Calling all serious explorers!

Have you got what it takes to be a Serious Explorer? The multi-award winning Serious.. adventure series returns with a ground-breaking new expedition.
The BBC are looking for 8 explorers between the ages of 12-15.
What is on offer?

Serious Explorers will follow in the extreme footsteps of the great 13th Century explorer Marco Polo as he travelled the legendary Silk Road in search of far-eastern treasures such as silk, gold and spices.

Camels

Among many challenges, you'll join a camel train to take on the mighty Taklamakan Desert, called the 'desert of ghosts' by Marco Polo, and climb to the 'roof of the world' in the huge mountains which he had to cross as he travelled the challenging route from Europe to China. And just like Marco Polo, you'll also spend time with local tribes-peoples.

The Serious Explorers expedition will feature in a ten part documentary series for CBBC, due for broadcast early in 2010.

For more info click on the title link and fill in your application

Recycle your cycle!

What a great invention! This bike is made out of industrial cardboard and has been made for just £15. Ok, the inventor says it should last for 6 months but what do you think? For more info click on the title link!

Life in a refugee camp

Many of you have been asking me what is going on in the Congo after seeing some of the news reports that have been showing for the last few weeks.
The above picture shows a girl in the Kibati refugee camp trying to sell potatoes.

UNICEF have commented that a wave of displacement due to recent fighting in North Kivu, eastern DRC has forced 100,000 people from their homes, 60 per cent of whom are children.

In the last two months, around 250,000 people have been displaced, bringing the total number of internally displaced to around 1 million – 20 per cent of the entire North Kivu population.

The situation of newly displaced children and women is desperate. Thousands have had very little to eat since fleeing their homes. Their access to clean water and health care has been minimal. Hundreds of children are presumed to have been separated from their families and up to 40 children have been recruited by armed groups. Right now children also face a real risk of disease outbreaks and malnutrition.

The Great Southern California Shakeout

Year 9! All around Southern California this morning, people have been practising the Drop, Cover, Hold On earthquake drill that you practised in your lessons earlier this term. Find out more at www.shakeout.org and see the BBC news report by following the link in the title of this article.

See if you can earthquake-proof a room in a house by playing the Beat The Quake game:
www.dropcoverholdon.org/beatthequake/game

Win a trip to South Africa!

Do you want the chance to visit South Africa? All you have to do is take a photograph of local wildlife and submit your shot to Miss Habib or Miss Hammond, who will upload it on your behalf. For more details, go to www.geoggers.net and click on the link.

Google under the sea

WOW! How cool! Google Earth now has developed a tool which allows you to 'virtually' visit the world's protected underwater landscapes.
For more information click on the title link or visit the Google Earth web page.

Penguins washed up on tropical beach in BRAZIL!

I had to check the date when I read this story first; surely it's not April 1st? More than 370 young penguins mysteriously washed up on tropical beaches in Brazil. Fortunately the birds have now been airlifted to safety to Pelotas, South Brazil. For more information, click on the title link.

British woman skydiver conquers Everest

Congratulations to Holly Budge who became one of three skydivers who became the first to freefall at extreme altitude through the skies above Mount Everest.

For more information, click on the title link.

Bruce Parry and the Amazon

I'm really pleased to hear the Year 8 pupils asking questions about Bruce Parry's new adventures. Click on the title link to be taken to Bruce's blog and watch exclusive clips of his travels.

Crazy crazy Japan

Crazy Japan just got a little crazier! Check out this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/7654267.stm and see what monkeys have been up to in this Japanese restaurant... We'll be studying this incredible country soon, Year 9, so keep watching to see what else they are doing.

And you thought it was crowded on British trains!

This is just one of many trains heading out from Dhaka, Bangladesh to the south of the country. Today, Muslims around the world are preparing for Eid al -Fitr. Millions of residents in Dhaka have started the exodus home to spend time with their families.

Check out some more interesting pictures by clicking on the title link.

Tsunami storyboards

Miss Habib's class have been designing tsunami storyboards. A selection of the best have been published at www.geoggers.net. Click on the link at the top of the Geoggers net homepage to see them.

Interesting tourism facts that we have found out

Follow the comments section to find out the travel and tourism facts that we have found out.

Sticking to your guns

This was the theme of a Year 9 homework assignment set by Miss Hammond. We have been studying Wegener's theory of continental drift as part of our introductory module on plate tectonics. Pupils were asked to write an assembly script suitable for Mr Fuller that linked the theory to the theme of sticking to your guns. Two examples, from Holly Ambrose and Sam Blacklaws, are on the Geoggers website. Why don't you have a look?

Wave snakes are switched on!

The world's first commercial wave-power farm has been switched on. These snakes are 140 metres long. Watch the video for more information.

It's a puzzle!

Do you like puzzles? Do you like a challenge? Try your hand at these really hard atlas puzzles from the National Geographic. Click on the title link to be taken to the site.

Bring a place alive!

The Geographical Association is running a competition where they would like you to write a short story.

"We'd like you to write a story about somewhere important to you - it can be fact or fiction, set at any time in the past, present or future. Maybe your parents or grandparents have told you about what your local area was like when they were young. How have things changed? Can you imagine what it might have been like in your neighbourhood 25, 50 or even 100 years ago? What do you think your area will look like in the future? You could write a story about somewhere you've been on holiday, or a distant place you would like to visit... The decision is yours! We'll be looking for creative and exciting stories which bring places to life and bonus points will be awarded for including photographs or drawings."

Your short story should be no more than 750 words. Prizes will include fiction books as well as having your work published in both the Geographical Association magazine and website. For more information see Miss Habib.

These entries should be handed in to Miss Habib by Thursday 23rd October 2008.

Geoggers Club

Wow! What an excellent start back for Geoggers club. Miss Habib had lots of fun with the new Year 7's getting their hands dirty and making some volcanoes.
We are still meeting on Thursdays in T3 at 1.30 p.m. so drop along if you would like to join.

Year 8 Zoolab activity

Zoolab will be visiting the Geography Department on Wednesday 15th October 2008. This was a really exciting in-school visit last year with many positive comments. We have limited places available this year; if you have not returned your letter you must do so as soon as possible. Photos from last year's event can be found on the school website - click on the title link to go to the website!

The Penan Tribe

Year 8 have been looking at the Penan Tribe who are located in the Sarawak rainforest. Survival International has an excellent website (click on the title link to go to their website) that gives you some details which may be of use to you to back up your report. Check their website out for other information about other tribes that exist around the world and the problems that they are facing.