It has been wonderful to welcome students back to campus and to let them show their geographical learning and skills in person. It’s been a busy few weeks with many and varied topics being studied.
Year 7 students have recently completed their ‘Rivers’ topic. In this topic, students have learned about the various courses of a river as it flows downstream, the different transportation and erosional processes that occur as a river flows downstream and ultimately finishing with a look at river flooding and the many impacts river flooding can have in both more economically developed countries (MEDCs) and less economically developed countries (LEDCs) Students have produced some really great reports and presentations about flooding in the UK and Bangladesh. Here are some examples of work students have done:
Link to the full presentation
Yajur has also made a very impressive news broadcast video about flooding in the UK. Here is the link to watch it.
Having now completed the ‘Rivers’ unit of work, Year 7 7 will move on to their next topic of ‘Coasts’…something we are bereft of here in Nepal!
In Year 8, students have been looking at tourism: from where the most popular countries and sites are for tourists to visit, to less accessible areas such as space, where students have been looking at space tourism and how it may change where we go on holiday. Obviously, the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic cannot be ignored when it comes to tourism, especially in Nepal where so much of the country’s income depends on tourism. However, there have also been some positive impacts such as less pollution and other positive environmental impacts. Undoubtedly though, I am sure we are all looking forward to a return to some sort of normality for tourism in Nepal. Students have also looked at ‘Black Tourism’, which is tourism associated with places and sites associated with death and/or destruction. Perhaps the most infamous site is Auschwitz. Students have also looked at the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine and the niche tourist industry that had developed around that disaster. Unfortunately, the recent turn of events, will, I am sure, put a very abrupt end to this black tourism destination.
Year 9 students have been looking at mountainous environments, which included looking at glaciers around the world.
Year 9 students will soon be focussing on a project very relevant to Nepal based on the documentary SHERPA.
In 2013, news channels around the world reported an ugly brawl at 21,000ft as European climbers fled a mob of angry Sherpas. Determined to explore what was going on, the filmmakers set out to make a film of the 2014 Everest climbing season, from the Sherpas’ point of view. Instead, they captured a tragedy that would change Everest forever.
At 6.45am on 18th April, 2014, a 14 million ton block of ice crashed down onto the climbing route through the Khumbu Icefall, killing 16 Sherpas. It was the worst tragedy in the history of Everest.
The disaster provoked a drastic reappraisal about the role of the Sherpas in the Everest industry. SHERPA, tells the story of how, in the face of fierce opposition, the Sherpas united in grief and anger to reclaim the mountain they call Chomolungma. Year 9 students will choose different aspects from the issues raised in the documentary to research and present to their classmates.
Students in Year 10 have made a great start to their IGCSE course. With 17 students in the class, it is good to be able to have lively discussions about the topics and some of the issues raised within topics. They have just finished the units on development and the environmental impacts of economic development. While Nepal lacks many of the large TNCs (Transnational corporations) found around the world, it can be argued that this actually works to Nepal’s benefit economically as there are many home-grown industries where profit is made and kept in Nepal and not transferred to international TNC Headquarters overseas. This, therefore, helps Nepal and its people to develop economically, minimising profit leakage.
It’s been a bit of an uphill struggle for our Year 11, but their enthusiasm and resilience has stood them in good stead. Having studied most of their IGCSE course online, they are now finally nearing the end. They have a few smaller units of work to finish and will then have time to work on and hone their map skills. They have also done an excellent job in their Coursework, which is focussed on a river they have never been to and using data that was collected 3 years ago now! Their coursework has been looking at how the River Lele changes downstream and if those changes are what would be expected according to the Bradshaw model. The River Lele in the Kathmandu Valley.
Year 12 students have recently started on the topic of Atmosphere and Weather, and this is, without a doubt, the most challenging topic at A Level. Students invariably find this a difficult topic as there are so many important and interlinked components to our atmosphere and weather. Do you know what the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is? Do you know why the ITCZ is responsible for the monsoon we all experience every summer in Nepal? Do you know why the Indian monsoon is globally important? And lastly, do you know why a large patch of pollution in the Indian Ocean is at risk of disrupting the Indian monsoon, and the implications that could have for the rest of the world’s weather? If you’d like to know the answers, find a Year 12 Geographer!
A large and very important aspect to A Level Geography is staying abreast of what is happening around the world. And no Geography spotlight could be written at this time without considering the very unfortunate and recent events in Ukraine. The impacts of these recent events have many implications locally, nationally and globally. Students are encouraged to deepen their knowledge and understanding of what is happening in Ukraine and to make relevant links to the topics studied at A Level. For example, Year 12 students have considered the migration aspects as Ukranians are fleeing to neighbouring countries. The UNHCR has now estimated that at least 1 million people have fled Ukraine into neighbouring countries in the past week, and if the current rate continues, it could be the biggest mass migration that has ever happened. Year 13 students have considered the global implications in terms of global trade and economics. With many economic sanctions now in place against Russia, including the removal of Russia from SWIFT, the global implications cannot not be felt. The Russian Ruble is almost on the brink of collapse. Gold is at a high, the price of natural gas, crude oil, grain and metals are soaring. Oil prices are now at an 8 year high and Europe faces ever-increasing costs for gas, with Germany being reliant upon Russia for almost 50% of its natural gas supply. Linking this to the final topic Year 13 students are now studying, Hazardous Environments, Germany decided to close all of its nuclear power stations due to the Tohoku earthquake in 2011, which caused the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster. With many of Germany’s nuclear power plants now closed, they have become more dependent on importing natural gas from Russia.
On a more national level, the recent protests about the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) have been discussed. The MCC is a $500 million American grant package to develop Nepal’s energy and transport infrastructure. Not only were the issues of aid and dependency raised, but also more geopolitical issues such as China and the USA’s influence on the continued development of Nepal. At A-level, it is making these synoptic links that allows students to access the higher mark bands, while also allowing for some healthy, if heated, class debate.
It is pleasing to feel that spring is finally on the way now, and if you would like to know why, remember to find a Year 12 Geographer!
