Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mr. March, and I'm here today to teach you all about Liverpool and the importance of Liverpool in the wider world.

So grab everything that you need for today's lesson and let's get going.

So by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe the location of Liverpool and justify, using evidence, why it is an important city both nationally and globally.

There are three key words for today's lesson, and those are location, national, and global.

Location refers to where a place is in relation to other features.

For example, physical landforms and transport links.

National refers to or relates to a country, whilst global refers to or relates to the whole world.

There are three learning cycles for today's lesson, and we're gonna start with the first learning cycle, which is describing Liverpool's location from maps.

So geographers study features that interact to make a place, and there are many different elements and components that interact to create or form a place.

And this can begin with the demography, as in the people.

For example, what ages are the people that live there? What are the genders? What is the makeup, the ethnic makeup of the people that live in a certain area? Then there is the built environment.

Are we talking about a urban landscape? By which I mean a town or a city.

Or am I talking more about a rural landscape? Which may come more into this physical geography element which talks about the natural geography.

Is there a river there? Is it a coastal landscape? Is it by the sea? These are all different components which really build up or make a place.

Then there is the economy.

What type of economy is found there? Is it more of a industrial economy, or is it more of a service economy? Then there's the political landscape, the politics of that region or that area, and finally the society and culture.

So as you can see, these six different elements all combine or interact with one another to make up a place.

Time will influence these features.

They were different in the past and will be different again in the future.

So a place is always evolving, it is always changing.

Now, what do you want to know about the place of Liverpool? On the screen in front of you are those six same features that make up a place that we saw on the previous slide, and those are society and culture, built environment, politics, physical geography, demography, and economy.

Now, you may like to pause the video here whilst you try to think of some questions that you would like answered by the end of today's lesson.

Now, a vital skill of being a geographer is being able to describe location, being able to describe where something is.

And a map has a lot of detail in order for us to be able to do that really, really effectively.

For example, on this map of the UK in front of you, you can see lots of information that would help us to be able to describe where a place is.

For example, we can see the legend, which is showing us through the key what different places are shown as.

For example, the square is a capital city, the circle is a city, and the triangle is a town.

We can also see the scale shown there on the right of the screen with that 100 mile scale right there for that distance on the map.

We can see the compass row showing us where north is located.

And finally we can see other labels as well, such as the names of the four countries of the United Kingdom and other perhaps water bodies we can see there as well, such as the North Sea and the Bristol Channel.

So these details enable us to be able to provide strong locational descriptions, and they should always try to include the settlement type, the country in which it's found in, the compass direction, and any relation to other human or physical features.

For example, Grimsby, which you can see on the map in front of you, if you look on the east coast of England, this is a description of where Grimsby is located, and it says Grimsby is a town in the northeast of England.

It's about 100 miles east of Manchester and located on the North Sea coast.

So you can see how just within two sentences there, we were able to tick off many of those different criteria.

We mentioned the settlement type, we use compass directions, we use the names of countries, we even use scale, as well as other names of different cities in relation to that, and we even use the name of a water body there as well.

So once again, you can see how we are able to build up description of a place using these different criteria.

Time now for a learning check.

And it says to complete the list of features that should be included when describing a settlement's location from a map.

Now, you can see that I've included three already, but there is one which is missing.

So what I'd like you to do right now is pause the video whilst you try to recall that information.

So please pause the video here.

And the correct answer is settlement type.

Is it a village? Is it a town? Is it a city? So really, really well done if you're able to recall that information.

Our second learning check is, well, Izzy is on a trip and decided to set you a puzzle to work out where she is.

She says that she is in an inland city.

She's in northern England.

And she says that she's about 70 miles from Manchester.

And finally she's asking where is she? So what I'd like you to do right now is read once again through those three different clues that Izzy has provided, look at the map on the right hand side, and consider where she is located.

Best of luck.

And the correct answer was York.

So really, really well done if you're able to get that answer correct.

So maps at different scales add further details.

For example, we can see a zoomed in version here of Grimsby, a town that we mentioned earlier.

And we can see that Grimsby is now a town in the northeast of England.

It is about 100 miles east of Manchester and located on the North Sea coast.

This was the description that we provided by looking at the map you can see on the right.

However, by using the map that we can see on the left, which is a more zoomed in and more detailed map of Grimsby, we can also add this final description, which says it is located on the southern shore of the Humber Estuary.

Locational description should focus on information drawn from the maps themselves and not include other facts about place.

So we're really dealing with the information that we can actually observe from the map.

So this would be a non-example.

Grimsby is a town in the northeast of England.

It is about 100 miles east of Manchester and located on the North Sea coast on the southern shore of the Humber Estuary.

The final sentence here is the non-example.

It says Grimsby was once home to the largest fishing fleet in the world.

Now, whilst that may or may not be true, the fact is it is not presented in the map evidence in front of us, and when describing location, this is the evidence and the information that we need to use when describing where a place is.

So true or false? Locational descriptions from map should only include information detailed on the map itself.

Pause the video here whilst you consider and then select your answer.

And the correct answer is true.

Now, once again, I'd like you to pause the video whilst you consider as to why that statement is true.

And the reason it is true is because you should only use the available information to construct a locational description from a map including the legend, the labels, the compass rose, and the scale.

So really, really well done if you are able to get those two answers correct.

So on now to our practise question.

And it says to write a locational description for Liverpool.

Think about settlement type, country, compass points, and relation to human and physical features.

Now I've provided you with two maps in front of you.

You've got the map of the UK on the right and then you've got this more detailed, zoomed in map of Liverpool.

So what I'd like you to do right now then is pause the video whilst you attempt this practise question.

Best of luck.

So some feedback.

This is what you may have included in your own answer.

So first of all, the settlement type of Liverpool is that it is a city.

It is found in the country of England.

It is found in the northwest as well.

Now, in relation to other physical and human features, you may have said something in relation to the Irish Sea coast, the River Mersey estuary.

So really, really well done if you are able to include any of that information in your own.

We're on now to our second learning cycle, which is the national importance of Liverpool.

So Liverpool is a nationally important city, and its importance can be categorised into the following ways.

Its demographic importance, its sociocultural importance, its economic importance, and finally, its historical importance.

And we're gonna spend a little bit of time now trying to understand how it's important in these four different ways.

Historically, the port of Liverpool played an important national role during the Industrial Revolution.

Cotton from the USA would make its way across the Atlantic Ocean to the Liverpool docks.

Here, the cotton would then be transported to the Manchester textile factories.

Liverpool is the fifth largest city nationally.

London is home to the most people.

And Liverpool is similar in population to Leeds and Edinburgh.

The 2021 census recorded Liverpool's population at 486,088 people.

The Liverpool city region includes six local authorities and is home to over 1.

5 million people.

So a quick learning check.

Which of the statements about Liverpool's national historic and demographic importance is correct? What I'd like you to do right now is pause the video whilst you read through those three options, then consider and select your answer.

And the correct answer was A.

So Liverpool is the fifth most populated city in the UK and was an important port during the Industrial Revolution.

This explains Liverpool's national historic and demographic importance.

So really, really well done if you've got that answer correct.

Nationally, Liverpool's economic importance is significant.

In 2023, it was the fastest growing national city economy, which is a consequence of Liverpool's recent free port status, and its booming port activities following recent developments, such as Liverpool2, which is a new deep water container terminal opened in 2016.

Further to this, Liverpool is the UK's fourth biggest container port handling about 900,000 containers of cargo annually, with much of the trade being transatlantic.

Another way Liverpool is nationally economically extremely important is as a tourist destination, as a result of its rich cultural heritage and excellent modern shopping outlets, such as the Liverpool ONE shopping centre.

So a quick learn check.

In which year was Liverpool the fastest-growing national city economy? Now, once again, I have three options for you.

So what I'd like you to do is pause the video whilst you read through the options and then select your answer.

And the correct answer is 2023.

So really, really well done if you're able to get that answer correct.

And the second learning check is true or false.

Liverpool is the UK's third biggest container port.

What I'd like you to do right now then is pause the video whilst you consider and then select your answer.

And the correct answer is false.

Now, once again, I'd like you to pause the video whilst you consider your reasoning as to why this statement is false.

And the reason it is false is because Liverpool is in fact the UK's fourth biggest container port, not the third biggest container port.

So really well done if you're able to get those two answers correct.

From a sociocultural perspective, Liverpool is of national importance, as the city is home to the oldest Black African community in the UK and is considered to be one of the UK's most ethnically diverse cities.

This graphic in front of you really does a great job in showing this ethnic diversity.

Data from the Office of National Statistics shows the breakdown of ethnicity in Liverpool, with 16% of the city from ethnic backgrounds other than white.

So 84% of Liverpool's population are white and the other 16% are of ethnic backgrounds other than white.

This diversity supports a rich cultural heritage, and it includes Liverpool showing and having this thriving music, arts, and film culture.

So a quick learning check.

And it says what percentage of Liverpool's population is from an ethnic background other than white? Again, you have three options.

What I'd like you to do right now is pause the video whilst you then consider and select your answer.

And the correct answer is 16%.

Now, this dates back historically perhaps to the British Empire where Liverpool really was a nationally and internationally important port city, and as a result, this ethnically diverse community grew as a result.

So we're on now to our two practise questions, and it says, Alex has answered the question why is Liverpool a nationally important city, but he's made seven mistakes.

What I'd like you to do is find and correct each of those seven mistakes from the text in front of you.

The second practise question says to add a further fact or detail to each of the categories that Alex did not mention in his answer about Liverpool's national importance.

So you can see the four categories there, historical, economic, sociocultural, and demographic.

So what I'd like you to do right now is pause the video whilst to attempt these two practise questions.

So time for some feedback.

And in the first question, you were asked to identify the seven mistakes that Alex made whilst answering the question why is Liverpool a nationally important city.

And this is the correct paragraph below.

It says that Liverpool's national importance can be organised into categories.

Firstly, Liverpool is historically important because during the Industrial Revolution, the docks support the trade of cotton shipped to the Manchester textile industry.

Demographically, Liverpool is the fifth largest city in the UK and home to over 486,088 people.

Socio culturally, Liverpool has a rich heritage, including music, film, and art.

Lastly, Liverpool is economically important.

In 2023, Liverpool was the UK's fastest growing city economy and is the UK's fourth biggest container port handling around 900,000 containers of cargo annually.

In the second practise question, you needed to add a further fact or detail to each of the categories that Alex did not mention in his answer.

Now, you may have included some of the following.

In the historical category, you may have said that the cotton trade during the Industrial Revolution was transatlantic.

In the economic category, you may have said that Liverpool is an important tourist destination due to its rich cultural heritage and excellent shopping outlets, for example, Liverpool ONE.

In the sociocultural category, you may have said that 16% of Liverpool's population is from an ethnic background other than white.

In the demographic category, you may have said that 486,088 people was the population of Liverpool as recorded in the 2021 census.

So really, really well done if you are able to include anything like that in your own answer.

We're on now to our third and final learning cycle, which is all to do with the global importance of Liverpool.

Liverpool is an important city globally, and its importance, once again, can be categorised.

It can be categorised into its historical importance, into its sociocultural importance, and finally, its economic importance.

As the map shows, in the 19th century, Liverpool really was a globally important city.

In fact, it was the second most important port in the British Empire.

Its coastal location on the western side of England meant its location lent itself to importing and exporting goods all around the world and all around the British Empire, as so well demonstrated with the map in front of you.

Now, historically, unfortunately, Liverpool also played a global role in the Atlantic slave trade and was unfortunately Britain's main slaving port.

Now, the map in front of you does a great job in showing this slave trade triangle.

Enslaved African people were transported by force to the Caribbean and the USA where they were sold into slavery.

The resources, such as sugar and cotton, that these enslaved people produced were then transported back to ports in Europe, including Liverpool.

The profits from the slave trade added vast amounts of money to Liverpool's economy.

Further to this, Liverpool was also the port from which millions of people immigrated from the UK to America, Canada, and Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries.

So, unfortunately, not all historical legacies are positive ones.

Time for a quick learning check.

And it says to complete the statement below about Liverpool's global historical importance.

So you need to read through this paragraph below and try to fill in those two gaps that you can see there.

So pause the video whilst you attempt this learning check.

And the correct answers were.

So the paragraph needed to read that Liverpool played a role in the forced migration of millions of enslaved Africans in the transatlantic slave trade.

It was also an important port involved in the voluntary immigration of millions of people to America, Canada, and Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries.

So really, really well done if you're able to get those two answers correct.

Economically, the port of Liverpool provides important global links with manufacturers and suppliers in continental Europe and over 100 non-EU countries, with the largest export market being the United States of America.

So a quick learn check.

Now, what I'd like you to do is read through the three options, the three answers by Sam, Sofia, and Alex.

And I'd like you to decide who is the most accurate.

So pause the video here whilst you read through those and select what you think is the correct answer.

And the correct answer is Alex, who says that Liverpool's port imports and exports goods from and to over 100 non-EU countries.

And yes, this really does explain how and why Liverpool is such an economically important city.

Liverpool really does enjoy a rich cultural and sporting heritage, which has led it to be recognised in 2008 as the European City of Culture.

Sports events in the city attract followers and visitors around the world.

The city's football clubs of Liverpool and Everton are amongst Europe's most successful.

And the Grand National horse race, which takes place at Aintree, is watched by 800 million people worldwide each and every single year.

The Beatles were an iconic global band and revolutionised music across the world in the 1960s.

Liverpool was also home to the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine, which brought thousands of people to the city.

So which of the following statements about Liverpool's global sociocultural importance is correct? What I'd like you to do is read through the three options, pause the video whilst you consider, and then select your answer.

And the correct answer was A.

It says Liverpool was recognised as the European City of Culture in 2008.

Really, really well done if you are able to get that answer correct.

Now, in terms of our practise questions, there are three steps.

And the first step is to look at this statement in front of you.

It says Liverpool is a city with limited global importance.

And we have a spectrum, looking at disagree on the left hand side, all the way to agree on the right hand side.

The first step is to place a cross on the line representing your opinion.

The second step is to state your opinion.

Do you agree, disagree, partly agree with the statement? And the third and final step is to then justify your opinion.

I would like you to try to use as much historical, economic, and sociocultural evidence to support your opinion.

So, please, pause a video here whilst your attempt this practise question.

Best of luck.

Now, in terms of feedback, your response may have looked something like this.

Now, I've gone down the disagree route, and this is my reasoning for saying that I've said that I strongly disagree with the statement that Liverpool has limited global importance.

Liverpool is a city of global importance for many reasons.

Historically, Liverpool was central to the transatlantic slave trade.

More positively, it was from where millions of immigrants set out to America, Canada, and Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Economically, Liverpool has important trade links to over 100 non-EU countries.

Liverpool is globally significant socio-culturally, as it is homed to some popular sports teams and events, e.

g.

the Grand National, which is watched by over 800,000 people worldwide.

Globally, music has been influenced by bands originating from Liverpool, such as the Beatles.

Now, you may have had something completely different from that, but that's okay.

It is your opinion.

So long it is backed up by evidence, then that is absolutely fine.

To summarise, Liverpool is a city located in the northwest of England.

Its nationally comes from the fact that, in history, Liverpool was a port during the Industrial Revolution.

And economically in 2023, Liverpool was the fastest growing UK city economically.

Its sociocultural national importance comes from the fact that Liverpool is one of the UK's most ethnically diverse cities.

And in terms of its demographic national importance, Liverpool is the fifth largest city by population in the UK.

Its global importance historically comes from the fact that in the 19th century, Liverpool was the second most important city in terms of its port in the British Empire.

Economically, Liverpool has links with manufacturers and suppliers in over 100 non-EU countries.

And finally, socio-culturally, Liverpool enjoys a rich culture and sporting heritage via the British band the Beatles, as well as those two Premier League football clubs, Everton and Liverpool.

So really, really well done during today's lesson.

It was a pleasure teaching you.

And I will see you again on the next lesson.

Goodbye.