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how b and c educational began

B&C Educational  Ltd was developed by Pamela Copeland and Dr. Des Bowden who first met when working in Newman University in the late 1990’s. They used the funds raised from some of their early publications to travel to many of the places that are found in the Keys to the National Curriculum. They visited Amazonia, St Lucia, China and India and from 2000 started running their field study visits for undergraduates to The Gambia in West Africa.

Dr Des Bowden talking to school children on a geography fieldtrip

They wanted to share these experiences with primary school children and bring the world into their classrooms through learning materials based on real-life examples.  

 

Their combined vision and passion for teaching geography through places has led to them to writing a series of informative local newspapers from different parts of the world, importing plastic kettles, putting together authentic resource packs from Brazil, China, India and Africa and now developing their own geography and history keys.

 

These products are available on the B&C Educational sister website.

Pam Copeland 
Pam Copeland looking at a book with a child in Africa

Pam is a former primary school teacher and senior University Lecturer in Citizenship and Global Awareness. She has always been interested in developing creativity through activity in the classroom.

Pam’s funniest moment when travelling was eating large insects on sticks in a street market in Bejing!

"One of my  favourite worksheets from the key series" says Pam "is the Amazon Basin in sheet 7 because it reminds me of our amazing trip to Brazil staying in a floating lodge on The Amazon."

Pam Copeland in a canoe
Worksheet from B and C Educational's Amazon Basin 'Key'
Dr Des Bowden 

Des is a geographer and former University Head of Department with experience of living and researching in West Africa. He is interested in developing the global dimension in the primary school curriculum to give pupils an understanding of the wider world in which they live and will work.

One of Des’ most memorable moments when away was actually reaching the much written about village of Chembakoli in the Nilgiri Hills of southern India.  He says "When we arrived in this very hard to find and remote village none of the men were in their houses, we imagined they were in the forest, collecting honey and cutting trees, but no we were told they had gone shopping in the local town!"

 

He’s really proud of the key series which he’s developed with Pam. One of his favourite activities when developing the key series was taking the photographs for the sea defences of the East Anglian coastline. "You can really see geography in action through the photos!" he says.

Dr Des Bowden by a lake
Dr Des Bowden at Damoy Point in Antarctica on an expedition
A small harbour with small boats, a house and other buildings

Geography helps children to live their lives as informed citizens, aware of their own local area in its global setting.

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