logical that, of course, the smaller material would travel further since it was lighter. Click! Lightbulb moment. Providing real world (or classroom-based pseudo-real) examples often makes otherwise abstract ideas much easier to explain and understand. Let them eat cake - This is an idea lots of Geographers will know from Tony Cassidy. The classic model is for a teacher to use walnut or angel cake or some other layered cake. You break it apart in stages to demonstrate the formation of a wave cut platform. What I do in my activity is a little bit of background work on processes, then give the students a kit to work with: Poster paper, mini whiteboards and some pens, miniature layer cakes, a variety of sweets such as skittles and jelly tots, anything really. In groups the students have to produce a step by step explanation model or video of the formation of a wave cut platform. Some kids went as far as to collect cups of water and simulate throwing water and jelly tots at the cake base and they found this made it really clear about how corrosion could weaken the base of headlands, just like water makes a cake soggy. It does become messy, and naturally I give them fresh, clean sweets to eat as a treat after. Building models, whether edible or not, is a great way to gasp difficult ideas. Then they write a timed exam question along the lines of 'with the aid of a diagram explain....'. All my activities usually end in some kind or formal exam skill. Rigour and academic progress still lies at the heart of what we are doing.
Balloon Q&A - There are a myriad of different uses for balloons. One idea I have used is to blow up the balloon and ask the students to write a question on it with felt pens and then throw it to someone else in the room who then has to write the answer. This person then has to write another question and throw to someone else. The challenge is to keep going and keep the balloon off the floor the whole time. The competitive element is very motivating.
“It is our role to take 'required information' for exams and to empower students to make connections that are useful.� You can also use balloons to demonstrate many features and ideas about the Earth. I have used it to show the curvature of the Earth by asking students to try to draw a world map around the balloon and discussing how this distorts from what they would normally draw. I have also used them for making complex interlinked mind maps on a topic or for revision - students have to make links that go right the way round the balloon. And you can use them for prompting role play or empathy by drawing different faces (happy, sad, etc) on the balloons during a discussion or debate. Then when a student is given the balloon they have to take on that role, or empathise - like playing devil's advocate and trying to challenge other’s viewpoints.
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