Flawless Fieldwork

The geography department has succeeded in maintaining some sense of normality this year, carrying out local fieldwork for the Middle Fifth and Lower Sixth cohorts.

by MR HYDE

n the autumn term, Middle Fifth geographers

Ienjoyed a day at Dawlish Warren learning about the formation of landforms from erosion and deposition through in-situ talks and beach modelling. They also conducted essential fieldwork collecting data to evidence the importance of longshore drift in shaping the sand spit at the mouth of the River Exe.

In the summer term, Lower Sixth geographers explored the physical and human causes of mass movement at Lyme Regis. Mass movement is a process that has had considerable impacts at Lyme Regis; the pupils were able to see the complex series of different mass movement events taking place as well as the extensive stabilisation and monitoring techniques that have been employed between The Cobb and Black Ven. When evaluating the effectiveness of management, they noted that gravity is still winning with the process of soil creep!

Junior Geographers

Geography enables children to make sense of their world. It helps develop a connection and understanding of the world we live in.

by MISS ROBINSON

FORM ONE Form One have really enjoyed their topic on the Amazon rainforest. They have had great fun learning about the different layers of the tropical forest – the forest floor, the understorey, the canopy (umbrella of trees) and the emergents.

UPPER ONE Upper One completed some super work on the Exe Estuary during the spring term. They were able to show off their knowledge and understanding of the estuary by becoming reporters for the day. The children thoroughly enjoyed using the green screen to help them achieve the ‘filming on location’ effect!

The Upper One topic of ‘Why are sea turtles endangered and what can be done to protect them?’ was a very popular topic and a favourite for many. Discussing many topical points and linking the learning to art and PSHE, made the summer term’s learning feel very coherent. The children enjoyed guest speaker Jo Earlam, who volunteers for the Marine Conservation Society and is the author of the book ‘Tuamor the Turtle’. The pupils were able to deepen their knowledge and understanding of sea turtles and learn ways to protect the world’s oceans.

LOWER TWO Lower Two have loved their studies on St Lucia and thoroughly enjoyed designing their own islands. The children had to consider lots of different factors: name, shape and size, the language spoken, flag, the currency used, festivals, tourist attractions and the weather and climate. There was a range of islands created, demonstrating excellent creativity.

UPPER TWO Upper Two have studied mountains during the summer term. They have learnt about the mountain environment and completed independent research on Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. The children also developed their map skills and studied contour lines and 6 figure grid references.

GEOGRAPHY WALKS: EXPLORING EXETER

Lower Two braved the unpredictable May showers to walk into Exeter to study land use around the city centre. The children spotted there were several areas of multiple use in Princesshay and the High Street. They also compared the shopping experience of the High Street and Princesshay. After a brief break by the library cafe, everyone walked around the Northernhay area and thorough Gandy Street to the Cathedral Green, identifying categories of land use on route. The children were very knowledgeable about the city, sharing information with one another. All classes represented Exeter Junior School superbly and thoroughly enjoyed leaving the school grounds for a morning!