Beyond the Specification: Globalisation
Updated in November 2023
Written in May 2020
In this series of blog posts (one for each of human topics of Edexcel A-Level geography), I will share some of the ‘best’ resources that I’ve come across for going beyond the specification when teaching A-Level geography. The criteria for making the list of ‘best’ resources?
Free to access
Engaging and readable for 6th form students
Encourage students to think geographically beyond the prescribed content of their course.
By their very nature, these resources can date quickly and the list must frequently change. This is one of the issues with teaching A-Level, it can seem (at times) overwhelming to keep on top of everything and so I hope the list below proves useful to you in the classroom.
One thing I’m keen to promote in my teaching of A-Level is the use of varied sources and thus you’ll notice that each of the 5 resources below is presenting information to students in a different format. I’m always on the hunt for more of these so if you know of any, please do comment below with suggestions!
1. China’s Special Economic Zones: an analysis of policy to reduce regional disparities
An open access research paper available here.
Despite being an academic publication, the language used is accessible with a clear structure to the paper. This paper explains how the implementation of SEZs has led to prosperity in the coastal regions of China but created additional economic disparity between regions. It is therefore proposed that the SEZs are extended or set up in different parts of the country- in order to close the economic gaps. Thus, for students learning about China’s SEZs as a government action to encourage globalisation, this paper is excellent for extending their knowledge.
2. Is it time to retire the term ‘developing country’?
Prospect magazine article available here.
Published in December 2019, this up to date article discusses the nebulous term and the reasons why some of the largest economies in the world are keen to hold onto the classification of a ‘developing country’. Much of the information in this article will be new to A-Level students thus giving them a new perspective on the concept of development and taking them beyond the classifications used in their A-Level course.
3. 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy: Shipping Container
BBC Podcast available here.
In this podcast by the BBC News World Service, the fundamental importance of the shipping container in the global economy is discussed in detail. Whilst students study containerisation briefly as a means of accelerating globalisation, it is likely that you don’t dwell on the significance of this humble metal box for long. For students wanting to go beyond the specification, it is fascinating to consider just how essential container shipping is for their way of life- for the cheap consumer goods and the ‘just- in-time’ supply chains. Students could make notes on the following three questions:
What were the challenges before containerisation?
Why was containerisation not welcomed at first?
What has containerisation enabled?
4. World Trade Explorer: How does the UK trade with the rest of the world?
Interactive data tool available here.
This interactive data tool from the ONS helps student to understand how the UK trades with the rest of the world. When a country is selected, the total UK trade is shown as well as the goods balance and services balance. In terms of studying globalisation, this world trade explorer goes some way to showing students the complexity of the global economy and is fascinating to explore. Some tasks that could be set for students include the following.
Before using the tool:
Can you name 3 countries that you think the UK might have a trade deficit with? (we import more than we export).
For each country, why do you think this?
Can you name 3 countries that you think the UK might have a trade surplus with? (we export more than we import).
For each country, why do you think this?
Using the tool:
Explore the trade relationship with the following countries (all discussed in the globalisation topic) and make notes on what you find: China, America, North Korea, India, and Chad.
5. What makes Delhi’s air so deadly?
Vox video available here.
The Vox video channel, available on Youtube, has been much-celebrated as an A-Level resource owing to the wide array of topics covered. It is well worth looking through the videos and selecting those relevant to your A-Level teaching. This particular one is useful for thinking more critically about air pollution. The specification discusses air pollution as a negative environmental impact of globalisation and Delhi is often used as an example of a city whose air is particularly deadly but have students considered the array of different conditions that combine to cause such deadly air? This video explains that, encouraging synoptic and critical thinking and thus going beyond the specification.
6. How to manage a megacity
Video from The Economist available here.
Time constraints, and the fact that they’ve studied very similar content at GCSE, mean that I find myself covering the megacity section of the Globalisation topic very quickly. We cover what we need to and move swiftly on. This video explores the social and environmental challenges of rapid megacity growth in much more detail and takes students beyond the specification in both breath and depth.