tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350851394978433152024-02-05T10:27:51.499+00:00geogtastic!Where would you be without Geography?Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.comBlogger560125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-6212521503259057082013-05-13T19:04:00.001+00:002013-05-13T19:04:49.353+00:00SDME preparationA reminder of the link for the <a href="http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/132967-unit-b561-sustainable-decision-making-resource-booklet-june-2013-foundation-and-higher-tier.pdf">SDME Resource Booklet</a>.<div>
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Those of you doing the Higher Tier paper in particular should not only be familiarising yourselves with the resources in the booklet, but reading around the issues too.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.geographypods.com/june-2013.html">Geography Pods</a> website mentioned in the earlier revision post has links to a number of YouTube videos about recent earthquakes, and also a number of resources that Geography teachers have put together to help their students to prepare for the exam.</div>
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<a href="http://www.earthquakecountry.info/roots/cover.html">Putting down roots in earthquake country</a> is a document from the Southern California Earthquake Center, providing information about the earthquake risk in California and advice for residents about how best to prepare for earthquakes.</div>
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<a href="http://insidedisaster.com/haiti/experience">Inside Disaster</a> is an interactive website which allows you to explore the Haiti earthquake as a survivor, a journalist or an aid worker.</div>
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It's also worth checking out the<a href="http://bgs.ac.uk/"> British Geological Survey</a> and the <a href="http://www.usgs.gov/">United States Geological Survey</a> websites - both have lots of information on earthquakes.</div>
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I'll add more links here over the next couple of weeks, but if you find any particularly good ones, leave a comment or email me so that they can be shared with everyone.</div>
Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-81456129758031712972013-05-11T09:36:00.004+00:002013-05-11T09:36:47.204+00:00Are you an Outstanding Geography Student?The Geographical Association and Discover the World are running a competition to win a study trip to North Iceland...<br />
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The competition is open to students in Years 9-11 and to enter you need to write a short essay - the questions are <a href="http://www.discover-the-world.co.uk/school/export/sites/dtw/documents/osga-essay-questions-2013-14.pdf">here</a> (link is to PDF document).<br />
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This is a great opportunity and it would be brilliant to have some Swanwick entries... Get writing!Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-78950065802605813502013-05-11T09:27:00.001+00:002013-05-11T09:28:05.152+00:00Year 11 RevisionThere are lots of useful revision websites about, and I know that lots of you are using things like <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/">BBC Bitesize</a>. It's well worth spending some time exploring <a href="http://www.geographypods.com/">www.geographypods.com</a> - it's run by a geography teacher and has a whole section focused on OCR B. Use the GCSE/iGCSE menu at the top to go to separate sections with content on the key themes (remember there is no Population and Settlement in your exam), specific advice about the Key Geographical Themes exam and a growing collection of links and resources to help those of you resitting the SDME exam to prepare.<br />
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If you find any other particularly useful revision websites or resource, leave a comment with the link...Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-13054031716824667372012-02-01T20:02:00.004+00:002012-02-03T09:40:42.977+00:00Brrrr!!<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">It has been a bit chilly today to say the least, and this map from the <a href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/">Met Office </a>shows that there are warnings of severe cold weather in place across much of the country.</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 265px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 375px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/coldweatheralert/map.gif?1328090777" /><br /><br />The cause of the cold weather is the high pressure system that is currently sitting over northern Russia...<br /><br /><br /><img alt="Surface pressure chart" src="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/charts/FSXX00T_00.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />The Year 8 geographers have been looking at air pressure and how it affects the weather, so they should be able to tell you all about what's happening at the moment.<br /><br /><br />However cold we might think it is here though, we come off pretty lightly... Temperatures in eastern Europe have reached -32<span style="font-size:+0;">o</span>C in places, Hungary is experiencing the lowest temperatures it's seen in 65 years, and more than 70 people have died as a result of the cold temperatures.<br /><br />There is a fantastic set of photos <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/photos-news/Photos-World/frozensea/Article4-805823.aspx">here</a> of the coast of Romania, where the Black Sea is frozen!!Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-89382779831563129052011-09-30T17:38:00.004+00:002011-09-30T17:54:19.120+00:00MontserratThe Year 9 geographers have been having a look at Montserrat in their geography lessons this week... The Montserrat Volcanic Observatory have just posted this lovely photo on their Facebook page... Click on the photo to link to the MVO website.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mvo.ms/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s320x320/304276_10150323748713159_757038158_8118878_1024144399_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-34854551429869073402011-08-05T08:38:00.003+00:002011-08-05T08:47:06.458+00:00London 2 LondonI've just come across this very interesting sounding expedition via Twitter. Sarah Outen left London on 1st April 2011 and her plan is to travel all the way round the world and back to London using only her own power - three continents and two oceans by boat and bike!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sarahouten.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/route_map_040311.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 489px; height: 272px;" src="http://www.sarahouten.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/route_map_040311.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Check out Sarah's expedition website <a href="http://www.sarahouten.com/">here</a>. You can also follow Sarah's progress via <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Outens-London-2-London-via-the-World-Expedition/172943156090816">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/sarahouten">Twitter</a>.Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-17268891354835939262011-08-04T09:32:00.002+00:002011-08-04T09:34:20.481+00:00Move...Fantastic video via @al_humphreys... Probably coming to a Geography lesson near you in September!<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/27246366?color=ffffff" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/27246366">MOVE</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/rickmereki">Rick Mereki</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-64274196456656943082011-07-23T10:22:00.003+00:002011-07-23T10:26:36.335+00:00GROWNice video to launch Oxfam's new food security campaign.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hkg9ADEIPXM" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" width="460"></iframe><br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/system/?cid=Rdt_System">here</a> to find out more and get involved.Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-20483457012160499572011-07-12T18:33:00.003+00:002011-07-12T18:39:23.611+00:00Summer Geography CompetitionWherever you are heading over the summer holidays, keep an eye out for all things geographical so that you can enter our lovely competition...<br /><br />The competition is open to all students who will be in Year 8, 9, 10 or 11 in September, and there'll be a prize for each year group.<br /><br />Your challenge is to create a collage of your geographical summer holiday. You might want to include maps, photographs, tickets, objects.... from places you visit. It doesn't matter whether you're going to Crich Tramway Museum or the Great Wall of China, and your collage can be based on a day, a week or the whole summer holiday.<br /><br />Entries will be judged on creativity, imagination and geographical-ness...<br /><br />Your entry needs to be handed to Miss Ellis in H7 by the end of the day on Friday 9th September, and must be clearly labelled with your full name and your [new] form.<br /><br />Have fun!!Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-8529566088249947792011-07-09T08:48:00.004+00:002011-07-09T09:02:02.830+00:00A new nationThe Guardian has its version of 'the new world map' <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2011/jul/08/world-map-new-south-sudan?CMP=twt_fd">here</a>. It's new because it includes South Sudan - the world's newest country as of today. You can read more about South Sudan from the BBC <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14089843">here</a> and on the <a href="http://www.viewsoftheworld.net/?p=1655">Worldmapper blog</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00621/sudan_621845a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 435px; height: 297px;" src="http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00621/sudan_621845a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-34679788239409118632011-06-19T10:38:00.003+00:002011-06-19T10:47:08.396+00:00Young Geographer of the Year 2011Could you be the RGS's Young Geographer of the Year 2011? Click on the flyer below to go to the RGS's website where there are more details about the competition and what you need to do.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Schools/Young+Geographer+2011.htm"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 498px; height: 706px;" src="http://www.rgs.org/NR/rdonlyres/7169CE80-2B65-4F5D-B85E-A60D5351CEA4/0/YGOTY2011flyer.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-64249810117819694732010-12-12T19:58:00.004+00:002010-12-12T20:24:18.536+00:00Where the hell is Matt?The Year 8 geographers have enjoyed watching "Dancing Matt" and finding out more about the huge range of places that he's visited.<br /><br />You can find out more about Matt and his dancing on his <a href="http://wherethehellismatt.com/">website</a> - but there are one or two rude words on there... you've been warned!<br /><br />This is where it all began:<br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7WmMcqp670s?fs=1&hl=en_GB"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7WmMcqp670s?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br />The first video sponsored by Stride:<br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bNF_P281Uu4?fs=1&hl=en_GB"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bNF_P281Uu4?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br />And the second:<br /><object height="385" width="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zlfKdbWwruY?fs=1&hl=en_GB"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zlfKdbWwruY?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br />And most recently, in the run-up to the World Cup, Matt danced the Diski around South Africa:<br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/22yXljU4NfA?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/22yXljU4NfA?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />For their homework this week, my Yr8s were asked to think about where in the world they would most like to dance with Matt and why... Here are the first two:<br /><br />Charlie: The place I would like to dance with Matt is Paro, Bhutan because the scenery is very nice and it looks very interesting because all of the different colours.<br /><br />Regan: I would dance with Matt in Andorra, because the views and heights make Andorra very relaxing in the summer. It is a very warm place in the summer and a very cold place in the winter. Andorra is well known for all the snow in the winter, the heights make Andorra very good for winter sports and the snow would make the views even more special. <br /><br />Interesting choices gentlemen - I'll add some more as they arrive... And if you're not in my Yr8 Geography group, leave a comment and let us know where YOU would most like to dance with Matt, and why!Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-24330988104492523122010-12-02T20:20:00.002+00:002010-12-02T20:24:04.551+00:00#UKSnowDepthFollowing on from the #uksnow map started last year, Tom Barrett has set up a UK Snow Depth map... Measure the depth of your snow, and add it to the map:<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=106744469957319968675.0004965bbeb8763b422f9&ll=54.559323,-4.394531&spn=8.223516,21.643066&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=106744469957319968675.0004965bbeb8763b422f9&ll=54.559323,-4.394531&spn=8.223516,21.643066&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">#UKSnowDepth</a> in a larger map</small>Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-62820811470796670682010-12-02T19:13:00.003+00:002010-12-02T19:24:20.078+00:00Snow!!<p class="MsoNormal">If you're getting bored (?!) of sledging and snowman-building, have a go at one of these geographical snow challenges:<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">1. Measure the depth of undisturbed snow in different places - how and why does it vary?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">2. Collect a cup of snow...<span style=""> </span>Bring it inside and let it melt.<span style=""> </span>How much water does it produce?<span style=""> </span>Is this more or less than you expected?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">3. If you have a thermometer at home, keep a record of the temperature... How does it change?<span style=""> </span>Why?<span style=""> </span>Keep a record of the times when it’s snowing...<span style=""> </span>Watch the sky and how it changes...<span style=""> </span>How do the temperature, the weather conditions and the state of the sky relate to each other?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">4. Choose a particular spot – somewhere in your garden... or out of your bedroom window.<span style=""> </span>Take a photo every hour.<span style=""> </span>Put them together in MovieMaker to make a timelapse movie...<span style=""> </span>(Email me the finished product, or upload to Vimeo or YouTube and email me the link.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">5. Wrap up warm and put your wellies on... Then go for a walk.<span style=""> </span>Put together a snow/ice/cold weather hazard map for your local area.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">6. Find some black paper and freeze it.<span style=""> </span>When it snows again, take your frozen black paper outside and catch some snowflakes.<span style=""> </span>Look at them carefully (with a magnifying glass if you have one). <span style=""> </span>Describe them.<span style=""> </span>Have a go at taking some photographs of them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">7. Make a glacier...<span style=""> </span>Send me photos and/or video...</p> <p class="MsoNormal">8. What does the snow look like?<span style=""> </span>Feel like?<span style=""> </span>Smell like?<span style=""> </span>Sound like?<span style=""> </span>(Taste like?<span style=""> </span>H&S!!)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">9. Make a geographical sculpture...<span style=""> </span>The Eiffel Tower?<span style=""> </span>The Taj Mahal?<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">10. Make some icicles or freeze some bubbles...</p><p class="MsoNormal">11. Go follow some footprints in the snow... Who or what made them? <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">12. Make a Frozen Earth video - Grace in Yr11 made a fantastic <a href="http://thegeographycollective.wordpress.com/urban-earth/">Urban Earth</a> style video in January, taking photos every 8 steps on a walk through her snowy village... Upload it to Vimeo or YouTube and email me the link.<br /></p>13. Something else!!! Can you come up with your own interesting educational snowy geographical challenge?Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-35184207148726966202010-11-30T12:50:00.002+00:002010-11-30T12:53:29.874+00:00Snow Missions...I've posted a few times about the excellent Mission: Explore... but now there are <a href="http://thegeographycollective.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/whats-your-uksnow-snowmission/">Snow Missions</a>! Try some of them out and leave a comment or send me an email with your evidence Or have a go at creating your own snow mission...<br /><br />If you're a Twitter type, search #SnowMission...Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-10801371186249408812010-10-31T22:57:00.005+00:002010-10-31T23:01:51.381+00:00Work for 8DGood morning 8D! I'm sorry that I am not there for your first lesson back... However... Your challenge for today is to use Google Earth to produce a fantastic piece of art work... Below are two of my favourite examples from Year 8 groups over the past couple of years, and you can see some of the others by clicking <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31309719@N06/sets/72157607912996863/">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoafdp9pRASiIswRjHgDMCNpYWycTrxnGx6BtUqVhiMPr41lD6Ad6ZYKb66n5i-kt0SYr6N2sYxzmt7j5_-BtXVjJNfzfIPObDrDyE7ZT7Wf1U0wAw4AlJcUA7afPpNrhH8dtWECnwp8wE/s400/liam.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 320px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoafdp9pRASiIswRjHgDMCNpYWycTrxnGx6BtUqVhiMPr41lD6Ad6ZYKb66n5i-kt0SYr6N2sYxzmt7j5_-BtXVjJNfzfIPObDrDyE7ZT7Wf1U0wAw4AlJcUA7afPpNrhH8dtWECnwp8wE/s400/liam.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicea7k6K9DTZxvtH9Dq_7iHyosmxSYMd6nvSSvV9t2krxo75jkVZHk5GOrc_ZJxpPfqmSaKsHatvEK7fkU5as3Ld2lAheL-Ej9vyFjsZJtAXpyec110HKUVony2wuewmb2gtFzZNu2PTVv/s400/kieran.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 320px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicea7k6K9DTZxvtH9Dq_7iHyosmxSYMd6nvSSvV9t2krxo75jkVZHk5GOrc_ZJxpPfqmSaKsHatvEK7fkU5as3Ld2lAheL-Ej9vyFjsZJtAXpyec110HKUVony2wuewmb2gtFzZNu2PTVv/s400/kieran.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />To make your own...</div><div> </div><div>1. Open Google Earth (Start, Swanwick Hall, Humanities, Google Earth).</div><div>2. Spend some time exploring, and find yourself a beautiful view.</div><div>3. Open a new Ppt presentation.</div><div>4. Back in Google Earth, make sure you are happy with your view - do you want to zoom in or out, or tilt it? You'll probably also want to turn several layers (Gallery, Panoramio, Borders and Labels, etc. off - do this towards the bottom of the sidebar on the left - this will remove "clutter" from your view), then take a screenshot (hold down Ctrl + press PrtScn).</div><div>5. Paste your screenshot into your Ppt slide.</div><div>6. Crop your screenshot until you are happy with it.</div><div>7. Right-click on your picture, and select "Save as picture..." Give your picture a sensible name, and save it in your user area (preferably in a Geography folder!). Check that the filetype (in the dropdown box below where you type the filename) is .png or .jpg.</div><div>8. Go to the <a href="http://bighugelabs.com/motivator.php">Big Huge Labs website</a>. Upload your picture, and then experiment with colours, etc. and give your work a caption. </div><div>9. When you are completely happy with it, click Create. Once your finished poster appears, you can either go back and edit it, or click Save. Save the file to your computer, giving it a filename that includes your name.</div><div>10. Open your school emails. Type vel into the address bar, and then attach your finished work (<span style="font-weight: bold;">not the screenshot from your ppt</span>). Send!<br /><br />I am expecting AT LEAST one brilliant piece of work from each of you, and we'll have a look at everyone's work when I see you on Tuesday.<br /><br />Good luck and have fun! Miss Ellis :)<br /></div>Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-87223616671077339062010-10-31T22:55:00.003+00:002010-10-31T22:56:08.752+00:00Oops!Not sure what has happened that has meant it's half a term since my last post here.... Especially when there have been lots of geographical bits and pieces to be blogging about... Some updates coming in the next few weeks.Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-425351425701673642010-08-20T19:58:00.004+00:002010-08-20T20:12:46.106+00:00Congratulations!!!Yesterday was A Level Results Day, and the Year 13s achieved the best A Level Geography results that there've been during my time at Swanwick (and quite possibly before that too!)... all nine of them got C grades or above!<br /><br />They were the first cohort to go through the "new" A Level course, and this was the first year that it was possible to achieve an A* grade at A Level. And two of the geographers - Jo and Michael - did just that!! (Their A*s were two of only seven in the school!)<br /><br />Well done Year 13 (and I guess that makes you officially "the best A Level Geography group"!!) - very best wishes for the future, whatever you are doing (even if it's not a Geography degree...).Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-23773075391258764292010-08-05T10:12:00.002+00:002010-08-05T10:18:55.848+00:00Map Addict<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Map-Addict-Mike-Parker/dp/0007300840/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281003152&sr=8-2"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FN%2B%2BcTGlL._SS500_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I have just finished reading Map Addict by Mike Parker which (as well as making me realise I am not <span style="font-style: italic;">quite</span> so obsessed with maps as I could be) was a brilliant read - full of interesting geography, history and stories that make you nod and smile in an "I know just what you mean" sort of way. Click on the picture for the Amazon link.<br /><br />Disclaimer - there are some rude words in it.Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-26128994060096876712010-07-31T10:10:00.005+00:002010-07-31T10:27:32.983+00:00West Yorkshire in Ten SquaresI was interested to read an article in the Yorkshire Post this morning about Alan Burnett, a blogger (and formerly lecturer, writer and bus conductor), who grew up in Yorkshire and is now three weeks into a project in which he is exploring, photographing and writing about ten randomly selected grid squares in a West Yorkshire road atlas.<br /><br />I'm possibly a little bit biased, having grown up in West Yorkshire myself, but Alan's blogposts of the project so far - Little Germany in Bradford, Ilkley Moor, and Woodlesford (of which I had never heard) make very interesting reading, and I'm looking forward to seeing where he goes next...<br /><br /><a href="http://newsfromnowhere1948.blogspot.com/p/west-yorkshire-in-ten-squares.html">West Yorkshire in Ten Squares</a><br /><br />And as I was writing that, the fourth instalment's been added... Grid square 4 was Calverley, just down the road from my parents' house, and where one of my best friends from school used to live.Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-41043485423397047442010-07-30T09:51:00.002+00:002010-07-30T09:57:08.928+00:00Fault-Line LivingOn Saturday, the <a href="http://www.faultlineliving.com/">Fault-Line Living</a> team will set off on their 15,000 mile expedition from Iceland to Iran, to investigate the stories of people living on faultlines. The expedition is sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society and Landrover, and the team will be carrying seismometers provided by the BGS with them.<br /><br />The expedition website is <a href="http://www.faultlineliving.com/">here</a> and you can also follow their progress on their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fault-Line-Living/358789347553?v=wall">Facebook page</a>.Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-18271738863171725812010-07-26T13:30:00.003+00:002010-07-26T13:39:34.740+00:00Mission: Explore!Not the first time I've mentioned Mission: Explore, but as well as the brilliant book (<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mission-Explore-Geography-Collective/dp/1904872336/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280151073&sr=8-1">if you haven't bought it, you should</a>) there's now an iPhone app - <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/mission-explore/id381290287?mt=8">Mission: Explore London</a>. The app contains a variety of missions located around London, and some "anywhere missions", that, surprisingly enough, you can do anywhere. <br /><br />You can report on your missions via the app and on Twitter, but it would be great to hear some of your stories here too... Leave a comment or send me an email with tales of your adventures, preferably with photographic evidence... There might even be a prize for the best one...Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-59169134703663516552010-06-22T20:51:00.004+00:002010-06-22T21:05:14.237+00:00A geographer in New York...Back in Feburary, at half-term, it was far colder than it is now, and I was standing in a [very long] queue with a bunch of sixth form historians to go through super-sensitive metal detectors to get on a ferry to Ellis Island (woohoo - it must be named after you Miss!) and the Statue of Liberty. Partly, I was concerned about whether a certain student would be allowed through security with her very attractive leg splint and walking stick, but mostly I was hoping that the Battery Park Busker would not pick on me next... Luckily, he didn't - that leg splint and walking stick were far more interesting topics for the next song.<br /><br />Several months later, I had some nice memories of the USA trip, and am hoping to go and visit again soon, but had forgotten all about the Battery Park Busker until I heard he'd been tracked down on YouTube and identified as Freddy Harrington. There are various videos of Freddy and his songs on YouTube, but I was particulary interested to find this one, in which he is interviewed, and he talks about the fact that he is a teacher, and about teaching his daughter about USA geography, and about our increasing connections with the rest of the world... If I go to New York again, and Freddy is there, I'll be sure to have a chat to him about some geography!<br /><br /><object height="425" width="380"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/y54GX1uZiW8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/y54GX1uZiW8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="425" width="380"></embed></object>Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-79680271625263688482010-06-19T11:23:00.003+00:002010-06-19T11:26:29.339+00:00Strange WorldsStrange Worlds is an amazing set of miniature landscape models, made by a New Jersey artist called Matthew Albanese, from all sorts of things ranging from paprika to feathers to fireplace ash!<br /><br />Check out the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greyhot/">Strange Worlds photostream</a> on Flickr... Could you make your own??Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-535085139497843315.post-82704762821974762462010-06-19T10:26:00.002+00:002010-06-19T10:28:44.533+00:00Young Geographer of the Year 2010"Sorting the wood from the trees; the future of forests" is the title of this year's Young Geographer of the Year competition, organised by the RGS-IBG.<br /><br />It would be brilliant to have some Swanwick entries this year... Find out more on the <a href="http://www.geographical.co.uk/Home/Young_Geographer_of_the_Year_2010/index.html">Geographical website</a>, or come and speak to me next week...<br /><br />Good luck!!Miss Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05667965642718002710noreply@blogger.com0