Geography Southwest Newsbites September 2023
Welcome to our September Newsbites. Here is a round up of events, new resources and news items ready for the autumn term, 2023.
The Geography Southwest Conference 2023 took place in June 2023. There is a full report on this website, together with presentations from lectures and workshops. The June 2024 conference is already being planned and the date will be announced soon.
https://www.geographysouthwest.co.uk/conference/geog-sw-conference/sw-geography-conference-2023/.
Articles to support teaching on coasts and rivers have been added to the website this summer. A GIS activity for KS3 on waves and risks to the coastline at Dawlish can be found here.
A collection of GCSE resources on Storm Desmond and its effects on Carlisle with PowerPoints and pupil activities can be found on this link and forms a topical and relevant case study.
Looking for a venue for fieldwork? See Island Geographer Chloë Searl's article featuring opportunities for physical and human fieldwork in the Isle of Wight here.
Don’t forget to encourage your students to enter the various competitions this term. The RGS Young Geographer of the Year competition theme is to create a Blueprint for the Future! The deadline for entries is 5 pm on Monday 2 October. Royal Geographical Society - Young Geographer of the Year (rgs.org)
The Geographical Association Physical Geography Student Photo Competition returns for an eighth year with a new sponsor, the British Society for Geomorphology (BSG). The closing date is 30 September 2023. The theme is Mobile Earth and full details can be found on the GA website Physical geography student photo competition - Geographical Association
The Climate Change Challenge has been launched by Burjeel Holdings and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. It is a global competition for high school students (aged 15 to 18) and teachers ahead of COP28. Teams are asked to submit their big ideas for tackling one of five climate change challenges: air pollution, extreme weather, food security, diseases carried by insects and water scarcity. Full details are on the website: https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/about-us/school/sustainability/climate-change-challenge
Do also look at the latest Primary Newsbites for ideas and resources for Early Years and KS 1 and 2 here.
Geography Events
The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) programme of talks and events for teachers can be found on their website: Royal Geographical Society - Browse our events (rgs.org)
Forthcoming RGS events include:
Supporting candidates for interviews and Oxbridge on Tuesday 2 October at 17.00. This event is free and online. Royal Geographical Society - Supporting geography candidates for interviews and Oxbridge (rgs.org)
GIS CPD RGS workshops led by ESRI UK: These courses will use ArcGIS to provide CPD on GIS at events throughout the autumn terms.
The first of these is scheduled for Monday 25 September at Exeter School, central to the South West region and easy to reach by both road and rail. It starts at 10.00 and booking is open now: Royal Geographical Society - Teach with GIS – getting started with ArcGIS Online at Exeter School (rgs.org)
Teach with GIS – getting started with ArcGIS Online at York St John University -
Tuesday 3 October, 10.00am-4.00pm, York.
Teach with GIS – getting started with ArcGIS Online at Newcastle University -
Wednesday 25 October, 10.00am-4.00pm, Newcastle
Geographical Association have course designed to support teachers in classroom:
Developing adaptive teaching practices in Geography from KS3-KS5 -Online starting 20 September
Quality secondary geography for non-specialists Online starting 29 September.
Other events for Autumn 2023 and Spring 2024 are on their website; Events & CPD - Geographical Association (geography.org.uk)
Somerset Wildlife Trust have a celebration event and forum for individuals and communities across Somerset who want to create a wilder future, on Saturday 14th October, 11am-3pm at The Canalside, Bridgwater. You need to book this event by 27 September. Wilder 2023 - Together for nature in Somerset | Somerset Wildlife Trust
Geography resources and teaching ideas
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) has a selection of resources relevant to GCSE, A level and Extended Project on their website. Their report in June highlighted the research incorporating citizen science data showing how invertebrates are declining in intensively farmed landscapes, and some of the reasons for this change. Invertebrates continue to decline in intensively farmed landscapes | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (ceh.ac.uk)
Sand Dams Worldwide recently published report summarises their projects and achievements in recent years. It provides insights into the work of this charity in drylands and the success of their strategies with excellent infographics and case studies of water harvesting and conservation schemes. Download.ashx (sanddamsworldwide.org.uk)
The National Oceanography Centre has a range of topical resources and the results of recent research on their website. Check out the effect of rain on ocean food webs and ecosystems. Rain triggers seasonal changes in shelf seas | National Oceanography Centre (noc.ac.uk) The recent story on studies of major volcanic eruptions and their effects on underwater infrastructure, using examples from Tonga is very topical for A level natural hazards. Scientist Spotlight – Studying Volcanic Eruptions with Dr Izzy Yeo | National Oceanography Centre (noc.ac.uk)
The Environment Agency produces regular updates and news items on the website Gov.UK. IN August the Agency announced a £ 3 million project to update the lock gates at Sutton Harbour, Plymouth as part of the plan to strengthen the City’s flood defences. Work is due to start in September 2023. Start date for major overhaul of Plymouth flood defence barrier - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) There is also an update on flood alleviation work at Bude: Work begins on the Bude flood scheme improvements - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Time for Geography has several new videos available including a short 7-minute study of the circulation of the Southern Ocean and its effects on Antarctica. Physical geography of the Southern Ocean (timeforgeography.co.uk) For those teaching Hazards, the new 7-minute video on Geohazard Tourism with examples from New Zealand provides an interesting perspective and discussion starter. It also demonstrates a topical risk matrix. Managing the risks of geohazard tourism (timeforgeography.co.uk)
The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) has a new resource on their website. Those teaching weather and climate and the implications of climate change will find the new, detailed resource on El Nino relevant and useful.
Royal Geographical Society - El Niño: Phenomenon of Opportunities (rgs.org)
There are also new podcasts with ideas and examples for lessons including marine plastics.
Royal Geographical Society - Marine plastic in the Southern Ocean with Dr Clara Manno (rgs.org)
Rayburn Tours has expanded their free teaching resources which cover a range of human and physical topics. Their Explore hub acts as a central place so teachers can focus on all things geography, making it incredibly easy and helpful for you to find free educational material to support your lessons and your students learning. It’s updated regularly with exciting new and free content too! To access, just click the link below. Explore Geography School Trips Hub - Rayburn Tours
Geography in the news
TATA factory for Somerset. The Government confirmed in July 2023 that the new battery factor for Jaguar Land Rover would be built near Bridgewater in Somerset. The new giga-factory with investment of £4 billion will be built by the Tata group at the Gravity Business Park. The new factory is needed to ensure that batteries are produced in the UK rather than Asia. The Gravity Business Park is located on the former Royal Ordnance Factory which produced munitions and explosives for the armed forces for over 60 years. Gravity Business Park which covers over 600 acres is linked to the M5 motorway by a new link road. It is close to the docks at Bristol and the new Hinkley Point power station, and as an Enterprise Zone since 2017, it will receive Government investment support until 2042. At least 4000 new jobs will be created by the new factory, with more jobs in various support and infrastructure projects.
Somerset residents react to plans for £4bn car battery factory - BBC News
Gravity Smart Campus | Fast-track to the future, naturally (thisisgravity.co.uk)
Cornish Sand Dunes restoration at Penhale. 16 tonne military diggers are being used to remove overgrown scrub at Penhale to increase biodiversity. The extensive dunes are a valuable wildlife habitat for reptiles including lizards and adders, butterflies and orchids. Areas of bare sand which are important in this habitat have reduced due to less natural grazing, and climate change. The project supported by Cornwall Wildlife Trust has been designed to minimise impacts on the public. Some of the works are being undertaken as part of an army training exercise.
Military exercise helping sand dune habitat restoration at Penhale - BBC News
Bristol Metro new stations: Several new stations are planned for Bristol over the next few years. Portway Park and Ride opened in Summer 2023, and work has begun on the Ashley Downs station between Filton Abbey Wood and Bristol Temple Meads.
The Portway park and ride interchange station at Shirehampton near Avonmouth on the Severn Beach railway line was opened on 1 August 2023. The new stations are part of the development of the Bristol Metro, a comprehensive scheme called MetroWest to enhance public transport around the city and reduce car journeys and urban pollution. Another new station will serve North Filton and the new Bristol YTL concert arena. Work on reopening the railway from Bristol Temple Meads to Portishead is also being planned. The railway has been used for freight as far as the Royal Portbury Dock, and the dismantled line from there to Portishead will need to be re-laid.
New Ashley Down railway station construction gets under way - BBC News
Bristol Arena: First images of new rail station released - BBC News
Stonehenge tunnel approved. The long-awaited road improvements at Stonehenge on the A303 “route to the sun” in Wiltshire are likely to go ahead in 2024. The Government approved the major road improvement scheme costing £1.7 billion in July 2023. It will include 4 lane, 2-mile tunnel. The scheme is controversial. Although construction is planned to start within the next year, there may be further objections to the plans on environmental and archaeological grounds, together with its effects on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stonehenge tunnel is approved by government - BBC News
Dawlish station and sea wall update: Work on the new seawall and railway station at Dawlish is largely complete. The work aims to increase the resilience of the coast and the main railway line from London to Plymouth, Penzance and Torbay, and reduce the impact of damaging storms and high tides. It has also increased the amenities at the station and enhanced the sea wall experience for the coastal community. An update, with relevant images and useful video footage can be found here. Dawlish £80million sea wall work 'finished by 2023' - Devon Live
A report on the official opening of the new sea wall scheme in July 2023 is here: Works complete on vital £82 million sea wall to protect coastal Dawlish rail route - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)