The culmination of the Level 1 Geography course is “Meet the Challenge”, an assessment where students are presented with a problem-solving situation related to a real-life global challenge. This requires the application of much of the work done earlier in the year as well as the ability to work effectively in a team.
2025’s challenge presented students with a situation where a major disaster had occurred. Water pipes and related infrastructure had been seriously damaged or destroyed. The water available was dark brown and full of dirt. Emergency services were occupied elsewhere, so no help was going to arrive any time soon. Knowing that they could only survive for three days without drinking water, students working in groups had to use materials available to construct filters that would enable the water to become drinkable.
Teamwork resulted in some effective filters that produced water that looked more drinkable. However, while the obvious pollutants had been largely removed, there was a real risk of harmful bacteria. The next step in producing potable water involved making a solar still to evaporate and then condense the water collected through the filter. Again, students could only use materials that were readily available.
What quickly became clear was that while the filter and solar still worked (in most cases), they did not produce a large volume of potable water – certainly not enough for several people for several days. A lack of sunshine also affected the volume of water that evaporated. No one was allowed to drink the water produced in either stage of this practical work.
The practical challenge was followed up with each group applying work from previous topics studied: global population; the best country to live in; natural hazards, as well as researching other relevant material, to describe and explain why people could find, or are, themselves in a situation where they are struggling to access safe water to drink. Students also had to explain why access to safe drinking water is so important. Groups had a choice of methods through which to present their report.
While the water filter, solar still and assessment created by each group are the obvious outcomes from this work, the more significant and longer-term outcomes are those evidenced by quotes from our students in our end of year survey.
“When learning about countries that don’t have access to safe drinking water, I am more aware of how I choose to use the water that is available to me, and don’t use it unnecessarily”
“I feel like the “Meet the Challenge” topic really shaped my understanding of the world because whenever I’d see a filter, I’d straight away think about the unclean water going into it and multiple things alongside. But not only this, most of the learning was stuck in my head throughout the year, which made me realise a lot about the world itself.”
“After doing the water unit, the way I thought about water and who has clean water and how it gets cleaned for us. It also made me understand that clean water is an underrated resource and most of us take for granted.”
“Meet the Challenge has made me realise the severity of not having safe drinking water, and the effect of the environment on people in addition to how essential potable water really is.”
~ Miss Brodie, HoD Geography