Nutella - go nuts...

Exploring the brown stuff earlier in the week, and why there were riots in French supermarkets earlier in the year.
Exploring the global supply chain, and also the questions which underpin the selection of the ingredients, and environmental aspects such as the production of palm oil, and the certification of this and other products.
I also mentioned a recent story of Tesco sourcing sugar from thousands of miles away despite the store being next to a beet processing plant in Bury St Edmunds.
I then created a Twitter poll, as there was some debate over the pronunciation of the spread's name, and the results of the poll are now in...

OS GetOutside Champions

You can take a first look at the new OS Champions Website here.
It will give you information about all the people who are going to be working with me over the next year or more to encourage more exploration of the UK, with all the additional benefits that being outside brings.
Here's me and my fellow Champions based in the East of England.
We each have a page where we will be posting what we get up to over the course of the year.

Top down or Bottom Up

As part of the Dynamic Development topic... Sheet for recording pros and cons of named schemes...

Top Down or Bottom Up by GeoBlogs on Scribd

Let's go bananas....

Big Mac Miles

To go with the story from yesterday on the 8000 miles travelled by the ingredients.

From CDA Group Ltd

Field to Frier

An excellent and useful video made by Isle of Ely produce, close to where I teach...
It explores the stages in the production of potatoes, which are then sent up to Scotland to be turned into chips...
Involves the weather, the soil, traceability, transport and logistics, and various processes.


Field to Frier from Beard Askew Productions on Vimeo.

The journey of a berry....

The first of a few videos on Food Miles that we use when exploring whether far is really bad...

Primark Suppliers Map

All ready for the start of our Year 8 unit on the Story of our Stuff...

Primark are a company that has some criticism in the past over their supply chain. Now they are trying to position themselves as a more ethical company, and provide more information about the factories where their products are made.

There is an improved focus on transparency in the supply chain, and this includes the production of a map (a tool that other suppliers have also done quite effectively).
The map now has a link through to suppliers.

Arctic vs Antarctica

The Arctic

Just too late for our teaching this time round, but saved here for next time round.
A nice introductory video for an Arctic project from the Wicked Weather Watch website.
With thanks to Emma Espley for the tipoff.

Teachmeet at the GA Conference

The sign-up page is now up on Eventbrite for the Teachmeet which will be held at the GA Conference in Sheffield in April.

I'll see you there... and at the Beermeet afterwards...

The biggest geography themed TeachMeet of the year.

The TeachMeet will take place at Shefield Hallam University on the 6th April 2018. 

The TM will start with introductions at 18.50 with sessions commencing at 19.00 and finishing at 20.00. Drinks and snacks will be available.

Ethnographic Fieldwork

Some ideas when exploring cities or new places from examiner David Holmes. Produced to accompany an article in GeographyReview journal.


and here's one on Sampling strategies

Volcanic hazards

Mayon continues to erupt... does this man let that stop him tending his land?

This man in Philippines is not letting the erupting Mayon volcano stop him from taking care of his farm. pic.twitter.com/5ImunLFGU6

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) February 4, 2018

Vocal Recall App

For those users, like ourselves, check out the news here, and look out for Class QR.
Also request some duplicate codes if ordered through Amazon.

I'm so sorry :(, I'm currently in shock. Please see the picture for details of what is currently happening with Vocal Recall pic.twitter.com/L3f8C98VMx

— Vocal Recall (@vocalrecallapp) February 3, 2018

Dollar Street - the TED talk

We've been using Dollar Street with Year 7 and Year 8 groups to explore the inequalities in access to food and other items in homes with differing levels of income.
The students have been fascinated by the images that Dollar Street offers, and we have been asking them to explore the 'stuff' that is owned by the families and whether there are thresholds to owning an object such as a washing machine (see the Hans Rosling video on this topic to see how important it is)




I've put together a resource for Geography teachers (and others) on how to use Dollar Street in the classroom.
It's not finished yet, but is a collaborative Google Drive document which will hopefully grow...
You're very welcome to add your own ideas to this document...
It's embedded below for your interest...



Following on from that, Anna from Gapminder gave a TED Talk a while ago, and that is now available to view.