Alva Matters

Categories: Rivers, Urban, Advanced Higher
I was talking to the head teacher today about home revision and we were discussing a recent initiative at Alva Academy to provide revision vodcasts. I had actually read about this in an article in the TESS that I was given as a freebie at SAGT, so I suppose I can count this as idea 9 for the week. The work reminded me of something my own class had participated in a couple of years ago, but with a noteable difference. I gave a couple of boys some rivers footage with no audio and they recorded a script explaining processes, features and formation. So, after looking at Alva, here's an idea for Higher tomorrow:-
9) Instead of me recording a video tutorial for students, why don't we try to write our own scripts to go over some river slides? We could start with a rivers profile. The slides can then be saved as images and an audio commentary given in Movie maker. I wouldn't be able to get access to enough machines with moviemaker for a whole class exercise, but if I pick a good script or two, we can then have students providing their own revision materials and actively learning in the process.
I think then I'll start with some video and maybe a short starter movie about processes before it in period 1. Some discussion, then the blank slides to
a) Identify river features
b) talk about dominant processes
c) Compare upper, middle and lower course
I'm going to talk to Advanced Higher tomorrow about fieldwork. At a meeting this afternoon, we were discussing the fieldwork question which is now compulsory at AH. I know you have completed shopper surveys, soil samples and river studies, but I think we possibly need more urban fieldwork techniques. I have been reading with growing interest the work of the Urban Earth project (see video above), and have been thinking of a possible way in which we could do something similar and the themes that you personally could develop for studies. There is some great potential for social and environmental geography in here. I have also been passing the Kittoch Water every day on my way to and from work, and there's a potential study theme there too as it's currently a building site for a flood scheme. Again, I'll chat to you about this in class.