Newsletter_Dec

Well done to our Year 13 on having handed in their NEAs! Year 9 Options - please do visit our Options page under KS4 "Choosing GCSE Geography" for our booklet and video

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“Geography is the subject which holds the key to our future” - Michael Palin

Head of Department - Mr R Chambers

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GEOGRAPHY NEWS - December 2016

Volcano and Waterfall Models

Our Year 8 students have been studying river environments this term and our Year 9 students have been studying volcanoes. As part of their studies a number of students made models to show the structure and formation of waterfalls and volcanoes. We have been overwhelmed by the quality of work with many amazing examples being handed demonstrating not only a fantastic effort but a great understanding of how both these landscape features have formed and their key characteristics. Thank you to all those students (and to parents for helping source any materials at home!) They are more photographs of a selection of models on the Geography Department Facebook page.

Year 7 Geography Club

Geography club has been a huge success this year with over 30 year 7 and 8 students attending every Thursday lunch time. Students started by watching around the world in 80 days and have since been planning their own journey around the world. We look forward to seeing all of the proposals and will be announcing a winning individual/pair soon!

Worldwise Quiz

Back in November 6 of our Year 10 students gave up their evening to take part in the Cambridgeshire branch of the Geographical Association's WorldWise Quiz event which was held at Long Road Sixth Form College. Our two teams made a valiant effort and did themselves and the school proud against stiff competition, coming 5th and 7th out of 15 teams in total from schools from around the county.

Year 11 Mock Preparation

We would like to remind our Year 11 students that the mock exams will consist of a Unit 1 Skills and Challenges to the planet paper and a Unit 3 Human Environments paper only. Parent/Carer and student information and revision advice for students is available on the homepage of www.geobytes.org.uk - students should also see www.geobytesgcse.wordpress.com for interactive revision resources and downloadable flashcards. They can also access all PowerPoints and lesson resources through their Schoology accounts. Finally, if they haven't yet bought them, students can buy our bespoke revision guides from the business centre. We wish them every luck with their forthcoming exams.

Year 13 Geography Docklands Trip

On 1st December 2016 we took our fantastic year 13 cohort to London Docklands. We were looking at the reasons for their decline and the regeneration initiatives that have led to it now being a hive of international finance and commerce. We were able to visit the Docklands Museum where we mapped the changes through time, look around the Canary Wharf area to gain a feel for those changes and looked at property prices using local estate agents windows. We then made our way to The Crystal, an interactive space looking at how sustainable cities and urban environments are being built. This links in really nicely with our the sustainable section of our World cities unit. Finally we got to experience the spectacular views of the Docklands area from Emirates Airline, the cable car running across the River Thames from The Crystal to the O2 where we enjoyed a late lunch. The students had a good day and, as ever, made us very proud to be their teachers!

Year 12 Geography Olympic Park Trip

On Wednesday 7th December the geography department took all 31 AS students to London for the day. The day started with a visit to the London Docklands Museum for students to understand the changes that have impacted the area. Students then had an opportunity to engage with some fieldwork to better understand 'The changing face of the docklands' - from questionnaires to environmental quality survey and a derive thrown in for good measure. Next, a visit to Stratford for lunch at the Westfield Centre and then a trip to the Queen Elizabeth Park where students looked at the impact of the Olympics and the regeneration of the area. Students were all thoroughly engaged throughout the day and were excellent representatives of the school.

Year 12 Travel and Tourism - Cambridge Trip

On Wednesday 7th December, our AS Travel and Tourism students partook in a trip to Cambridge. This was designed to aid them in their assessments of customer service in an attraction and a hotel. The trip began with a trip to the Hilton Central Cambridge Hotel, where we had a guided tor around their facilities and a range of their rooms to identify how they meet the needs of their customers. This was then followed by a trip to the Fitzwilliam Museum where the students completed a mystery shopper activity using industry benchmark standards. All in all, a very successful trip which has really given the students a platform for achieving their potential in their Unit 2 portfolio.

The Geography Department would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas, a relaxing break and all the best for a happy and successful 2017.

Mr Chambers
Head of Geography