Well worth watching by Year 10, with respect to the Hazard Risk equation...
VOLFILM Pyroclastic Flow Impacts (English) from VolFilm on Vimeo.
and here is what they are....
VOLFILM Pyroclastic Flow Hazard (English) from VolFilm on Vimeo
Click the VOLFilm link to see 2 more films on lahars.
Sunday, 31 December 2017
Saturday, 30 December 2017
British Empire Medal for Mark Beaumont...
We followed Mark Beaumont's 2nd world-record breaking cycle around the world at the start of the Michaelmas term, and it was great to see that he was awarded in the New Year's Honours List.
Source: BBC News
Source: BBC News
Advice as we move into Mocks and then Exam season
I'm very fortunate to have worked with lots of excellent geographers over the years, and currently working on a project with Dr. Peter Knight from Keele University, who is an expert on glaciers.
Here's a reminder of why knowing stuff matters...
Here's a reminder of why knowing stuff matters...
Even if an exam is not a test of your knowledge but of what you can do with it, you can't do much if you don't know anything. Start your revision by making sure you know some stuff. Then move on and start seeing what interesting questions you can answer with it. #revision— PeterKnightGeography (@PKGeog) December 30, 2017
Sunday, 10 December 2017
Tuesday, 5 December 2017
See some of you in Birmingham in June 2018
For the last couple of years, there has been a teacher-led CPD event called Teachmeet HistoryIcons. It was developed by a group of history teachers, and runs very successfully with some sponsorship and support from companies and individuals, which mean the event is free to delegates. The next event is taking place in March 2018.A group of geography teachers has been working on developing a Geography-related event which, with the backing of our History colleagues has now been organised by a rather fine group of teachers, with a similar logo, and which will be hosted by the lovely folks at the University of Birmingham.
It will take place in June 2018.
You can sign up to join the Waiting List for a ticket from the Eventbrite page.
Tickets are FREE, but SOLD OUT.
The event has a keynote from a teacher and an academic, although Teachmeets don't traditionally have a keynote, this one does... and for some reason the very lovely and generous Mrs. Humanities, who is on the organising team, asked me to do the teacher highlight talk, and I was delighted to say yes.... There have been some very kind comments on Twitter as a result of this news going out yesterday...
To follow the developments as the event gets closer, particularly any possibility of further tickets, you'd be best to follow @TMGeogIcons on Twitter.
And of course you can follow me. There has been a flurry of new followers over the last 24 hours.
I look forward to seeing some of you in June. I'm starting to think about how I can make my talk memorable, useful and profoundly geographical... I've got a few ideas...
Monday, 27 November 2017
Infographics CPD sssion...
This year, staff have been given a large booklet of training courses which are a mix of external and internally offered courses, from which teachers have to choose four during the year.
I've been asked to run some of these courses, and did the first one earlier today. I asked earlier in the month for any comments, and am grateful to a few colleagues who responded.
The session was on how to create an infographic using Piktochart.
Here's the presentation that I used...
I started the session with a bag of Skittles tipped out onto the desk - I've also used mini-boxes of Smarties for this too.
Each sweet was a data point, and had some attributes: colour, flavour etc.
These could be used to group the data, produce graphs, look at distribution etc.
With locational attributes known, they could be plotted onto maps or GIS and the patterns analysed, and reasons for these patterns explored.
The purpose of an infographic is to 'tell the story' of data in a visual way.
We talked about the growing use of infographics on TV news, and in newspapers.
To reinforce this, I have a copy of the book below: 'Dear Data', which tells the story of a year-long correspondence between two friends, with 52 projects exploring personal data. I showed some of the methods that they used to illustrate particular data, such as how often they picked up their mobile phone and why....
There was also a hand-out, which has some basic details on how to set up Piktochart and make a start on using it.
The whole session lasted around an hour.
Thanks to the colleagues who came along...
I've been asked to run some of these courses, and did the first one earlier today. I asked earlier in the month for any comments, and am grateful to a few colleagues who responded.
The session was on how to create an infographic using Piktochart.
Here's the presentation that I used...
I started the session with a bag of Skittles tipped out onto the desk - I've also used mini-boxes of Smarties for this too.
Each sweet was a data point, and had some attributes: colour, flavour etc.
These could be used to group the data, produce graphs, look at distribution etc.
With locational attributes known, they could be plotted onto maps or GIS and the patterns analysed, and reasons for these patterns explored.
The purpose of an infographic is to 'tell the story' of data in a visual way.
We talked about the growing use of infographics on TV news, and in newspapers.
To reinforce this, I have a copy of the book below: 'Dear Data', which tells the story of a year-long correspondence between two friends, with 52 projects exploring personal data. I showed some of the methods that they used to illustrate particular data, such as how often they picked up their mobile phone and why....
There was also a hand-out, which has some basic details on how to set up Piktochart and make a start on using it.
The whole session lasted around an hour.
Thanks to the colleagues who came along...
Changes in the Arctic
A New York Times article which has a relevance for the work I am doing on Polar regions at the moment, but also a tremendous resonance about the connection between people and ice.
I will be adding this to some articles from the 'Earth' magazine, which explore the changing lives of Inuit hunters, and the changing landscapes they now need to navigate.
“Inuit are people of the sea ice. If there is no more sea ice, how can we be people of the sea ice?”
I will be adding this to some articles from the 'Earth' magazine, which explore the changing lives of Inuit hunters, and the changing landscapes they now need to navigate.
“Inuit are people of the sea ice. If there is no more sea ice, how can we be people of the sea ice?”
Sunday, 26 November 2017
Expedition Volcano - one to watch...
Check out BBC2 at 9 o' clock tonight (after Blue Planet II has finished) for the first episode in a series based around the Nyiragongo volcano Details from BBC iPlayer website
In the heart of Africa, deep in the Congo, is one of the most spectacular volcanoes on Earth - Nyiragongo. This spectacular volcano contains a massive boiling cauldron of molten rock - the world's largest continually active lava lake. But it is also one of the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet. It has erupted twice in the last 50 years, most recently in 2002, wreaking havoc and destruction on the people who live in the nearby city of Goma. This region is also dangerous for another reason - it has been racked by war and humanitarian crises for most of the last 30 years, so Nyiragongo is one of the least studied active volcanoes on Earth.
But now, an international and local team of scientists are mounting a major expedition to study the volcano. They are attempting to discover the warning signs that it is building towards a new eruption, so they can alert the people of Goma before it erupts again. The team will take around four tonnes of climbing equipment, scientific instruments and supplies up to the crater rim. Then a small team will descend into the crater itself - 350m down a potentially deadly rockface - to spend a week camping right next to the lava lake. The expedition is led by Belgian scientist Dr Benoit Smets, who is an expert on Nyiragongo. He is joined by British geologist Prof Chris Jackson. Together, they work with the rest of the team using gas-sampling equipment, thermal cameras and sound waves to try and predict when the volcano will next erupt.
But there is another side to this volcano. As well as the threat of eruption, it impacts life in Goma and the surrounding area in many surprising ways. Humanitarian doctor Xand van Tulleken investigates how Nyiragongo has transformed people's lives by looking at the hidden dangers - from deadly disease to suffocating gases. In charge of expedition logistics is former Royal Marine Aldo Kane. It is his job to get everyone in and out of the crater safely. But during the expedition, he will also risk his life to get the team as near to the lava lake as possible.
Friday, 24 November 2017
Wednesday, 22 November 2017
The Lives Behind the Label
A new 'Follow the Things' style resource exploring the Lives Behind the Label.
It's been put together by the New Internationalist.
It's an interactive resource which will go well into our Geography of my Stuff unit for Year 8.
Meet the people behind the high street: garment workers of Bangladesh.
There are 6 garments that you can click on, each of which gives you access to a story (the total time for these is around 20 minutes so that would work well with a lesson for a self-guided lesson.
There are some interesting stories here, particularly the film on Sharif, who belongs to the hijra: the third gender community who have particular issues to deal with.
There is also a photo gallery of garment workers, which shows their different personalities. It was developed along with the Awaj Foundation in Bangladesh.
Thanks to Stephen Schwab for the early heads-up on this resource.
Nice work by Paul Myles and Davide Morandini
It's been put together by the New Internationalist.
It's an interactive resource which will go well into our Geography of my Stuff unit for Year 8.
Meet the people behind the high street: garment workers of Bangladesh.
There are 6 garments that you can click on, each of which gives you access to a story (the total time for these is around 20 minutes so that would work well with a lesson for a self-guided lesson.
There are some interesting stories here, particularly the film on Sharif, who belongs to the hijra: the third gender community who have particular issues to deal with.
There is also a photo gallery of garment workers, which shows their different personalities. It was developed along with the Awaj Foundation in Bangladesh.
Thanks to Stephen Schwab for the early heads-up on this resource.
Nice work by Paul Myles and Davide Morandini
Mend the Mountains
A new campaign by the BMC targets our mountains, and is trying to raise one million to improve the nation's mountains. There's a useful video here showing the background to the campaign.
Thursday, 16 November 2017
Thursday, 9 November 2017
Sunday, 5 November 2017
Union Glacier - the first plane arrives
The first Ilysuhin plane has now landed at union Glacier camp...
First #Ilyushin76 of the season has landed on #UnionGlacier, #Antarctica! Photo by @suefloodphotos pic.twitter.com/IRcSp2qLs4— Antarctic Logistics (@Antarctic_ALE) November 4, 2017
Saturday, 4 November 2017
Where does the Queen shop?
When we do our work on the Geography of Food, we explore where our food comes from.
This Telegraph article outlines the companies that hold Royal warrants for supplying the Queen with her food.
I used to live on the edge of the Sandringham estate for 12 years, and used to patch a butcher in Dersingham that had the Royal Warrant attached to the building. He provides the Royals with their meat, and sells meat from animals reared on and near the estate.
It has a link to the ESRI UK map that shows the location of these companies.
This Telegraph article outlines the companies that hold Royal warrants for supplying the Queen with her food.
I used to live on the edge of the Sandringham estate for 12 years, and used to patch a butcher in Dersingham that had the Royal Warrant attached to the building. He provides the Royals with their meat, and sells meat from animals reared on and near the estate.
It has a link to the ESRI UK map that shows the location of these companies.
Friday, 3 November 2017
Mark Beaumont Podcast - Around the World in 78 Days
One for Year 7 to listen to. Hear about the journey in Mark's own words
Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Don't waste food...
Sainsbury's have released their new FREE FAB FOOD resources, which are aimed at reducing food waste by introducing students to the idea of an audit, and exploring where savings can be made on a personal and school level.We explore this issue with Year 7, and these look like a useful addition to our resource bank, as some of the activities are relevant to geography.
We will be looking at FOOD WASTE in the Spring term...
Prepare to follow Leo Houlding
“It’s 21st-century exploration, at the edge of impossible.”
An excellent article in The Financial Times on the latest expedition of Leo Houlding.
He is planning to conquer a peak called the Spectre.
A few years ago, I heard Leo speak at the GA Conference on a previous expedition to Antarctica, and the logistics of getting there and completing the climb.
My notes and some links from that 2015 lecture are here.
He will be using Union Glacier as a base: a location which we know a lot about in Year 8, having explored what it is like to live and work there.
It's coming back to life after the winter, and we've followed the Twitter feed of the organisation ALE.
The FT article includes some useful information on this aspect of the expeditions, and the difference between those and the experiences that wealthy people pay for...
The expedition website is here.
Good luck to Leo when he heads off next month...
An excellent article in The Financial Times on the latest expedition of Leo Houlding.
He is planning to conquer a peak called the Spectre.
A few years ago, I heard Leo speak at the GA Conference on a previous expedition to Antarctica, and the logistics of getting there and completing the climb.
My notes and some links from that 2015 lecture are here.
He will be using Union Glacier as a base: a location which we know a lot about in Year 8, having explored what it is like to live and work there.
It's coming back to life after the winter, and we've followed the Twitter feed of the organisation ALE.
The FT article includes some useful information on this aspect of the expeditions, and the difference between those and the experiences that wealthy people pay for...
The expedition website is here.
Good luck to Leo when he heads off next month...
Halley VI Base to close next winter
Interesting news today that Halley VI will remain empty next winter, as it has been this winter, for the first time since it was installed...
The Brunt Ice Shelf is still too unstable.
Another reminder of changing ice conditions on the edge of the continent...
The latest expert assessment from BAS glaciologists confirms that the northern movement of a chasm in the Brunt Ice Shelf (which had previously been dormant for around 35 years) accelerated during the last 7 months (the Antarctic winter), and the second crack (known as Halloween crack) that appeared unexpectedly in October 2016, continues to extend eastwards.
Image Credit: BAS
* When it mentions winter, it refers to the austral winter of course....
The Brunt Ice Shelf is still too unstable.
Another reminder of changing ice conditions on the edge of the continent...
The latest expert assessment from BAS glaciologists confirms that the northern movement of a chasm in the Brunt Ice Shelf (which had previously been dormant for around 35 years) accelerated during the last 7 months (the Antarctic winter), and the second crack (known as Halloween crack) that appeared unexpectedly in October 2016, continues to extend eastwards.
Image Credit: BAS
* When it mentions winter, it refers to the austral winter of course....
Tuesday, 24 October 2017
Game of Thrones and tourism in Northern Ireland
Games of Thrones is coming to the end, with the final season about to start filming in Northern Ireland, Iceland, Croatia and other places. Each of those places has gained in many ways from the series, with many jobs being created both at the locations, and also in the local area. It has also generated a lot of interest from tourists who want to visit the locations they've seen in the series.
We have a plan to run a fieldtrip to Northern Ireland in 2018, and we will be visiting some of the locations featured in this Independent article.
Scott and Amundsen
It's just past the anniversary of the arrival of Scott and Amundsen and their men in the Antarctic ahead of their attempt on the South Pole. Amundsen had a change of plans, after he heard that Robert Peary had reached the North Pole (his original target).We will be exploring the journey of the two expeditions after half term in Year 8...
Consider how the different routes the expeditions chose influenced their success (or failure)
Wednesday, 11 October 2017
Uganda Marathon
In June 2018, four King's Ely teachers - Alison Stewart, Richard Oliver, Amanda Kippax and TOP GEOGRAPHER Claire Kyndt - will be taking on the Uganda Marathon - An Adventure Like No Other with the support of some of their family members.
The challenge will see them taking part in a variety of volunteering projects and activities in Uganda, culminating in either a full or half marathon in Masaka.
Proceeds from their fundraising efforts will be split equally between the Uganda Marathon projects and Mengo Hospital in the capital, Kampala.
A whole host of activities will be planned between now and June to help the King's Ely team raise as much money as possible and, as you can see from this video, the charities are extremely grateful for our support!
The challenge will see them taking part in a variety of volunteering projects and activities in Uganda, culminating in either a full or half marathon in Masaka.
Proceeds from their fundraising efforts will be split equally between the Uganda Marathon projects and Mengo Hospital in the capital, Kampala.
A whole host of activities will be planned between now and June to help the King's Ely team raise as much money as possible and, as you can see from this video, the charities are extremely grateful for our support!
Saturday, 7 October 2017
El Nino / La Nina pop-up
Thanks to Ben Newbury for producing and sharing the El Nino pop up here at the TES site.
I used it last week, and it went down very well and we had some great results from it.
You need to download the presentation and the accompanying template.
I had to re-print the two sides of the template as it was not quite aligned when it was printed off. This should be done on card to keep the rigidity in the final pop-up element. The powerpoint is very useful in providing all the steps required.
The students really enjoyed the activity, and there were some great outcomes within an hour. Here's one of them:
I used it last week, and it went down very well and we had some great results from it.
You need to download the presentation and the accompanying template.
I had to re-print the two sides of the template as it was not quite aligned when it was printed off. This should be done on card to keep the rigidity in the final pop-up element. The powerpoint is very useful in providing all the steps required.
The students really enjoyed the activity, and there were some great outcomes within an hour. Here's one of them:
Finishing touches... pic.twitter.com/OkEAVXmZ4R— KingsElyGeographers (@KingsElyGeog) September 29, 2017
Changing Arctic - a 360 degree film
Strap your phone into a VR headset, and watch this movie...
The Arctic is changing. 2016 saw record temperatures worldwide, in some places it reached 20C (68 F) above the average. As a result the Arctic is melting. In 2016 the Northwest passage had an ice-free summer, allowing cruise ships access to one of the most remote places on Earth. This virtual tour is a more environmentally-friendly way to view this majestic landscape, and a stark reminder of the consequences of our environment-damaging behaviour.
The Arctic is changing. 2016 saw record temperatures worldwide, in some places it reached 20C (68 F) above the average. As a result the Arctic is melting. In 2016 the Northwest passage had an ice-free summer, allowing cruise ships access to one of the most remote places on Earth. This virtual tour is a more environmentally-friendly way to view this majestic landscape, and a stark reminder of the consequences of our environment-damaging behaviour.
Friday, 6 October 2017
Welcome to Antarctica
Used this today... great fun, and introduces some of the sights that tourists in Antarctica have the chance to see...
Hurtigruten comes to Antarctica from Hurtigruten AS on Vimeo.
Hurtigruten comes to Antarctica from Hurtigruten AS on Vimeo.
Thursday, 5 October 2017
Union Glacier Hexagons
For note taking and discussion...
Click for biggery...
Stills from the Welcome to Union Glacier film on Vimeo, which has been a central part of our Pole to Pole unit for several years.
See the ALE website for more information.
Click for biggery...
Stills from the Welcome to Union Glacier film on Vimeo, which has been a central part of our Pole to Pole unit for several years.
See the ALE website for more information.
Monday, 2 October 2017
Sunday, 1 October 2017
Journey South
We've been exploring the effort that goes into getting somebody down to Antarctica to work for the British Antarctic Survey (or other countries' research operations)
Greensleeves
Where would you site this ice cream van to make the most profit on a sunny day.
Work out the time wasted spent travelling from one place to another if you are going to move through the day...
Think about the demographics of your customers...
Stop me and buy one...
Saturday, 30 September 2017
ESRI Water Balance App
Thanks to Bob Lang for the tipoff to this excellent app.
https://livingatlas.arcgis.com/waterbalance/
The water balance panel (on the left) shows how much recharge or depletion occurred during your chosen month, and how this compares to what’s normal. The trend analyzer panel (on the right) shows how your chosen variable was different in the same month during other years. This panel also allows you to see the seasonal variation during a normal year (by graphing the average for each month) or aggregate the time series into annual time steps to see the long term trend more clearly.
https://livingatlas.arcgis.com/waterbalance/
The water balance panel (on the left) shows how much recharge or depletion occurred during your chosen month, and how this compares to what’s normal. The trend analyzer panel (on the right) shows how your chosen variable was different in the same month during other years. This panel also allows you to see the seasonal variation during a normal year (by graphing the average for each month) or aggregate the time series into annual time steps to see the long term trend more clearly.
Thursday, 28 September 2017
Teachmeet presentation
Mr. Parkinson presented at a Geography event in Cambridge last night and here's the presentation that he used...
My presentation from last night's event...
Thanks to all those who did a presentation, and those who came along. Good to see some old friends who I haven't seen for a while...
I talked about Curriculum making and powerful knowledge, and the importance of teachers finding their own path and approach as one of the responsibilities of being a teacher...
Bonus points to those who recognise the music score that's in the presentation
My presentation from last night's event...
Thanks to all those who did a presentation, and those who came along. Good to see some old friends who I haven't seen for a while...
I talked about Curriculum making and powerful knowledge, and the importance of teachers finding their own path and approach as one of the responsibilities of being a teacher...
Bonus points to those who recognise the music score that's in the presentation
Wednesday, 27 September 2017
The importance of clothing and food in Polar regions
A very useful video from the Scott Polar Research Institute exploring the importance of appropriate clothing in Antarctica. There are some teacher resources to go with this, and several other useful films too...
Clothing in Antarctica from Polar Museum on Vimeo.
Here's another on FOOD... these are great...
Eating in Antarctica from Polar Museum on Vimeo.
Clothing in Antarctica from Polar Museum on Vimeo.
Here's another on FOOD... these are great...
Eating in Antarctica from Polar Museum on Vimeo.
Monday, 25 September 2017
Thanks for coming...
Thanks to all those visitors who came along to our Open Day last Friday and Saturday - we had several hundred visitors who saw some of the things we get up to in Geography...
We may see some of you as pupils and parents in the next year or so...
We may see some of you as pupils and parents in the next year or so...
Cake... there will be cake...
We'll be raising money for this cause on Friday this week...
Don't forget your Fairtrade/ Rainforest Alliance chocolate treats... and consider the Palm Oil that goes into them...
Friday, 22 September 2017
Sun rising at the South Pole from today!
#Equinox! The Sun is now rising at the South Pole; Sun crossing celestial equator heading South, tilt of Earth's axis perpendicular to Sun pic.twitter.com/X619PfL9Av— The Antarctic Report (@AntarcticReport) September 22, 2017
Isn't celestial geometry amazing...
Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Not fake news... we've been featured on CNN
Last week I spoke to a journalist from CNN about the work that we did last academic year with the Open University related to Google Expeditions and VR. We worked with Shailey Minocha from the OU and colleagues, and later that year I worked as part of a consultancy project to author some resources to accompany some of the Google Expeditions to turn them into lesson resources.I spoke to the journalist for about half an hour with some perspectives on the technology, and the piece has now been published on CNN.
Hurricanes - a natural disaster?
There has been no shortage of stories in the news over the last few days regarding the arrival of Hurricane Harvey, followed by Irma and Maria.
Flooding has of course hit other places: a mudslide in Sierra Leone, flooding in Bangladesh and Nepal and other areas.
Some people have suggested that it is wrong for these disasters to get less coverage than Harvey, but it is inevitable given the location, and the ability to capture and share imagery of the flooding.
A few phrases to remember when learning this topic are:
Resilience
Resilience is the ability of a system to maintain certain functions, processes, or populations after experiencing a disturbance.
Or to bounce back to normal.
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
This is an approach to managing risks which aims at reducing them in advance in preference to coping after they have happened.
Is Hurricane <name> a "natural disaster"?
Clearly the hurricane is an atmospheric system which developed over warm water. Some would argue that the pace of formation, and scale, and therefore the nature of the impact and the place that was affected, was influenced by warming oceans and surface temperatures (climate change)
Explore some different viewpoints on this, including the nature of the housing that has been built as Houston has sprawled outwards.
Also consider the importance of federal aid, and insurance.
One to follow, and develop further....
Some people have suggested that it is wrong for these disasters to get less coverage than Harvey, but it is inevitable given the location, and the ability to capture and share imagery of the flooding.
A few phrases to remember when learning this topic are:
Resilience
Resilience is the ability of a system to maintain certain functions, processes, or populations after experiencing a disturbance.
Or to bounce back to normal.
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
This is an approach to managing risks which aims at reducing them in advance in preference to coping after they have happened.
Is Hurricane <name> a "natural disaster"?
Clearly the hurricane is an atmospheric system which developed over warm water. Some would argue that the pace of formation, and scale, and therefore the nature of the impact and the place that was affected, was influenced by warming oceans and surface temperatures (climate change)
Explore some different viewpoints on this, including the nature of the housing that has been built as Houston has sprawled outwards.
Also consider the importance of federal aid, and insurance.
One to follow, and develop further....
Sunday, 3 September 2017
Time for Geography
Time for a new school year. Time for Geography.
There are plenty of high quality resources available here at the very nicely designed Time for Geography site.
There are videos on Coasts, Rivers and Glaciation as well as Geog Topics, and some additional resources for those who register too.
Well worth a look - Year 7s you could learn something here...
There are plenty of high quality resources available here at the very nicely designed Time for Geography site.
There are videos on Coasts, Rivers and Glaciation as well as Geog Topics, and some additional resources for those who register too.
Well worth a look - Year 7s you could learn something here...
New flag for N2
New flag just arrived to replace the Brazilian one that's flown behind my desk for the last year in N2.Which place is this flag representing?
Tuesday, 29 August 2017
Theme Park Geography
We are preparing to teach a unit on Theme Park Geography for the first time in the coming term, which was shared with us by Garry Simmons and Elen Harris, and can be downloaded by Teaching Geography subscribers / GA members from this link here.
There are some excellent resources to download, and we will be adding a few extras to connect it with our location and students, and the way that we generally introduce and develop student work.
Here's a nice video to get students into the mood as they enter the classroom....
A Day at Disneyland from Mike Alcoran on Vimeo.
'A day at the Disneyland Resort'
*Best viewed in HD*
Produced by: UNEEKFM (http://www.uneekfm.tumblr.com) & MKE (http://mikealcoran.com)
Edited by: Mike Alcoran
Shot with: Canon Rebel T3i (Sigma 10-20mm f/4, 30mm f/1.4, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8, Rokinon 8mm) and pure imagination.
Music: "Make it Whole" - by QNQP (https://soundcloud.com/qnqp)
There are some excellent resources to download, and we will be adding a few extras to connect it with our location and students, and the way that we generally introduce and develop student work.
Here's a nice video to get students into the mood as they enter the classroom....
A Day at Disneyland from Mike Alcoran on Vimeo.
'A day at the Disneyland Resort'
*Best viewed in HD*
Produced by: UNEEKFM (http://www.uneekfm.tumblr.com) & MKE (http://mikealcoran.com)
Edited by: Mike Alcoran
Shot with: Canon Rebel T3i (Sigma 10-20mm f/4, 30mm f/1.4, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8, Rokinon 8mm) and pure imagination.
Music: "Make it Whole" - by QNQP (https://soundcloud.com/qnqp)
Monday, 28 August 2017
A new option for Arctic and Antarctica from ESRI
New page, which has been added to some existing web apps, featuring the Arctic and Antarctica.
Click here to see the Arctic and Antarctic apps.
Then click here to be taken to the new Landsat Explorer App.
Click here to see the Arctic and Antarctic apps.
Thursday, 24 August 2017
Remember to opt for 'A' level Geography next...
For all those just collecting GCSE results.
Congrats to all getting #geography results today! Here's why you should study it at #ALevel. #GCSEResultsDay2017 https://t.co/Lq1X91PFL7 pic.twitter.com/J7rQclIIGS— RGS-IBG (@RGS_IBG) August 24, 2017
Congratulations on exam results....
After some excellent 'A' level results, it was the turn of Year 11 (and some younger students) today...
GCSE success for many starts lower down the school of course... it's a real team effort. Congratulations to everyone.
GCSE success for many starts lower down the school of course... it's a real team effort. Congratulations to everyone.
Congratulations to all our #GCSE students for another excellent set of results! Read the full report here: https://t.co/ZrRGq75RrV pic.twitter.com/Irt2opO3E0— King's Ely (@Kings_Ely) August 24, 2017
Tuesday, 15 August 2017
The Explorer by Katherine Rundell
This book has come into my social media feeds several times. It's getting excellent reviews.It has been written by Katherine Rundell, and is called "The Explorer".
I bought the book earlier this week. "The Explorer" is about four children who have to survive when the plane they are travelling in crashes into the Amazon jungle.
The story is about survival, but also the dynamics between the characters. There's plenty of great moments, and I also liked the description of maps:
"Goosebumps rose on his arms. Fred knew the power of maps. They gestured to hidden things. They were line drawings of the world's secrets".
A few years ago, I wrote a book for Collins called 'Extreme Survival', which featured the story of Juliane Koepcke, a young woman who survived a plane crash into the jungle.
The book is well worth taking a look at...
We may look at using it as a set text at King's.
There's also a resource pack available from Bloomsbury (PDF download) for KS2.
Here's the author talking about the inspiration for the story...
The Forgotten Celery
Will be using this for our Food unit in the new academic year... a nice starter... and stimulus to write a story of your own...
Sunday, 6 August 2017
Iceman Movie
A new movie reimagining the last days of Ötzi is opening next week with its premiere.Mr. Parkinson wrote a book about him a few years ago, called 'The Ice Man', which is still available to buy.
There is plenty of note in the story, and Year 6 and other students have already been introduced to the story of the Ice Man in Geography lessons....
The film is described as follows:
On August 8th at 9:30 pm the movie “Iceman” directed by Felix Randau will be presented to the world at the Locarno Festival. On the “Piazza Grande” the audience will follow closely the fictitious story about Ötzi’s last days and hours.
With Jürgen Vogel in the title role, the film speculates on what might have happened on the Tisenjoch some 5,300 years ago – when Ötzi the Iceman was murdered by an arrow striking him in the back. And above all, why? Director Felix Randau focuses in particular on bringing to life Ötzi’s last few days and the circumstances which could have led to his mysterious death.
Synopsis: 5,300 years ago in the Neolithic Age. An extended family is living peacefully beside a stream in the Öztal Alps. Their leader Kelab (Jürgen Vogel) has been charged with guarding the holy shrine.
Whilst Kelab is out hunting, his settlement is attacked and the entire tribe is murdered, including Kelab’s wife and son. The sacred shrine of the community is also taken away. Consumed by pain and anger, Kelab now has only one goal: revenge!
Kelab is now set on tracking down the perpetrators. During the course of his Odyssey through the mountains he is subjected to all the dangers of nature. A tragic error now makes him into the one that’s hunted. Finally Kelab has to confront not just those who murdered his family, but his own demons. Will he give way to his urge for revenge and thereby turn from victim to offender? Or will he succeed in breaking the eternal cycle of violence?
I hope that this makes it to the UK.
Here's the trailer:
Saturday, 29 July 2017
New blog for OCR 'B' Geography - useful for Year 10s
A new blog written by Mr. Parkinson, to support Year 10s (and 11s at revision time) with GCSE studies.
As you will know, Mr. Parkinson wrote sections of the 2 OCR books for the 9-1 OCR specs, and is going to be teaching Year 10 group OCR 'B' GCSE Geography.
The blog will share the resources that are used to teach OCR Geography from September.
As you will know, Mr. Parkinson wrote sections of the 2 OCR books for the 9-1 OCR specs, and is going to be teaching Year 10 group OCR 'B' GCSE Geography.
Friday, 28 July 2017
Ducks and gyres
Just came into my social media feeds... A simple video to go along with our lesson on plastic ducks as part of our Ocean plastics unit as part of the Geography of our Stuff...
Monday, 17 July 2017
Tuesday, 11 July 2017
Mr. Everest on the tellybox...
In case you missed it, here's Mr. Everest talking about the school's use of coding, along with some students giving their thoughts...
Meaningful Maps - more research involvement for King's Ely
The project is being organised by Stephen Scoffham, Peter Vujakovic and Paula Owens.
The website is now up and running, and it will develop as more maps come in during the pilot phase of the project which we are involved with.
Sunday, 9 July 2017
School's out for summer
Thanks for reading the blog during the last academic year.
We'll be back after the summer for the fifth (!) year of sharing what we do at King's Ely Geography...
We have some new curriculum modules to teach, and some old favourites will return refreshed.
Have a great summer whatever you're up to...
We'll be back after the summer for the fifth (!) year of sharing what we do at King's Ely Geography...
We have some new curriculum modules to teach, and some old favourites will return refreshed.
Have a great summer whatever you're up to...
Wednesday, 5 July 2017
The Women's Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition 2018
Mr. Parkinson has been asked to help create the education resources for this expedition which will take place in 2018. It is led by Felicity Aston, who also led the Pole of Cold expedition that I wrote the (award winning) resources for, and was also described in Felicity's book 'Chasing Winter' (which is excellent by the way)
Here's a trailer video for the expedition.
_Exposure from Felicity Aston on Vimeo.
The website is here.
Keep an eye out for all the news on the expedition and the resources later this year.
We shall be involving King's Ely students in this writing project.
There are also some amazing and alarming pictures of the great Arctic melt by Diane Tuft in this Guardian article.
Here's a trailer video for the expedition.
_Exposure from Felicity Aston on Vimeo.
The website is here.
Keep an eye out for all the news on the expedition and the resources later this year.
We shall be involving King's Ely students in this writing project.
There are also some amazing and alarming pictures of the great Arctic melt by Diane Tuft in this Guardian article.
Tuesday, 4 July 2017
Head of Geography vacancy - a great opportunity for someone
Mr. Parkinson, who writes this blog, leads on Junior School geography matters, but this role is as the overall Head of Department for the school, with a teaching load in the Senior part of the school.
You can read all about the school and the role on the school website, along with a job description and person specification. Deadline for applications is at the end of July.
This would be a fascinating role for someone who would like to work in one of the oldest schools in the world, in an excellent environment. The Fens are a beautiful landscape to live and work in, and there is the school's association with Ely Cathedral. Academic standards are very high, and there are plenty of opportunities to immerse oneself into the life of the school, which is a vibrant and active community. Plus you get to work with wonderful creative colleagues, and teach some interesting and contemporary geography.
The job is available from January 2018.
Update: Deadline has passed....
Monday, 3 July 2017
The Future of Cities
Worth a watch... This will be useful for those exploring urban futures... and smart cities...
We've mentioned Songdo before, when exploring how cities develop and can be developed from scratch in a short space of time...
We've mentioned Songdo before, when exploring how cities develop and can be developed from scratch in a short space of time...
Sunday, 2 July 2017
Around the World in 80 Days
A few days ago, Mark Beaumont visited the Reform Club. He was paying homage to Phileas Fogg: the hero of Jules Verne's 'Around the World in 80 Days'.
The reason was that after his earlier record breaking circumnavigation by bike, Mark headed off earlier today on an attempt to go around the world in 80 days.
I will be introducing the journey to students tomorrow, so that they can hopefully follow the journey over the summer, and there will be some rewards for those who show some evidence of this on their return in September, by which time Mark will hopefully be well on his way... what an epic journey and physical and mental effort lies ahead of him...
To follow the journey, see Mark Beaumont on Facebook, or follow @MrMarkBeaumont on Twitter.
The main website for the journey is at Artemis World Cycle.
Here's the route:
Images: Copyright Mark Beaumont on Facebook/Twitter / The Guardian
For teachers wanting to introduce students to the journey, Mark has teamed up with Twinkl Resources, who have created a series of resources. These are a mixture of FREE and subscriber only, and are attractively presented and linked to some useful curriculum areas.
Mark is raising money for Orkid Studio.
Orkidstudio works to benefit communities through innovative architecture, construction and social enterprise.
We believe that creativity has the power to inspire and instil pride within people regardless of race, nationality or circumstance and we use architecture, design and enterprise as tools for relieving poverty and transforming lives.
Our build projects focus on the process of design and construction rather than just the final product. We believe this process is a powerful tool for affecting social change and empowering people through the sharing of skills and knowledge on site.
With a strong belief in the power of enterprise to affect social change, we work on projects and with partners that support and drive the local economy. We engage local resources and women in construction to create high quality built spaces that promote health, education and equality.
Mark's hoping to raise £10 for every mile that he cycles.
The reason was that after his earlier record breaking circumnavigation by bike, Mark headed off earlier today on an attempt to go around the world in 80 days.
I will be introducing the journey to students tomorrow, so that they can hopefully follow the journey over the summer, and there will be some rewards for those who show some evidence of this on their return in September, by which time Mark will hopefully be well on his way... what an epic journey and physical and mental effort lies ahead of him...
To follow the journey, see Mark Beaumont on Facebook, or follow @MrMarkBeaumont on Twitter.
The main website for the journey is at Artemis World Cycle.
Here's the route:
For teachers wanting to introduce students to the journey, Mark has teamed up with Twinkl Resources, who have created a series of resources. These are a mixture of FREE and subscriber only, and are attractively presented and linked to some useful curriculum areas.
Mark is raising money for Orkid Studio.
Orkidstudio works to benefit communities through innovative architecture, construction and social enterprise.
We believe that creativity has the power to inspire and instil pride within people regardless of race, nationality or circumstance and we use architecture, design and enterprise as tools for relieving poverty and transforming lives.
Our build projects focus on the process of design and construction rather than just the final product. We believe this process is a powerful tool for affecting social change and empowering people through the sharing of skills and knowledge on site.
With a strong belief in the power of enterprise to affect social change, we work on projects and with partners that support and drive the local economy. We engage local resources and women in construction to create high quality built spaces that promote health, education and equality.
Mark's hoping to raise £10 for every mile that he cycles.
Friday, 30 June 2017
New island in the Ring of Fire
This is something following on from a discussion with Year 9 today about the formation of new land due to volcanic activity... Another StoryMap...
Wednesday, 28 June 2017
Monday, 19 June 2017
Year 8 PEPs
You've got 2 weeks to complete these... Here's some guidance. We'll go through titles tomorrow... Geography based ones very welcome...
Sunday, 18 June 2017
Young Geographer of the Year Competition
Students have had some time to choose their favourite place after short-listing, now it's time to start some research. Here's a presentation to help you...
YGOTY Part 2 from GeoBlogs
Sunday, 11 June 2017
Samso: an energy efficient island
Samso is an island off the coast of Denmark. I saw a nice infographic shared on social media last week, which has been sitting in the 'to do something with' pile for a while.
It is setting the pace for the use of renewable technologies apparently, and there were several stories shared about the place this week.
It may be worth exploring further as a possible place context for students to explore.
This article contains more information.
The infographic came from this nicely designed website.
A 10 year plan evaluation.
It is setting the pace for the use of renewable technologies apparently, and there were several stories shared about the place this week.
It may be worth exploring further as a possible place context for students to explore.
This article contains more information.
The infographic came from this nicely designed website.
A 10 year plan evaluation.
GI Learner Meeting
Mr. Parkinson spent 4 days in Romania earlier this term meeting with colleagues from the partner schools which the school is involved with for the GI Learner project.
Here's the school on Google Earth.... Quite different to King's, but a very interesting school...
Here's the school on Google Earth.... Quite different to King's, but a very interesting school...Saturday, 10 June 2017
Tuesday, 30 May 2017
UK County Word Cloud project
I've made quite a few word clouds of places over the years... they are a nice way to capture the thoughts of a group of people on a place, or something else... There are plenty of ways of making them, including WordFoto (one of my favourites), Word Art, Wordle (of course) and Tagxedo... (and that's just a few from many...)
Earlier today, I made a word cloud of Cornwall to go along with a writing project which I had started to develop. This was made with WordArt (formerly known as Tagul) and was based on the thoughts of around 40 people on Facebook and Twitter who shared about 250 words describing the county.
It occurred to me that it would be good to construct the UK (each of the counties) and put them all together to make a huge word cloud construction of the UK. At first, I thought I might just work my way around the country, starting with Cornwall and moving onto Devon. I started this process, and have some words in hand for Devon already.
I realised this would take me quite a long time to do (although it would be quite good to think about each county in turn...)
Instead, I worked out a method using a Google Form which would allow for anyone to choose any particular county. The responses to the form are then placed into a spreadsheet, which can then be filtered, and organised appropriately, and this will help to construct the set of word clouds in due course, which will then be added onto a county outline shape.
This is also going to be helpful to provide some guidance for those who might be putting together an entry for this year's Young Geographer of the Year competition by providing ideas for the physical, human and cultural geography of the UK's counties...
I will let this form run for a few months - I won't have time to construct the word clouds until the summer holidays, so will leave it for about 8 weeks and keep reminding you that it's around.
Thanks also to those who have already retweeted and shared the form.
You can enter your ideas into the form below, or go to the form separately here.
Earlier today, I made a word cloud of Cornwall to go along with a writing project which I had started to develop. This was made with WordArt (formerly known as Tagul) and was based on the thoughts of around 40 people on Facebook and Twitter who shared about 250 words describing the county.
I realised this would take me quite a long time to do (although it would be quite good to think about each county in turn...)
Instead, I worked out a method using a Google Form which would allow for anyone to choose any particular county. The responses to the form are then placed into a spreadsheet, which can then be filtered, and organised appropriately, and this will help to construct the set of word clouds in due course, which will then be added onto a county outline shape.
This is also going to be helpful to provide some guidance for those who might be putting together an entry for this year's Young Geographer of the Year competition by providing ideas for the physical, human and cultural geography of the UK's counties...
I will let this form run for a few months - I won't have time to construct the word clouds until the summer holidays, so will leave it for about 8 weeks and keep reminding you that it's around.
Thanks also to those who have already retweeted and shared the form.
You can enter your ideas into the form below, or go to the form separately here.
Saturday, 27 May 2017
Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Saturday, 13 May 2017
Meeting Tayna
Mr Parkinson met Tayna, who stars in the Fairtrade Fortnight materials which we use, at the GA conference over the Easter break. Here's one of Tayna's videos..
My Next Fairtrade Adventure (for 7-11 yrs) Part 2 from Fairtrade Schools on Vimeo.
This is the second part of My Next Fairtrade Adventure for 7 to 11 year olds.
Tayna, a student from North London, travels to Kenya to find out how climate change is affecting tea farmers and how Fairtrade can tackle some of the effects.
Here they are in a selfie taken by Tayna...
My Next Fairtrade Adventure (for 7-11 yrs) Part 2 from Fairtrade Schools on Vimeo.
This is the second part of My Next Fairtrade Adventure for 7 to 11 year olds.
Tayna, a student from North London, travels to Kenya to find out how climate change is affecting tea farmers and how Fairtrade can tackle some of the effects.
Here they are in a selfie taken by Tayna...
Sunday, 23 April 2017
ArcGIS Online now free for all schools
We have been using ArcGIS Online in school for several years now, and ESRI UK have kindly given us a free subscription for the last few years so that we can share our work.
At the end of the Awards presentation at this week's GA Conference Stuart Bonthrone, the MD of Esri UK stood up and made an announcement which was in some ways inevitable after events previously in the USA, and also very welcome.
Stuart announced that from immediate effect, ArcGIS Online will be free to all UK schools.
Under the heading of "The Science of Where", Stuart then played a short video featuring the inspirational work of Thierry Torres and colleagues at Dover Grammar School.
If you want to know more, and sign up your school, head for the ESRI UK Schools page.
I also had the chance to meet Steve Richardson, who is being employed to produce new resources and materials for teachers to encourage more use of the tool in classes.
There are already over 60 resources available, with plenty more to come.
Finally, check out the GeoMentors programme, which pairs up schools with GIS professionals.
Sign up your school now
At the end of the Awards presentation at this week's GA Conference Stuart Bonthrone, the MD of Esri UK stood up and made an announcement which was in some ways inevitable after events previously in the USA, and also very welcome.
Stuart announced that from immediate effect, ArcGIS Online will be free to all UK schools.
Under the heading of "The Science of Where", Stuart then played a short video featuring the inspirational work of Thierry Torres and colleagues at Dover Grammar School.
If you want to know more, and sign up your school, head for the ESRI UK Schools page.
I also had the chance to meet Steve Richardson, who is being employed to produce new resources and materials for teachers to encourage more use of the tool in classes.
There are already over 60 resources available, with plenty more to come.
Finally, check out the GeoMentors programme, which pairs up schools with GIS professionals.
Sign up your school now
Saturday, 15 April 2017
Wild Writing
A Padlet produced by Helen Caldwell as part of the DLAB Erasmus project. Ideas for Wild Writing.
On Tuesday, Mr. Parkinson will be leading a CPD session for all Y1-6 staff on ideas for Outdoor Learning.
On Tuesday, Mr. Parkinson will be leading a CPD session for all Y1-6 staff on ideas for Outdoor Learning.
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
Plasticide
Fairphone - a smart smartphone alternative
The product has conflict-free minerals and the supply chain is followed carefully.
Find out more here.
Year 8, prepare to learn more about this item as you start the Summer term.
Sunday, 9 April 2017
Following Mark around the world
This is a journey which we will be following at King's Ely.
In August 2007, Mark Beaumont set off for a solo cycle around the world, aiming to set a new world record. Between the 5th of August, and the 15th of February 2008, he had an amazing adventure.
Since then, Mark has worked following the baton relay around the world, and also did an incredible solo cycle from the north to south of Africa in just 41 days.
Mark is now planning to cycle around the world in 80 days. Here is the planned route.
You can follow the journey via live tracker from the website.
This is a picture of Mark at the finish line in Paris after his first round-the-world trip.
Image by Val Vannet
Mark is currently warming up by cycling around the UK in 14 days. Here's the route, and you can follow him on social media and in various other ways, including on Strava.
Chapeau....
Some resources to come once Mark's round the world challenge gets underway...
In August 2007, Mark Beaumont set off for a solo cycle around the world, aiming to set a new world record. Between the 5th of August, and the 15th of February 2008, he had an amazing adventure.
Since then, Mark has worked following the baton relay around the world, and also did an incredible solo cycle from the north to south of Africa in just 41 days.
Mark is now planning to cycle around the world in 80 days. Here is the planned route.
You can follow the journey via live tracker from the website.
This is a picture of Mark at the finish line in Paris after his first round-the-world trip.
Mark is currently warming up by cycling around the UK in 14 days. Here's the route, and you can follow him on social media and in various other ways, including on Strava.
Some resources to come once Mark's round the world challenge gets underway...
Friday, 31 March 2017
Beyond these 4 walls
Preparing for a session I'm leading after the Easter break...
This is the view of Ely Cathedral from the Old Palace garden.
Image: Alan Parkinson
This is the view of Ely Cathedral from the Old Palace garden.
Sunday, 19 March 2017
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