments had a descriptive approach to place, but the analysis also reveals potential for critical thinking in some assignments and in spontaneous situations that occurred in the classroom. The article argues that a multi­dimensional approach to place can provide a geographical perspective to teaching and learning under the new curriculum, as well as contribute to students’ critical thinking.

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