Key Stage 3 Geography Blog

New GA website now live....

2009-09-04T03:24:00.001-07:00

The GA web team: Anne Greaves and Ben Major, have been working away for months with designers Ledgard Jepson on a new website for the Geographical Association, and it is now live, after several weeks of beta testing and tweaking. Visit the GA URL http://www.geography.org.uk to see the new site.

The site looks a lot brighter, clearer and easier to navigate, and uses more of the screen’s width. Thanks to a major effort on tagging the resources, it is also easier to find things using the ‘Search’ function if they are not immediately obvious from the home page, and a new ‘Resource Finder’ should help you find something appropriate to the key stage and topic that you are interested in quickly, or items written by a particular author.

A one page user guide to the new site and how it’s laid out can be downloaded by following the link (PDF download): http://www.geography.org.uk/download/GA_NewWebsiteGuide.pdf

Members can also bookmark their most useful sections of the website on their own personal homepage. Logging in to the site will provide members with details about their account, and allow access to the journals which you subscribe to.

There are plenty of new items in the shop, which are displayed in a scrolling window, which will also suggest items that might be of relevance to you if you login.

News is easier to find, and has all been updated.

If you are not already a GA member, this is a good time to join and take advantage of the many membership benefits.

The website is also home to all the resources supporting the GA’s manifesto for school geography “a different view”.

Download the latest GA MAGAZINE from the site now

Last post...

2008-07-16T02:23:00.000-07:00

I am moving on, so this blog will be mothballed... Let the cobwebs descend.
Check the other blogs for continued geographically related comments.
Thanks for reading !

One for the Water Schemes of Work

2008-07-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

One via Tony Cassidy.
This has been shared via Slideshare, and is in a 'Shift Happens' stylee...
The importance of WATER.
Check it out, and well done to J Brenman for creating / sharing it...

| View | Upload your own

Skeleton Frameworks for Writing

2008-07-12T10:44:00.001-07:00

Via Slideshare from Gareth Quarton...

| View | Upload your own

Another example...

2008-07-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to David Rogers for sharing his Curriculum map via Slideshare

| View | Upload your own

Urban Earth Adventure

2008-07-07T10:45:00.001-07:00

Urban Earth Adventures
A great little movie which shows the difference between the physical footprint of Salisbury (the land it occupies) and the ecological footprint that it requires...

Rob Chambers' Tourism Slideshow

2008-07-03T13:19:00.001-07:00

| View | Upload your own

Farming....

2008-07-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be considering doing Farming as a case study. Here's a few pics from a farm open day I attended today. Check the GeographyJazz blog for more...

Thanks to all involved in the organisation of the event...

The structure of the earth - Dough !

2008-05-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to John Barlow for posting some videos made by his pupils at Maghull High School in Liverpool. They had to create a model of the earth's structure using play dough, and then create a short video explaining what the model was showing...

Good effort, and something that other schools could emulate. I have a very large and heavy box of modelling clay sitting in my department office waiting to be used at some point.

China Video

2008-05-27T12:21:00.001-07:00

Consider the question of how far human activity magnifies the impact of natural hazards.
This video courtesy of the LA TIMES is an important one.

Also consider the impact of the CHINA ONE CHILD POLICY on the impact to parents...

Teacher's Pet

2008-05-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

Had this resource for a while. It's not geography specific, but would be of use to all geographers.
It's a 48 page PDF DOWNLOAD, which contains plenty of ideas for lesson planning and effective use of the secondary strategy ideas.
Created by the City of York's Key Stage 3 Strategy Team of Zoe Crompton, Lucy Lawrence and Alison Wilcock.
Click the link to DOWNLOAD THE TEACHER'S PET

Eurovision Resources

2008-05-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

Last year, Tony Cassidy produced a set of resources based around the Eurovision Song Contest.
He has done it again this year.
Go here to check out the resources.
This was my personal favourite song.

New KS3 Curriculum Assistance

2008-05-24T11:20:00.001-07:00

IN THE HOT SEAT....

If you have been involved in the CfBT Regional Subject Conferences as a delegate (and if not, why not ?), you will presumably have received an e-mail telling you of the next stage of the project which are some HOT SEAT WEB CASTS.

You will need to go to the new QCA sit e, and log in.

In each of the subject area's you will have an opportunity to

Watch a video clip of the National subject lead on relevant topics,
Read the topical statement
Write your own questions and comments to the NSL in the forum

The national subject lead will be online at least once a day to respond to your questions and discussions through the forum pages, and you can log in as many times as you like to review answers and add further questions throughout the live dates.

The Geography event runs from June the 9th to June the 20th...
See you there !

Geography Geek

2008-05-24T11:18:00.001-07:00

Some new powerpoints now available on Helen Young's GEOGRAPHY GEEK website.

100 days to Beijing Olympics

2008-04-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

Lot of controversy in the last month or so...
100 days to go before the start of the games.

(Other views on the games are available...)

New QCA Site

2008-04-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

NEW KS3

The new QCA SUPPORT WEBSITE is now open (thanks to Simon Renshaw for the tip-off on that)
You will have to register, which is a very quick process taking less than a minute. A confirmation e-mail is sent immediately and you can then log in.
This allows you to make use of a CURRICULUM PLANNING WIZARD, or viewing RESOURCES that are relevant to Geography (and the other subjects....)

The resources section includes some videos of 'COMPELLING LEARNING EXPERIENCES' and also RECOMMENDED WEBSITES, and it's good to see GeographyPages getting the QCA seal of approval again:

A vast array of good ideas, links and resources for KS3 work can be accessed from the GeographyPages website.

It includes all the details such as the IMPORTANCE STATEMENT. I have taken one sentence from this as our departmental 'statement of intent'...

Geography inspires pupils to become global citizens by exploring their own place in the world, their values and their responsibilities to other people, to the environment and to the sustainability of the planet.

Could I also add my thanks to fellow GA SPC member Emma Johns for her excellent draft summary document for the new GCSE specifications. A very useful and timely document.

Clone Town Fieldwork

2008-04-21T13:12:00.001-07:00

Lovely piece of work on GEOGRAPHY TEACHING TODAY website.
Check it out...
Well done to the RGS for putting this together.

KS2 transition project

2008-04-08T12:01:00.001-07:00

CHOCOLATE

GGiP

Need I say more ?

INSET Day

2008-04-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

We had our training day today for the new KS3, and made some interesting decisions about how we are going to deliver our KS3 from September 2008.
Thanks to my colleagues for their inputs...

China Assessment Task

2008-03-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

This goes with David Rayner's KS3 module...

You should also use the ITINERARY that I will give you from a commercial tour company...

Heinemann Video Gallery

2008-03-06T12:10:00.001-08:00

Just signed up for a 30 day FREE TRIAL of the Heinemann Video Gallery resource. Over 300 video clips sorted by KS3 topics (old QCA units)

Eleanor Rawling book now available.

2008-03-06T00:14:00.000-08:00

Order from GA shop.

Food Miles Poster Task (ICT version)

2008-03-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

Instructions for task. Click to enlarge, or download and paste into a document...

Just coming to the end of a unit with Year 8 on Food Miles, and we have an assessed task. This comes from the work of my Buckinghamshire colleague Christine Lloyd-Staples.
She has produced the original levelled description for this task which we use, which offers a range of formats for a display piece on the issue of FOOD MILES. The students have previously prepared and delivered a 3 minute news bulletin on the issue, considering the various economic, social and environmental aspects (which together form the 3 legs of the sustainability stool).

Thanks also to JD's FLICKR TOYS, which as I have mentioned in other blogs is one of my favourite sites for a spot of 'creative subversion', or as David Lambert has termed it, the teachers who are 'pedagogically adventurous'.

The task is to create one of two ICT related ideas:

a) a Movie poster for a film related to food miles
b) a cover for a Magazine on the issue.

The second option gives more scope, and this is the recommended one.

For some ideas of similar movies on related themes, check out some of the posters below:

Coffee ? (Black Gold)

McDonalds ? (Supersize Me)

Fast Food (FastFoodNation)
Here's another good image that I thought would work well.

Flickr User: A.J.French

Here is my first draft of the magazine cover:
Original image by Flickr user Mr Jaded

Decided to change the colour and placement of some of the labels.
A gallery of the finished articles will appear on this blog for peer assessment by students in another school.

CfBT KS3 Conference: Norwich - 28th Feb

2008-02-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

Picture: David Rayner

CfBT Conference for Geography for new KS3 Curriculum

Thanks to the 70+ Heads of Geography and other colleagues in various capacities who attended the CfBT Eastern Region Conference at the Holiday Inn in Norwich yesterday.
It was hard work (especially as I followed it up with 2 hours plus at a parents evening...) but enjoyable, and good to talk to people and get their ideas for how they were going to be "creatively subversive...."

Particular thanks to David Rayner and Ruth Totterdell, the National Subject Leads, my RSA colleagues John Harrison and Katharine Hutchinson, John Lyon from the GA, and Jon Wolton from the RGS, and of course all the delegates, particularly Lucy and Clare.

A few images below, taken by me:What to ditch / add ?Katharine's 'significance' workshop
Importance statement John Harrison getting "funky"
Ruth in the morning...The venue...
GA welcome banner...

If you were present and want any other copies of the documents I referred to, get in touch via the website.
If you've got anything to share, fling it my way !

And here's a reminder of the wonder that was Georgie's Landscape in a Box....

Earthquake in Lincolnshire

2008-02-27T02:53:00.001-08:00

Source: Market Rasen Today website

Earthquake !
The strongest earthquake for almost 25 years hit the UK this morning. (BBC News article link)

It apparently had its hypocentre about 9 miles beneath Market Rasen in Lincolnshire (used to go through there on the way to Skegness when I was a kid....)
Some descriptions are here...

HERE is the USGS's description of the earthquake.Picture credit: USGS

I was awake as my daughter had just woken up, and the shaking started. First few seconds thought someone had fallen out of bed, then the walls and windows and items on top of the chest of drawers started rattling.
Got my daughter out of bed as her room is next to the chimney with a large chimney stack above, and then after about 10 - 15 seconds the shaking stopped.
Went out into the street into my dressing gown - very clear night - no-one else had any lights on and up and down the street was silent...
So went back to bed...

If you felt it, fill in the FORM ON THE WEBSITE. My intensity estimate was III.

Thanks to Ewan Laurie for the link to an article on the GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY's website, which discusses the methods used to measure the size / intensity of the shaking in an earthquake.
Here's one SLN Forum member's experience in Sheffield:

A few bricks have crumbled on our Chimney stack leaving next door's TV Aerial at a jaunty angle.....Here in Sheffield. Do i qualify for disaster relief?

Didnt get time to send the wife to stand under the door frame (she is 8 1/2 months pregnant though) but we have bottled water, a torch etc....no smell of gas.

Seriously I can empathise a little more with victims of something far more serious. My wife was a little shocked to find cds all over the floor.

A colleague was wondering whether to claim on the insurance for the crack in their chimney stack - even though it's been there for years...
Another one thought it was all the Chablis they'd drunk...

Market Rasen Today had a good headline (probably had more visitors today than for some considerable time)

Did you feel the earthquake ?
Add a comment below...

Africa on GTT site...

2008-02-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

New interactive resources now available on the GTT website for Africa.

Jumper..

2008-02-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

Jumper is a new film which has the premise that the lead character can teleport himself to anywhere in the world. This is obviously an intoxicating idea, and instantly appealing to Geographers. Where would YOU go if you could go anywhere right now ?

YouTube user JoeBeacher has produced a rather nice Geography response to this idea, which is well worth watching. Click the link below (sadly this will not be displayed in school as the site is blocked...)

Some planning thoughts...

2008-02-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

In advance of the CfBT Geography conference for the East of England. Norwich Ramada Jarvis Hotel February 28th
Some thoughts and images from the resources that we will be using.
May be worth thinking through what PLACES, ISSUES and THEMES you want to be covering in your KS3 PoS from September 2008 (in Year 7 at least)

New website with KS3 resources

2008-02-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

A new, and very welcome, entry in the Geography website field is Helen Young's GEOGRAPHYGEEK website.

This is why we need Geography !

2008-02-03T13:17:00.003-08:00

With thanks to David Rayner

2008-02-03T12:15:00.001-08:00

Can you see the hidden message ?

Should Tesco stock Goji berries ?

2008-01-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

That's a new resource thanks to my SLN chums
Here are the little blighters. Image thanks to Flickr User Gingko7

Some celebrities love them apparently (cue starter image...)

Also this excellent article by Andrew Simms.

And finally, some old favourites on Tesco from Tony Cassidy now available too....

Football: a global sport

2008-01-21T05:18:00.000-08:00

| View | Upload your own

African Cup of Nations Preview

2008-01-21T05:09:00.001-08:00

YouTube - won't show at school...

African Cup of Nations

2008-01-20T08:10:00.000-08:00

New powerpoint on my Slideshare page, to go with spreadsheets produced by Kate Walters and available from 4Shared.

Fantasy Key Stage 3

2008-01-13T11:43:00.000-08:00

Noel Jenkins over at Digital Geography has been working on his 'fantasy' KS3.
This contains a lot of the materials that have been made available via the RGS GeographyTeachingToday website section. These contain a range of interactives and the page where the materials are stored are now...

Why not read NOEL's IDEAS and add a comment...

Africa - coming soon for Year 7s....

2008-01-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Bookr

2008-01-02T09:23:00.001-08:00

BOOKR: a new tool for your Flickr pictures...

India - Globalisation

2008-01-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

| View | Upload your own

China

2008-01-01T04:40:00.001-08:00

Today's Independent is clear about the new Supowerpower: 2008 will be a pivotal year for China, with the Beijing Olympics turning the eyes of the world towards the country. Pupils from my school will be there !
More on China as we get stuck in to the new topic...

My Global Life - Year 9 Assessment

2007-12-30T08:06:00.000-08:00

Image from a Slideshare presentation

Don't forget to get the information about your Christmas presents before it's too late !

How much do TNCs impact on your life...

Sustainable Tourism Video

2007-12-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

By Richard Allaway - for Year 8s

and another one, on FLORIDA

and one from the World Tourism Organisation (again via Rich)

Now catch your fish...

2007-12-16T12:34:00.001-08:00

An intriguing new idea for encouraging the connection between producer and consumer (and being able to calculate the FOOD MILES involved)
This scheme from the LINECAUGHT website involves a tag which is placed on fish which have been caught off the coast of Cornwall.
Enter the tag number and you can find out exactly who caught your fish !
Helps with the idea of SUSTAINABILITY as well.

Northern Ireland Landscapes Site

2007-12-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

Some useful additional materials for teaching about LANDSCAPES: the current unit...
LANDSCAPES UNLOCKED...

China - the New Superpower ?

2007-12-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

Copyright: BBC News

Last year, we asked Year 7-9 what they wanted to learn about in Geography in KS3, and one of the things that you said clearly was that you wanted to know about CHINA.

I've started to plan the lesson ideas with the help of various online colleagues and also Eric, who runs the Chinglish club, and is one of the students we have with us this year from China.

We want to avoid the stereotypes, but clearly it will be impossible to cover all aspects of this incredibly diverse country. We will be looking at exploring certain CONCEPTS to prepare for the new KS3 that all schools in the UK have to teach from 2008.

There are plenty of YOU TUBE and other resources to start us off, and we also have some resources in school.

Also worth checking out the work of EDWARD BURTYNSKY and his work on the manufactured landscapes of China.

We will explore the ideas of CULTURAL DIVERSITY and PLACE.

Here are some BBC sites:

CHANGING CHINA
MODERN CHINA site section with good graphics
Information on what is known as 'THE PEACEFUL RISE'
SHANGHAI
The impact of GLOBALISATION
OUTSOURCING in a Chinese factory making BASEBALL CAPS.

We will use the excellent PERFECT SWEATSHOP WORKER activity as well. (no, not sweetshop...)

How about this QUIZ ? This is one for EXPERTS only...

Learn some CHINESE here ...

Cyclone Sidr Resources

2007-12-02T06:01:00.000-08:00

BANGLADESH - Cyclone Sidr Resources

Tony Cassidy spent the October half term of this year in Bangladesh.
As part of his travels, he was asked to create a resource.
The week after he arrived back in England, CYCLONE SIDR hit Bangladesh: the worst cyclone since 1991.

Details of the CYCLONE can be seen on the BBC NEWS site, and there is a very detailed article from the DAILY TELEGRAPH here.

The resource that Tony created is designed to be suitable for Key Stage 3 pupils.

Lesson	Ideas	Resources
1	Rationale- why study this event?Formation of the Cyclone Sidr. Cyclone protection in Bangladesh.	PowerPoint with linked video and embedded animation.Student worksheet about the formation of the cyclone.
2	Causes, Impacts & Responses.	PowerPoint introducing classification task.Student worksheet-classification task.
3	How quickly will Bangladesh cover?	PowerPoint comparing development statistics of the U.K. and Bangladesh.Student response worksheet.
4,5,6	Levelled assessment.	Students to produce a PowerPoint storyboard about the cyclone for B.B.C. news 24.Task worksheet. Assessment criteria. Outline PowerPoint.

The resources are a hefty 26Mb download.

If you use the resources, please make a donation to the OXFAM DISASTER RELIEF FUND. Click the link below, or the logo at the top of this post.

OXFAM DISASTER RELIEF FUND

Enquiry Learning for new KS3

2007-11-18T12:30:00.001-08:00

David Rogers has produced a very useful resource on teaching using ENQUIRY.
This presents some excellent ideas for using Enquiry as a basis for lessons which I intend to develop a little more into my KS3 thinking...

Check it out, and then tell David how useful you found it...

| View | Upload your own

Tourism Scheme of Work

2007-10-30T05:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mr Bilbie for his hard work putting together all the resources for the next 10 weeks or so of Year 8.
Coming soon will be some additional weblinks and ideas related to this.
Some good tourism starters thanks to Adam Lawson's GATM site.

Some recent tourism stories:
- existing scheme from STANDARDS site
- card sort from TES resource bank

Particularly useful is the levels grid for the final assessment task, which is based on a living graph.
This will be easier to read once this post moves down the blog...

Levels Grid for Year 8 Tourism Assessment

Level	Enquiry and skills	Understanding of environmental change and sustainable development
	To get this level you must show	To get this level you must show
4C	that you have can complete some research to answer some of the geographical questions and have used some geographical skills to answer the questions	You can give some views about environmental issues
4B	your own opinion about the impacts of tourism and you use a range of appropriate vocabulary and geographical skills to answer the questions.	you can describe how people improve and damage the environment You describe the causes of environmental change and the impacts of each of these causes.
4A	you write in some detail about the causes and impacts of tourism in fragile environments and give your own opinions. You have used a range of geographical skills and research to answer the questions	you can explain different views about environmental issues. You start to explain your own views and those of other groups (e.g., local people on tourism).
5C	you start to describe and explain in detail the impacts of tourism. You use a wide range of appropriate research, geographical vocabulary and skills	you explain how people affect the environment. You describe and explain how different people’s activities in tourism, causes environmental change and the impacts of this.
5B	you describe and explain in detail the impacts of tourism You have selected and used a wide range of appropriate research vocabulary and skills to answer the questions	you can describe and explain different views about environmental issues. You start to recognise the links between tourism and development
5A	you have selected and used a wide range of appropriate research vocabulary and skills to present findings using a variety of techniques You explain your own views on tourism and begin to suggest relevant geographical questions and issues	you can describe how people try to manage the environment ., You describe and explain in detail the impacts of tourism. You recognise the links and relationships that tourism has with other parts of the world. .
6C	You use a range of skills and evidence, using other resources such as reference books and the internet and have presented sensible conclusions. All of the above.	You can describe how people try to manage the environment and this has impacts You make links between tourism with factors such as development and show understanding of sustainable development.
6B	You can develop geographical questions and chosen the different evidence and skills you will use to the investigate these. You reach some detailed conclusions. All of the above.	you can describe how people try to manage the environment You see that the action taken by people in one place affect the environment in other places All the above. You understand sustainable development
6A	You have reached detailed conclusions from the research you have carried out and backed these up with evidence. All of the above	you understand the effect that people have on the environment and the disagreements it can cause You make a clear presentation of the problems showing different points of view (e.g., development vs. conservation) and understand sustainable development

Footprinting Maps

2007-10-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Judith from SLN for guiding me to a site which has some useful FOOTPRINTING information for each country, and some useful diagrams such as the one below.

Carbon Footprints ? Look to the Sky...

2007-10-05T02:25:00.001-07:00

Sky have launched a website called THE BIGGER PICTURE which is aimed at publicising the efforts they are making to be environmentally friendly...

You can use a CARBON CALCULATOR to work out your footprint. Didn't work when I tried it unfortunately...

There is also information about the SKY BOX which apparently sends itself to sleep.

Free Cycling Maps of London

2007-09-25T10:05:00.001-07:00

From TRANSPORT FOR LONDON...
I've ordered mine. Free resources and useful for transport topics.

Update: Arrived today in a nice package. Great mapping of London, which is useful for pedestrians as well as cyclists... Helps make sense of the geography of central London. Would make a good wall display if assembled in one large map of London if you had a big enough wall...

Carbon Detectives Kit

2007-09-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

This will help with Eco Footprinting.
Once the students have used the Canadian footprinting sheets discovered by Miss Muncaster, you can start to explore the school's footprint.
You could use the new CARBON DETECTIVES website and we could register the school to get more from this site.

Carbon Footprinting Crisps

2007-09-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Victoria at Geogtastic for flagging up the Walkers website which looks at what a carbon footprint is, and then goes on to talk about the carbon footprint of a packet of crisps..

Also information on how they only use GB potatoes and a Mudslide game (can you beat 181 metres ?)

AFRICA: the good news first...

2007-09-15T03:55:00.000-07:00

"Time, if nothing else, will do its worst.
So do me that favour
And tell me the good news first.."

from the track "Good news first" by Rush
Lyrics by Neil Peart

One of the topics that was requested for our new KS3 was a look at AFRICA.
This was interesting and encouraging...
One issue we have is how to develop a scheme of work which avoids the obvious issues of bias when it comes to Africa in terms of mostly NEGATIVE stories....

This of course is then thrown into sharp relief when one thinks about this current story on the BBC News site of MASSIVE FLOODING across Africa.

Plenty of Free KS Resources

2007-09-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

are emerging on the GeographyTeachingToday website. They have been produced by teachers who are well known for their innovative and exciting work.
Check them out HERE and get some excitement into your KS3....
Now with new images on the links I noticed today...

Anthony Gormley

2007-08-24T08:31:00.001-07:00

Just back from a short break in Liverpool, and to see Anthony Gormley's "Another Place", which is very much recommended...

Also, for those of you using BLOGGER, you may not have noticed that there's now a VIDEO UPLOAD button - upload a video up to 100Mb in size...
May try it later...

New resources from the RGS

2007-08-18T05:33:00.001-07:00

The RGS have had a busy summer putting up new resources for KS3 teachers.
Just before the summer they launched the YOUR CLIMATE YOUR LIFE site, which is a great resource in the vein of Discovering Antarctica.
Some friends of this blog were involved in writing the materials and editing the whole project, and it's well worth a visit.
Also on the Geography Teaching Today website are a whole host of teaching resources.
I've mentioned this before, but there are now sections which are more or less complete.
Check out resources on:

LONDON OLYMPICS 2012

NEW INDIA

ADVENTUROUS LANDSCAPES

WHO WANTS TO BE A BILLIONAIRE ?

AFRICA

PARADISE LOST

The final 2 topics are the least developed as I blog this...

A final new resource which would be good for the ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTING topic (coming up at start of Year 9) is the website for the new Leonardo di Caprio film: The 11th Hour, which covers similar ground to 'An Inconvenient Truth'.
The website has a series of DOWNLOADS and also links through to an interactive called THE PLANET GREEN GAME (which interestingly is in association with Starbucks...)

Catch the video below:

Blog Action Day

2007-08-18T05:31:00.001-07:00

Cultural Geography

2007-08-14T05:49:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know about a new GeoBlog I've started as part of my investigations into Cultural Geography.
You'll find at it http://cultcha.blogspot.com

Olympics 2012

2007-08-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

A useful video from AlJazeera channel:

Extreme Weather

2007-08-12T05:30:00.001-07:00

We've had some fairly extreme weather in the last couple of months, which has caused flooding to devastate many cities, including cities like Shrewsbury which were hit in 2000 and is featured in our Geography Matters textbook.
There are some good slideshows to watch on the YouTube and Slideshare sites.
Observer Music Monthly also had a good posting on WEATHER SONGS.

GeographyTeachingToday Materials

2007-06-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

Something is stirring over at the GeographyTeachingToday websit e: some ideas for teaching about some new KS3 topics/
There are module plans now available for these topics (or there will be soon...)

London Olympics 2012
New India
Who wants to be a Billionaire ?
Adventurous Landscapes
Africa
Paradise Lost

Some good interesting, creative ideas here !
Gives me some food for thought....

Brain Gym ?

2007-06-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

I know that some teachers like the idea of a brain gym to get students thinking before the start of the lesson content itself...
Why not do some Shrekdoku ?
Game board could be printed out before the lesson, or can do them online (or on IWB) by visting the official site. There are presumably lots of similar websites for whichever film or TV series is 'current' as we move through the year...
You can also explore Virtual Shrekland...
Sure there's some sort of mapping task to be gained from that...
Who's going to write one ?

Carbon Footprinting: Year 9

2007-06-21T13:33:00.001-07:00

Government have launched the 'definitive' Carbon Footprint calculator.
Click the pic or HERE to launch it....

The results are in....

2007-06-19T02:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the draft KS3 grid for 2007-8 and beyond....

Thanks to those pupils who filled in a voting slip, and to departmental colleagues who shuffled laminated cards until we produced something we all liked...

Coming soon - the schemes of work, assessments, homework tasks, learning objectives and all that jazz

KS3 Consultation

2007-05-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed the new display in the corridor outside B6.
You will hopefully recognise the pictures from the powerpoint which was shown to all Year 7, 8 and 9 groups.
If you haven't already - ask a teacher for a voting form and vote for your 5 favourite topics.

New KS3 Topics - the choice is 'yours' ! Vote for your favourites !

2007-05-15T04:51:00.001-07:00

Starting in 2008, there is a new KS3 Scheme of Work to be taught, which means that all Year 7, 8 and 9 Geography groups will be taught something 'slightly different'...
We are asking groups to tell us which of the following possible topics they most like the sound of, and would like to be taught and will then think of how best to fit in your choices around various other considerations , such as rooms, teachers, continuity from previous years (for example, we can't do Coasts in Year 8 or 9 because we do it already in Year 7), resources and the need to cover certain Geographical themes at some point in the year (so we can't do all the 'Physical' topics or all the 'Human' topics)
Make sure you let your Geography teacher know which topics you would like to do.
We will also be doing some choosing with the new Year 7 pupils, who come in for a 'taster' of KES Geography in July 2007

So read on, which of the following do you like the look of ?

New KS3 Topics - the choice is yours!

2007-05-15T04:49:00.000-07:00

New KS3 Topics - the choice is yours!

2007-05-15T04:48:00.000-07:00

New KS3 Topics - the choice is yours!

2007-05-15T04:47:00.000-07:00

New KS3 Topics - the choice is yours!

2007-05-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

New KS3 Topics - the choice is yours!

2007-05-15T04:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the various FLICKR users, Independent newspaper, colleagues and other sources of the background images. If anyone objects to their use, please let me know and I'll choose a different one, but I thought they all looked smashing !

Welcome !!

2007-04-27T05:20:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this, congratulations!
You've found your way to the KES Geography weblog.
This is specially for people studying Key Stage 3 Geography at King Edward VII School in King's Lynn, but visitors from other schools are very welcome.
Materials, ideas, tasks and homeworks will all be added as we develop this blog over the coming months.
Check back regularly, or when your Geography teacher asks you to...