GA Annual Conference 2026

The density of seawater plays a vital role in determining the structure of the ocean on the vertical scale and driving ocean circulation on the global scale. Density structuring or layering in the ocean has biological, chemical and global climate impacts. It is important in determining the timing and duration of plankton blooms that feed the marine food web and whether a region of the ocean is a carbon source or sink. In this session you will explore how salinity and temperature affect the density of seawater and how density can change with depth, location and season.

If our students are to become geographers who make a difference, they will need to understand the nuances of arguments based on environment values and how these affect policy and public attitudes. This session uses recent contestation concerning proposed new powerlines and associated pylons across East Anglia and other regions as a starting point, to examine how discourse analysis can provide a valuable approach to deep learning. The key concepts discussed can be applied to wind and solar farms, as well as a wider set of environmental discourses. The focus will be on ‘environmental values’ as a discursive resource. It will examine how individuals and groups use language (and imagery) strategically, to authenticate their own account and to denigrate opposing views. 

Increasing global attention is being paid to the spaces, and spatially-tied institutions, permitting, enabling and accelerating flows of illicit finance. This is, in large part, a result of the increasing attention being given to questions of wealth and inequality. Illicit financial flows are derived from organised and other criminal activity, tax evasion, and money laundering that is spatially concentrated in key cities, in tandem with related geographies of tax and offshore systems. This session will focus on recent research in this area to help develop a spatial imaginary of illicit finance.

In this session I will look at recent research evaluating the relationship between global warming and air quality, and local and global inequities in causes and impacts, along with new associated classroom resources. For example, a recent study concluded that strong climate mitigation would reduce the inequity in particulate-related mortality between the most- and least-deprived regions of Europe.

Join an interactive conversation about the geography of the future. This workshop is designed for anyone interested in how the Curriculum and Assessment Review outcomes shape what we teach, including climate change and sustainability; where learning comes alive through places and case studies; and how digital approaches, green skills and meaningful fieldwork can bring future focused geography to life.

Third places are social environments that are distinct from home (the first place) and work (the second place). They are gathering spaces, such as cafes, pubs, parks and community centres, which help to create vibrant, connected communities. Join Discover the World Education and the GA as we explore the theory of third place and discuss how this interesting theory - which is evidenced to make a difference to an area in terms of social progress, wellbeing and urban design - can be incorporated into your KS3 schemes of work.

This workshop examines the geographies of Palestine through a critical, decolonial and educational perspective. It considers how thematic discussion points within A level and GCSE curricula can discuss landscapes of conflict, settler colonialism, apartheid and genocide - to bridge knowledge and understanding in scholarly and school discourses. Participants will explore how borders, checkpoints and settlements influence access to land, water and mobility, and how these processes affect children’s lives, education and future opportunities. Teachers will explore how geography is never 'impartial', in terms of who makes maps, how boundaries are drawn (including historically), and how land use changes. The session will model strategies for addressing different perspectives: Palestinian, Israeli and international media responses on land, settlement and resource access to grasp broader curriculum themes of power, justice and human rights.

Food security is a critical component of the geography curriculum. In the UK, the conversation is often dominated by the rise of food banks. This session will argue that this focus, while important, obscures the systemic and geographical nature of food insecurity that affects the 'missing majority' who never use a food bank. Drawing on recent research, we will reframe food insecurity as a 'capability deprivation' - a failure of social and spatial systems. We will use the concept of the 'foodscape' to explore the everyday, local barriers people face, moving beyond simple proximity to consider mobility, time and social stigma. Finally, the talk will introduce the 'food ladders' framework as a more dignified and resilient, place-based approach. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of local food security and practical activities to help GCSE and A level students critically analyse their own community's food systems.