Until the age of 8 I lived in the outskirts of Dumfries, and since then I have lived in a small, rural town in North Lanarkshire. Shotts is a relatively small-town half way between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Many years ago, Shotts was a large industrial town, known famously for its mining and ironworks, unfortunately now these industries no longer exist, however you can still be educated about this period at Shotts’ Heritage centre where they provide a detailed history about the local area.
Most of the houses are council owned and are terraced, four to a block. There are three primary schools and a secondary school all within walking distance from where I live and for safety precautions many streets have reduced speed limits and traffic calming measurements are also in place.
The town of Shotts also hold their annual Highland games every summer, which attracts people from all over the country. There is also a community centre, sports centre, library, and healthy living centre within Shotts that all hold a variety of different activities and for all age groups. Shotts also has a National Trust where they work cooperatively with the local primary schools. They work together to educate young pupils how to look after their environment.
Our nearest hospital is over 10 miles away which is easily accessed using public transport. Shotts has very good transport links to Glasgow and Edinburgh by train, and nearby towns such as Motherwell, Hamilton, and Livingston by bus.
Shotts has one small supermarket alongside many small convenience stores. There are also a couple of restaurants, takeaways, and cafes. There are many local businesses that work well with the community as most workers for these businesses are local and they also provide work placements for those in secondary schools.
As Shotts is situated almost directly central of Glasgow and Edinburgh the M8 motorway bypasses the town, because of there being a lot of traffic this will cause pollution to the air. According to Air Quality Scotland (2017) the air quality in my postcode is at level 3, which is considered low.
By using Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes (Scottish Government) many different lessons could be created. Using (SOC 1-07a) I would take pupils out into their local environment to get a hands-on investigation but also get them to complete some further research online. And as a follow-up to create a group presentation.
Air Quality in Scotland. (2017) Latest Pollution Map. [Online] Available: http://www.scottishairquality.co.uk/latest/?postcode=G21+3HY&postcode-submit.x=0&postcode-submit.y=0 [Accessed: 19 September 2017].
Scottish Government. (2004) Curriculum for Excellence: Social Studies. [Online] Available: https://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/social-studies-eo.pdf [Accessed:19 September 2017].
