This 25-minute lecture, followed by 25 minute structured discussion, will explore the geography of health and disease as a powerful and engaging scheme of work within the KS3 curriculum. It will demonstrate how geographical knowledge can help young people understand health inequalities, global patterns of disease and the socio-environmental factors that shape wellbeing across different spatial scales. The lecture will outline practical ways to teach this topic, drawing on both local and global examples, and attendees will gain ideas for accessible, low-cost fieldwork, such as investigating Healthy Streets in the school’s surrounding area, as well as GIS to support teaching and learning. The session will highlight how studying geography equips students with the knowledge, critical thinking and transferable skills to engage with complex health issues. Links will also be made to post-16 pathways such as medicine and urban planning.
