‘What makes the Amazon so amazing?‘ This was indeed the question that we hoped to discover the answer to during our whole day’s workshop. On board today’s event were more than 300 Key Stage 2 pupils and teachers from Radipole Primary School in Weymouth, Dorset (https://www.radipole.dorset.sch.uk/) and Lady Mount Catholic Primary School in Pensby, The Wirral (http://www.ladymount.wirral.sch.uk/). On their arrival into the Zoom meeting, all classes were re-named after a group with an interest in the Amazon, e.g. researchers; farmers; miners; loggers; indigenous people. After introducing ourselves and making use of Digimap for Schools (https://digimapforschools.edina.ac.uk/) to identify our various locations within the UK (never miss a chance to develop place and locational knowledge!), outlining the learning objectives and format of the day, it was time for our ‘starter’.…Continue readingOne final trip to the Amazon for this academic year!
Tag: tribe
The Amazon has been in the News rather a lot this past week and for very positive reasons too. Four children were found alive after 40 days following a plane crash and fending for themselves in the tropical rainforest of Columbia (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-65864158). Whilst such an item was not directly related to Brazil, the country that our workshop centres largely upon, it did help to highlight the resilience of the indigenous people and how much we have to learn from them. We always advocate an enquiry-led approach to learning, hence the overriding question that accompanies the material linked to our virtual trips to the Amazon (‘What makes the Amazon so amazing?‘). This was indeed the question that we hoped to discover…Continue readingA virtual adventure with a highly topical theme!
This was the question that we hoped to discover the answer to during a whole day’s virtual workshop to the Amazon. On board today’s event were more than 120 Key Stage 2 pupils and teachers from Middleton Primary School near Leeds in West Yorkshire (https://www.middletonprimary.org/), as well as a handful of Year 3 to Year 6 children from Wrightington Mossy Lea Primary School, a very small establishment close to Chorley in Lancashire (https://www.mossylea.lancs.sch.uk/). On their arrival into the Zoom meeting, all classes were re-named after a group with an interest in the Amazon, e.g. researchers; farmers; miners; loggers; tourists; developers; indigenous people; conservationists. After introducing ourselves and making use of Digimap for Schools (https://digimapforschools.edina.ac.uk/) to identify our various locations within…Continue readingSo, ‘what really makes the Amazon so amazing?’
A slightly smaller and more manageable multi-schools event than our last one and with a northerly contingent; Adriana and myself felt rather outnumbered as the southerly counterparts! On board today were more than 250 Key Stage 2 pupils and teachers from five schools within the UK, namely Newbarns Primary and Nursery School in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria (https://www.newbarns.cumbria.sch.uk/); Thornton Primary School in Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire (https://www.thorntonprimary.lancs.sch.uk/); Eccleston Lane Ends Primary School in Prescot, Merseyside (https://www.ecclestonlaneends.st-helens.sch.uk/); Churwell Primary School near Leeds, West Yorkshire (https://www.churwell.leeds.sch.uk/) and Embleton Vincent Edwards Primary School in Alnwick, Northumberland (https://www.embletonprimaryschool.com/website). The youngsters and teachers were engaged and enthused throughout the whole day and produced some impressive work. The day took a similar format as before, with the content tweaked…Continue readingVirtual multi-schools event: ‘What makes the Amazon so amazing?’
One of our largest multi-schools event to date, I think, and what a delight it was! On board this virtual adventure to the Amazon were more than 500 Key Stage 2 pupils and teachers from eight schools throughout the UK, namely The John Moore Primary School in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire (https://www.thejohnmooreprimary.org/); Ashton Gate Primary School in Bristol, Avon (https://www.ashtongate.bristol.sch.uk/); Holy Family Catholic Primary School in Benfleet, Essex (https://www.holyfamily.essex.sch.uk/); St. Mark and All Saints C of E Primary School in Godalming, Surrey (https://www.stmarkallsaints.uk/); Greenleas Primary School in Wallasey, Merseyside (http://www.greenleasprimaryschool.co.uk/); Bilton C of E Junior School in Rugby, Warwickshire (https://www.biltonjuniorschool.co.uk/); Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School in Coventry, West Midlands (https://corpuschristi.coventry.sch.uk/) and Skegness Junior Academy in Skegness, Lincolnshire (https://www.skegnessjunioracademy.org/). The youngsters and teachers…Continue readingVirtual multi-schools event: ‘What makes the Amazon so amazing?’
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What makes the Amazon so amazing?
A slightly smaller scale event than usual, working with Key Stage 2 pupils and teachers from only one school (Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School in Leeds: https://www.corpusprimaryleeds.org/). However, it was a real delight! The youngsters and teachers were fully engaged and enthused throughout the whole day and produced some incredible work. After introducing ourselves and identifying our various locations within the UK (never miss a chance to develop place and locational knowledge!), re-naming groups, outlining the learning objectives and format of the day, it was time for our ‘starter’. I played a short movie clip to challenge any misconceptions about the location of the Amazon (it covers many countries within South America and not just Brazil), we then ‘travelled’ from…Continue readingWhat makes the Amazon so amazing?
What a surprise I received when I opened the latest copy of the Geographical Association’s magazine (https://www.geography.org.uk/Journals/GA-Magazine)! I vaguely remember writing this article for those at the Geographical Association a few months ago and it was lovely to see it finally in print. Reading it through again made me realise just how much we have acheived over the past academic year. Following Adriana and Marcella’s five days spent with the tribe from the Kambeba indigenous community in the heart of the Amazon last August, we now have much fresh audio-visual footage to play around with and some very exciting plans ahead. Watch this space!Continue readingMany thanks to the Geographical Association (GA)
What a busy week it has been! Whilst I have been working with Liam and Kiran to set up social media accounts to link to our website, Adriana has been putting the final touches in place for her trip to Brazil. Not only will she be visiting her family and friends, but will also spend five days with the Kambeba indigenous community in the heart of the Amazon. No doubt, her and her friend, Marcella, will be treated like royalty by the Kambebas. It will be very emotional, but hugely insightful. It is important that we nurture this unique rapport that we have established, so that we continue to learn from the tribe, e.g. how we can live more sustainably;…Continue readingAnd they are off to meet the Kambebas!