Place-based curriculum making: devising a synthesis between primary geography and outdoor learning

Outdoor learning provides children with an opportunity to experience the interdisciplinary nature of the real world through interactions with each other and the planet. Geographical enquiry involves exploring the outdoors in an investigative capacity. Space, place and sustainability are three core concepts in primary geography, although sustainability is applicable to all curricular areas. This article argues that the disciplines of primary geography and outdoor learning have much to gain through mutual cooperation and collaboration. For instance, primary geography programmes should include extensive outdoor learning initiatives using local sites such as the school grounds and the local area. This article attempts to make links between the two disciplines of primary geography and outdoor learning, in the interests of promoting education for sustainability. Specifically, the article argues for a conscious synthesis which blends the three dimensions of place, space and sustainability into geographical place-based curriculum making.