Greenfield Brownfield Debate

In Year 7 we are thinking about where we can fit all the extra homes Leicester needs. Many of you have been asked to produce a poster for homework promoting either your greenfield or brownfield development from the point of view of the developer. Above are the examples we looked at in class.

Globalisation

We have been looking at some of the positive effects of the globalisation of industry in year 7 and 8. We looked at how globalisation means cheaper prices for us and how it offers some people the chance to earn a good wage in the poorest counties of the world. Of course its not always like that. We have already discussed the environmental cost of globalisation, but what about the exploitation of workers. What makes a fair wage and what are good working conditions. of course we can never get a good feel for what its like to work in a factory for long hours and low wages without trying it for ourselves however this game may help us to understand a little bit.

Globalisation

In year 7 and 8 we are looking at Globalisation. Part of this has involved a look at Leicester's fashion trade and how in order to survive companies like JAK are having to source fabric from Bangladesh, design the garment and cut the fabric in Leicester then stitch the garment in countries like Latvia before selling the product in countries like Germany. It is all about reducing input and process costs (especially cheap workers) while selling the finished product where it will get the best price. All the transport involved may make sense moneywise but does it make environmental sense? For another example of the effects of globalisation take a look at this video on the banana trade.

If you are still confused by some of the terms we have been using then some of them are explained in this short video (yes I know its a bit outdated mentioning minidisks!)

Endangered Species

We are just starting our endangered species project. A fairly simple (ish) list is available here to help you get a few ideas. The information sheet is given out at school, it is also available on our geography website available at the moment via the Bushloe Website holding page, just click on the geography minisite link and select the homework page. Ideal for those of you who lose it or for parents to have a look.

Also the Wombat is back to remind us that everything is connected. This is an important theme to explore when doing your project, particularly when thinking about the impact of humans on animal and plant habitat.

Environmental Issues

A few more Environmental Issues to get us started on this topic courtesy of the Animals Save the Planet people.

City Model

In year 7 we are looking at whether the city model can be applied to Leicester using Google Earth. The KMZ file can be downloaded here. If you want to check the powerpoint just click above or click on the link for full screen. We found that Leicester does fit the city model surprisingly well though Oadby was perhaps an exception. Some sets got as far as discussing the changes we could make to the model so it explained Leicester more fully.

Make your own planet.

Lots of you have asked for the file to make a larger version of the Blue Marble globe from lessons. Click here to open the PDF file ready for printing.

Alternatively try a model of the Ozone layer (click here) , or the continents (click here). If you want a further challenge why not create an origami globe (a good chance to brush up on your paper folding skills if you are in year 9!)

Eco House

In year 7 we are designing our Eco Houses. What is always surprising is just how many things there are to think about. For example is it better to upgrade existing buildings or build new ones? Do we superinsulate and build underground or do we maximise the use of heat from the sun with south facing windows? Above is our local "Eco House" at Brocks Hill, but lets not forget the environmental features of our new school building. We have been looking at a number of other examples in class, you can view some of them again by following the links here. Also here are some past examples of work for this homework (can you do better?).

Geography and reading week.

Thanks to all the groups who have been involved in doing "Horrible Geography" book reviews this week. The results have been amazing and it's been hard to choose the winners in each class.

Those who have been selected will be given the chance to process their reviews next lesson and then get them published on the geography website under pupils work.

Once again thanks for supporting Reading week with such enthusiasm.

Local Cooling

This could be a project for the weekend. In year 7 we have been thinking about ways we can save energy. One way is to optimise the energy settings on your computer. Sadly this can be a bit tricky and you will never know if you are really saving energy. Now by downloading the software from this site it will do it for you and then it will tell you just how much energy you have saved (some geographers have been using global cooling for some time). Of course you could always just switch the computer off.

Geography Photos update

Thanks for the early returns of geography photographs to add to our online collection with flickr. The quality is great but we need more please. Remember if you have been somewhere interesting or seen something geographical e-mail it into school with a short message explaining where, when and what it is!!

Year 7: Global Warming Again

Hardly a day seems to go by without a mention of Global Warming in the media. Today though a very important report on the issue came out. It is supported by 2500 scientists and 100 countries. Even though it takes a cautious approach it still forecasts at least a 3 degree rise in temperatures by the end of the century and says it is now very likely the warming is due to human behaviour. Read more about the report and what the predictions are by clicking here. Why not come along to Eco Club next week or think about the sorts of things you could do to help this issue or just learn more about what Global Warming is about. The image above by the way shows Europe from space at night, perhaps worth reflecting upon how much CO2 is released to keep all those lights going while we are asleep?

Year 7: To fly for?

You may have watched "Should I Really Give Up Flying?" on BBC2 last night. It dealt with the damage that aeroplanes do to the environment and in particular how they contribute to Global Warming as well as a look at the alternatives. You can find all the details here. Of great interest is the woman who rather than flying to Australia went by land (full story on this here). The trip took two months and cost well over £1000 but saved over 1 tonne of carbon dioxide emissions. Perhaps a sacrifice we will all have to make in the future?

Stricken cargo ship run aground

The MSC Napoli cargo ship has been run aground in Lyme bay in Devon after being damaged in last weeks storms. Coastguards and anti-pollution teams are on alert after the ship carrying potentially dangerous chemicals was beached off the "World Heritage site" Jurassic coast.
The ship is carrying almost 2,400 containers, about 150 of which are said to hold hazardous chemical substances.
For Year 8 this may be particularly significant as it is very close to the site for the Exmouth Camp.

For further updates link here to the BBC News

Year 7: More Global Warming

For the past few months the BBC have been running an experiment to predict the extent of climate change. It has involved over 50,000 members of the public putting climate prediction software on their computers which ran as a screensaver. The results have now been released and you can watch a programme about it on Sunday night. if you can't wait that long then details are available here.

New coastline for Dubai

This image comes from Google Earth and shows the incredible new developments along the Dubai coastline. Can you spot Palm 1 and the larger Palm 2 developments?
How did they get their names and what impact could this have on the eco system?
P.S. Anyone spot a more familiar shape in the development to the right of the picture?

Year 7: Endangered Species Project

It is time to start your Endangered Species Project. Full details of what you need to do can be found here. You need to think up your enquiry questions first, remember to relate these to the title of your project. Next you need to choose your endangered animal, a good starting point for this can be found here. Start your research now as we have limited time to complete the work. Remember the points we covered in class about researching using the internet and remember to say where your information comes from and include lots of geographical skills.