My urban environment is a small town called Saltcoats, located in North Ayrshire. The population of Saltcoats is approximately 12,000 with many of the houses being new builds because of the development of farmland. These new builds along with the older housing estates largely take the form of cul-de-sacs comprising of detached and semi-detached houses. The town centre is currently undergoing a regeneration project to attract more people to the area but at the moment – in the centre of the town – lies banks, pubs, bakeries and small shops. It also hosts a cinema, police station and gym. Public transport in Saltcoats takes the form of a train station and buses. Although the bus routes run through the town they were created before the expansion of the town so, for me, the nearest bus stop is a 10-minute walk from my house.
Saltcoats boasts a great deal of green space which takes the form of playing grounds and fields. The air quality as of the 21st of September was ranked at 2, which is very low on the spectrum. There are five primary schools in Saltcoats, three of which are less than a five-minute walk from my house. There are also two secondary schools – one nondenominational and one catholic.
North Ayrshire has 51 data zones in the most deprived 0-15% in Scotland (North Ayrshire Council, 2016). My specific area is ranked as a 3 on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, meaning it is in the middle between the most deprived (1) and least deprived (5). It is clear from these statistics that my area suffers from high levels of deprivation which is why it is currently undergoing a regeneration project – as mentioned previously. The regeneration process focuses on three areas: town centre, waterfront and business quarter (Irvine Bay,2017).
If I were to investigate urban environment with a Primary 5 class I would begin by considering the history of their urban environment (SOC 2-01a). This would help them have a deeper understanding of the area in which they live and allow them to compare what it was like in previous years compared to how they know it. I would also discuss pollution emitted by transport (SOC 2-09a) to encourage positive health and wellbeing through walk or cycling to school. This would link in well if the school were participating in a walk to school week.
Reference List
Air Quality in Scotland (2017). Latest Pollution Map. [Online]. Accessible: www.scottishairquality.co.uk [Accessed: 21 September 2017].
Irvine Bay Projects (2017). Countess Street, Saltcoats. [Online]. Accessible: http://www.irvinebay.co.uk/projects/countess-street-saltcoats/ [Accessed 21 September].
North Ayrshire Council (2016). Key Facts and Figures. [Online]. Accessible: https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/council/council-information/key-facts-and-figures.aspx [Accessed 21 September].
Scottish Government (2017). Curriculum for Excellence: Social Studies. [Online]. Accessible: https://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/social-studies-eo.pdf [Accessed:21 September 2017].
