'A2' DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES
I do not teach this unit.
If anyone has any resources to donate for this, I will happily take them for the benefit of those who do...
Updated May 2007
a) The world is characterised by wide variations of development
An exercise on comparing GNP per capita from the WORLD BANK. Look at the data, then complete the exercises at the end.
Also check out the data available at NATIONMASTER and the maps at WORLDMAPPER.
What are the variations that are currently taking place, or have taken place in the past.
b) Within countries there are wide variations in economic growth and development
Need to consider the variations within a country e.g. North - South divide in the UK. How can we measure development ?
Need to focus on an enquiry into a particular country.
c) Development is a process which changes through time
Models will be featuring here. There are quite a few of them (it's Human geography remember)
Remember also the importance of keeping development a combination of large and small scale projects.
The building of stone lines to trap soil - known as 'diguettes' can be very effective.
GEORESOURCES has some good starting links for this topic which can be developed further.
A useful page produced by SHA TIN college in Hong Kong. The page has links to a whole range of useful websites: notably that of the WORLD BANK, which is a good source of DEVELOPMENT data (check out the GeographyPages DEVELOPMENT page for more...)
A quick exploration of the WORLD BANK site led me to some great resources such as a downloadable student textbook called: BEYOND ECONOMIC GROWTH: Meeting the challenges of Global Development - the whole book is a 2.3Mb PDF file. It's very useful.
1. BARCODE ART
http://www.barcodeart.com/art/yourself/yourself_frames.html
This is a site I came across in early 2005, and which has recently been picked up by a few blogs recently. I featured it as part of my SAGT 2005 presentation on Virtual Communities.
The idea is that you put some personal data into a FLASH file, and it generates a 'barcode'. You need to 'scan' the barcode and it provides you with "how much you are worth...." Try generating a number of people and investigate what difference it makes when the people are born in different countries, or have different ages. What determines how much a person is "worth".
TONY CASSIDY has produced a handy sheet for students to use with the resource. (I'll let you know the URL when Tony has changed his site...)
Could form the basis of an enquiry.
2. WORLDMAPPER
Excellent maps produced by Danny Dorling and colleagues at the University of Sheffield in association with other partners.
a) The world is characterised by wide variations of development
b) Within countries there are wide variations in economic growth and development
c) Development is a process which changes through time