The Sun Beats Down...

Categories: Atmosphere, Environmental Hazards
One post for s4/5/6 today, and one for s1-3. Starting atmosphere with Higher tomorrow, an area of the course which often creates a little panic, as it is something which Intermediate does not really delve into. I like to try to make this part of the course quite interactive, time permitting, and tomorrow, we will be looking at something called the Global Heat Budget. I will be using a familiar technique with this class, mapping from memory in groups, and then asking the groups to elaborate on what the group diagram is telling us. I normally end up brandishing a torch in a darkened room when we follow this up by talking about solar insolation. Notes will be forthcoming soon, but I'm afraid I have been slow off the mark with the photocopying, so will rely on lesson notes and textbook for the moment. We were also trying to record supported study tonight for Rural Geography, as several of you have a clash with Biology,but hit a technical hitch (didn't hit a button!). However, I recorded my own notes as I went along, so the usual suspects can pick up the brief.
s4 are doing plate tectonics, moving on to volcanoes. Loads of links here. There is a decent interactive website run by the BBC, some suitable material, some pitched a wee bit low. Lots of excellent material on the Geobytes blog , some very good animations here and here. For earth's structure, some very simple, but nevertheless useful diagrams for a refresher on the earth's structure. I also thought if we had enough time during the lesson, we could look at different plate boundaries/hotspots of volcanic activity and match the eruption from this video page.
Don't forget to get revising for the prelim. I am assuming that you are all doing superbly well as the low turnout at supported study suggests that you are all coasting :-0 Remember to hand in any past papers/request questions.