What is dark tourism?

Engage your Year 8 and 9 students with this thought-provoking introduction to ‘what is dark tourism?’ and spark meaningful debate about its ethical implications.

What's included

• PowerPoint with learning objectives, discussion prompts, and a model PEE paragraph
• Worksheet with world map activity to locate eight dark tourism sites and a sorting task on positive/negative perspectives
• Challenge activities to stretch higher-attaining students and encourage critical thinking

All members can access the free PDF worksheet. Subscribe to access the full PowerPoint lesson and editable Word document.

How to use this resource

Start by using the discussion prompts to help students define ‘what is dark tourism’ and explore the concept of dystopia. The sorting activity works brilliantly as a paired or small group task, encouraging students to categorise statements about dark tourism into positives and negatives. Use the WAGOLL paragraph as a model before students write their own PEE paragraphs, and finish with the plenary activity where students reflect on whether they would personally visit a dark tourism site. The atlas-based mapping task helps develop geographical skills whilst familiarising students with famous dark tourism locations worldwide.

Looking for more like this?

This is the first lesson in a scheme of learning on dark tourism.

Continue the series with focused case studies:

• Dark tourism: September 11th terror attacks
• Dark tourism: Pompeii

Round off the unit by having students create their own dark tourism brochure.