GEOGRAPHY Grade 11 (For Grade 11, Commencing from 2008)

GEOGRAPHY Grade 11 (for Grade 11, commencing from 2008) Teachers' Instructional Manual Department of Social Sciences Faculty of Languages, Humanities and Social Sciences National Institute of Education Maharagama. 2008 i Geography Grade 11 Teachers’ Instructional Manual © National Institute of Education First Print in 2007 Faculty of Languages, Humanities and Social Sciences Department of Social Science National Institute of Education Printing: The Press, National Institute of Education, Maharagama. ii Forward Being the first revision of the Curriculum for the new millenium, this could be regarded as an approach to overcome a few problems in the school system existing at present. This curriculum is planned with the aim of avoiding individual and social weaknesses as well as in the way of thinking that the present day youth are confronted. When considering the system of education in Asia, Sri Lanka was in the forefront in the field of education a few years back. But at present the countries in Asia have advanced over Sri Lanka. Taking decisions based on the existing system and presenting the same repeatedly without a new vision is one reason for this backwardness. The officers of the National Institute of Education have taken courage to revise the curriculum with a new vision to overcome this situation. The objectives of the New Curriculum have been designed to enable the pupil population to develop their competencies by way of new knowledge through exploration based on their existing knowledge. A perfectly new vision in the teachers’ role is essential for this task. In place of the existing teacher-centred method, a pupil-centred method based on activities and competencies is expected from this new educational process in which teachers should be prepared to face challenges. My strong belief is that this Teachers Instructional Manual will help the teachers to develop such methodologies to a great extent. By way of following the guidance given in this Manual you will be able to become a successful teacher. It will help you in teaching as well as in evaluating the students. The guidance given regarding exploration and quality inputs have been presented in such a way that it will be useful to the pupils. In the same way, it is no doubt that it will be of immense use to the Principals of schools in preparing time-tables, in assigning limited resources as well as in internal supervision. The teachers should not be bound by the material presented in this Manual of Instruc- tions alone. They should display their creative abilities by preparing appropriate activities by themselves. Since the activities given in the Guidance are merely examples or models and since the teachers know better about the regional differences, they could plan activities accordingly. I offer my gratitude to all those who participated in preparing this Teachers’ of Instructionan Manual. Here I mention especially the Educationists, Inservice advisors and all other officers who served as external supervisors and monitoring personnel. Professor J.W. Wickramasinghe, Director General N.I.E. iii Preface According to the curriculum policy of Sri Lanka the school curriculum should be up- dated once in eight years. Accordingly, under the Educational Reforms Programme initiated from the year 2007, this new curriculum and Teachers’ Instructional Manual is introduced. In the syllabi, we had so far there were a lot of content topics relevant to a particular subject and subject matter relevant to each of the topics in the content. The teacher was responsible for teaching this subject matter. As a result of this process a student population who knew a lot of subject matter emerged. In the new syllabi introduced under the new Curriculum Reforms the competencies that the particular pupils should develop have been identified and recommended. Through this new approach it is expected to deliver a pupil population who are bent on the practical side and who have gone beyond a lot of facts. Hence the teachers who make use of the new syllabus should be especially concerned about this change. A classroom with a new teaching-learning process has been proposed in the Teachers’ Instructional Manual. Under this process, we should be able to observe an explorative learning culture where the students are engaged in reading and in the use of library books, observa- tion of the environment, collecting facts from resource persons, learning many things from their peer groups, informing their friends about what they have already learnt and collecting information from the internet as time permits. The Text Book provided by the Department of Educa- tional Publications has to be used as a resource book. The teacher is expected to make corrections and amendments to the information thus collected and organize them as a whole so that the students could understand and learn. Hence the teacher’s role should be one rich in new knowledge. It should express learnedness surpassing all the information explored by students. The students will be attracted to this active learning environment. Hence consider this Teachers’ Instructional Manual as a guidance in preparing many more lessons as well as the suggested model lessons. The teacher is specially expected to be a creative person who will prepare new lessons. In this new teaching learning process in the classroom the pupils are always active. Hence their skills and strengths will be displayed. Appreciate and encourage them. Further, you will be able to see some of the difficulties confronted by the pupils. Always try to help them to get rid of such difficulties. Get their closest peer group friends to help each other. The assessment process carried out along with the lesson leads to a better learning. Furthermore, pay attention to see how the assignments and exercises given for continuation of learning suggested in this Teachers’ Instructional Manual help in strengthening further what the child has learnt. Consider it as a good opportunity in evaluating the pupils. Pay attention to direct students in such exercises which will lead to continuation of learning. We expect the emergence of a student population with competencies suited for the present day world and a teachers role to match it and also a new learning culture in the classroom. Wimal Siyambalagoda Assistant Director General Faculty of Languages, Humanities and Social Sciences National Institute of Education. iv RESOURCE CONTRIBUTION Guidance Professor J.W. Wickramasinghe - Director General, National Institute of Education Mr. Wimal Siyambalagoda - Assistant Director General, Faculty of Languages, Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Education Subject consultancy Emeritus Professor M.M. Karunanayaka - University of Sri Jayawardenepura Senio Professor N.K. Dangalla - University of Kelaniya Professor V. Nandakumar - University of Peradeniya Professor M.D.C. Abhayaratne - University of Sri Jayawardenepura Professor K.N.J. Katupotha - University of Sri Jayawardenepura Dr. A.S.M. Naufar - University of Peradeniya Dr. J.M. Samarakoon Banda - University of Rajarata Dr. H.D.A. Lalitha Batuwitage - Retired Director, (Department of Social Sciences) National Institute of Education Direction Dr. U. Navaratnam - Director, Department of Social Sciences, National Insti- tute of Education Instruction M.P. Ranjani Dhanawardene - Chief Project Officer, National Institute of Education Project Team M.P. Ranjani Dhanawardene - (Project Leader) Chief Project Officer, National Institute of Education Mr. M.K.K. Priyantha - Project Officer, National Institute of Education Ms. K.A.L. Geethani - Asst. Project Officer, National Institute of Education Mr. S. Karunakaran - Asst. Project Officer, National Institute of Education Panel of Writers M.P. Ranjani Dhanawardene - Chief Project Officer, National Institute of Education Mr. M.K.K. Priyantha - Project Officer, National Institute of Education Ms. K.A.L. Geethani - Asst. Project Officer , National Institute of Education Mr. R.P. Peiris - Retired Additional Commissioner of Examinations Mr. S.M. Dayananda - Retired Project Officer, National Institute of Education Mr. F.M. Nawasdeen - Lecturer, Open University Mr. H. Weeraratne - Retired In-Service Advisor, Matara Zone Ms. W. Walpitage - In-Service Advisor, Educational Zone, Matugama Ms. W.S.H. Wijesekera - Teachers Service, Ananda Maha Vidyalaya, Kottawa Mr. J.A.B. Heenkenda - In-Service Advisor, Kandy Zone Mr. K.K.U. Gunaratna - Teachers Service, Polgoda Navodya School, Yakkalamulla. Mr. Y.N. Wijeratna Banda - Teachers Service, National School, Mahiyanganaya Mr. T.D.A.S. Dasanayaka - Terchers Service, Lanumodara Vijaya Maha Vidyalaya, Habaraduwa v Editing Project Team - National Institute of Education English Translation Ms. Esme G. de Silva - S.L.E.A.S. Class I, Former Deputy Commissionor, Educational Publications Department Map Work Ms. K.A.L. Geethani - Asst. Project Officer, National Institute of Education Computer Settings Ms. K. Ekanayake - Department of Technical Education, National Institute of Education Other Assistance Ms. A.L.S.P. Atapattu - Department of Social Sciences Ms. S.D. Samarakkody - Department of Social Sciences Ms. M.N.F. Rehana - Department of Social Sciences Mr. R.M. Rupasinghe - Department of Social Sciences vi 1.0 Introduction It was revealed through various research and by the responses given by pupils at Public Examinations that the knowledge, skills and attitudes of students regarding History, Geography and citizenship Education are at a lower level and that the knowledge

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