Machu Picchu, Peru
New York, USA
Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Utah , USA
Where else on Christmas but Reindeer Lake! Saskatchewan, Canada
Seattle, Washington, USA
Hawaii, USA. Last stop
Thursday, 25 December 2008
Last few stops
Machu Picchu, Peru
New York, USA
Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Utah , USA
Where else on Christmas but Reindeer Lake! Saskatchewan, Canada
Seattle, Washington, USA
Hawaii, USA. Last stop
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Norad tracks Santa
Tracking SantaHere we go folks. The big man starts his journey. Have fun watching some of these and then bed early! I’ll try to put on as many as I can over the next 24hours but no promises.
MERRY CHRISTMAS to all readers of Ayrshire Geography.
Santa in summer here
Aukland, New Zealand
Sydney, Australia
Fuji, JapanSanta going 100 times faster than the bullet train! Hope he isn’t done for speeding before he gets to Scotland.
Great Wall of China
Mount Everest, Nepal
Taj Mahal, India
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Drillers break into magma chamber
Hot stuff here. Anyone fancy a holiday in Hawaii?
Drillers looking for geothermal energy in Hawaii have dug a well right into a magma chamber. The magma specialist said it was like "chilled pancake syrup". They were surprised how hot it was and how close to the surface. Did nobody tell them about Hawaii's volcanoes?!! Nice video here too from the BBC. Link here.
Largest floating Xmas tree lights up
Have a look at this short clip and tell me if your Xmas tree is just as impressive? Hardly a green xmas, however!
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Christmas and Fairtrade
Bananas and Fair trade
Great video here to back up what S2 have been studying in class
Sunday, 7 December 2008
Travels around the world
The BBC Box is now in Los Angeles
It has now arrived in Los Angeles, from China, with a load of health and personal care products, beauty supplies and gardening supplies
The journey from Sendai in Japan took 10 days. It now carries measuring tapes going to New Jersey by train. There is a video on this here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7764789.stm
However because of the world’s money problems there is less demand for a lot of China’s products and the this means fewer ships are needed to transport lots of goods around the world. Will this affect the BBC box?
It has now arrived in Los Angeles, from China, with a load of health and personal care products, beauty supplies and gardening supplies
The journey from Sendai in Japan took 10 days. It now carries measuring tapes going to New Jersey by train. There is a video on this here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7764789.stm
However because of the world’s money problems there is less demand for a lot of China’s products and the this means fewer ships are needed to transport lots of goods around the world. Will this affect the BBC box?
China
BBC Scotlands China Series has a lot of good info on China. Good for S4, 5 and 6 to revise from.
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Think about their impact on YOU.
From: geographyalltheway,
Great images here from Richard Allaway. S2 should link this in to our studies of globalisation after we have completed the chocolate surveys.
Coastal Erosion
From: TonyCassidy,
Lovely idea here from Tony Cassidy to help Higher and Int 2 when we eventually get to this point. Thought I'd put itin before I forget!
Monday, 1 December 2008
Santa time again!
Contain yourself folks! The NORAD site again is tracking the famous red coated old guy and you can follow him yourself here. GO ON You know you want to!!!!!!! Here's a summary of last year's tracking to enetrtain you and give you ataster of what's to come.
Sunday, 23 November 2008
The fate of baby girls in India
Read this horrific tale here. Backs up what we did a while ago with Higher. "a man digs a hole when his wife is pregnant: if when the baby is born it is a boy the jubilant father plants a tree to celebrate. If it is a girl the infant is buried alive".
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Flipping Magic!
˙ǝuo sıɥʇ ɹoɟ ɔıʇsɐʇƃoǝƃ ʇɐ sıllǝ ssıɯ oʇ sʞuɐɥʇ ˙ɯoɔ˙ǝlʇıʇdılɟ sı ǝʇıs ¡ʎɐpsǝupǝʍ ʇxǝu ɯılǝɹd ɹnoʎ ɹoɟ ƃuısıʌǝɹ ǝq plnoɥs noʎ uǝɥʍ 4s sıɥʇ uo ǝɯıʇ ɥɔnɯ ooʇ ǝʇsɐʍ ʇ,uop ˙ǝsuǝsuou ɟo ʇıq ɐ ʇsnɾ ˙¡ʞuıɥʇ noʎ sǝʞɐɯ puɐ noʎ sǝsnɟuoɔ sǝɯıʇǝɯos ʎɥdɐɹƃoǝƃ ǝɹıɥsɹʎɐSunday, 9 November 2008
Globalisation and travel
Completely "stolen" from Richard Allaway. Here is an outline of S2 tasks for next week -assuming classroom in a box is working!
Road transport
Water
Rail
Air
Choose one of the modes of transport from above (Road, Water, Rail, Air) and produce a timeline (either using this site or on paper) to show major achievements in that area. For example: first flight, first passenger flight, first Transatlantic flight etc. Is it still used today?
Describe the impact that advances in an area of transport (Road, Water, Rail or Air) has had upon globalization. [10 Marks]
Road transport
Water
Rail
Air
Choose one of the modes of transport from above (Road, Water, Rail, Air) and produce a timeline (either using this site or on paper) to show major achievements in that area. For example: first flight, first passenger flight, first Transatlantic flight etc. Is it still used today?
Describe the impact that advances in an area of transport (Road, Water, Rail or Air) has had upon globalization. [10 Marks]
McGeography
If you want an example of globalisation in action, play the McDonald game from Richard Alloway's website. Go on you know you want to..........
Click the photo below.
The Box
The Box is an ambitious and unique year-long project for BBC News to tell the story of international trade and globalisation by tracking a standard shipping container around the world.As we discussed in class we will be looking at where this container is going and the effect of this on trade patterns in the world. How does this affect us? See over the next few weeks. The journey started in September leaving Greenock with a load of whisky going to China! If you click on the picture below you can see a video of this.
Link here
The BBC has a series of pages on this topic but I think they are a little complex for S2 at the moment. The link is here if anyone wants a look. Fee free! Link here
Marks and Spencer has just opened its largest store in Asia, and the first in mainland China.
Although most of the country cannot afford to shop at the store, there is no shortage of customers. The manager of Marks and Spencer in Shanghai said
"Digestive biscuits are an exotic draw - at 30% off, Shanghainese shoppers have been grabbing them by the armful. "
Although most of the country cannot afford to shop at the store, there is no shortage of customers. The manager of Marks and Spencer in Shanghai said
"Digestive biscuits are an exotic draw - at 30% off, Shanghainese shoppers have been grabbing them by the armful. "
The journey is almost read to continue its route from China to the USA with a ship load of clothes. Keep watching this site to track its progress.
Banana Wars - Caribbean
Another link to Fair Trade and trade patterns. This Youtube video can't be embedded, so here is the link. Th farmers choos to grow illegal drugs rather than bananas - why? Who is to blame for this? What do you think can be done about it?
Saturday, 8 November 2008
I thought I'd play about with wordle for the new S2 course. What do you think? For those who don't know this great tool try it here.
Polish in Britain
Short clip here from the BBC programme on British reaction to Polish wokers in Britain. Worth a look for Higher.see here
Shakeout!
How would you cope if a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck? Highly unlikely in Ayrshire, but very real for people living on or near the San Andreas Fault... which is why, on 13th November, more than 5 million people in Southern California will be taking part in The Great Southern Californian Shakeout. Have a look at this video which shows what could happen when "the big one" strikes, and remember I said in class that this could happen ANY time now. Look at the ShakeOut website here and you can test your earthquake preparedness by playing the Beat the Quake game.
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Greenpeace Movie
Coalfinger plans to cover the world in coal-fired power stations and destroy the climate in Operation Browncloud. Watch this the animated Bond spoof with secret agent Gaverson Green fighting to stop the evil plans of Coalfinger. (voiced of Brian Blessed) A bit of silly nonsense although a little rude – sorry folks. Thanks to Richard Allaway for highlighting this Greenpeace movie. Enjoy!
Monday, 3 November 2008
All aboard for the Grand Canyon Flight of a lifetime
Don't ask about the last 5 seconds - I have no idea and apologise for the language.
Sunday, 2 November 2008
Mud eruption 'caused by drilling'
Experts have said the eruption of the Lusi mud volcano in Indonesia was caused by drilling for oil and gas. Lusi erupted in May 2006 and continues to spew out boiling mud. For two years, the crater has been oozing mud - enough to fill 50 Olympic size swimming pools every day!!. It was triggered by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake 30,000 people had to be moved out of the area. The geologists voted overwhelmingly that drilling was the most likely cause but not everyone agreed. We are still learning about these matters. You might ask whether the cause is important or not. YES. If the drillers caused it then they are liable for compensating 10,000 families, amounting to 700 billion Indonesian Rupias (£47m).If the earthquake was responsible, then the Indonesian government will have the burden of supporting the victims. Indonesia is a poor country. However, despite the vote, the drilling firm denies that its activities were in any way responsible for the disaster.
How to stop a volcano erupting.
Watch this video to show what is going on in Indonesia. Do you think this is worth while or a waste of time and effort as well as money? Is this disaster natural or man made? I was at a conference last Saturday in a very wet and windy Edinburgh and attended a talk by Dr Ian Stewart on exactly this matter. This is also what I have been talking about in class to S2 and saying that this is one of the reasons I love Geography. We, as humans, think we are so smart and then we cause these disasters and Mother Nature “puts us in our place”. These are awful events but it is interesting to see what will happen in the future when people are perhaps forced to live in more marginal and “difficult” environments. Does global warming mean more people will have to take calculated risks on where they live or do we not have a choice any more? Enough philosophising – I’ve got marking to do.
Refugees in the Congo - Africa
Regional war fear as 50,000 homeless in Congo in two daysMore than 250,000 people have been made homeless since the latest bout of fighting erupted. In total, aid groups say they are struggling to reach people fleeing fierce fighting between government and rebel forces. The Congolese government has refused to negotiate with the rebels.
Aid workers were unable even to reach the camp, and reports were reaching Goma that its inhabitants had begun to run away. Hundreds of thousands fled Goma, the regional capital which sits on the border with Rwanda , and the surrounding countryside in a mass exodus last week. “People are just trying to stay safe. It’s muddy and wet and a lot of people are sick,” said one local aid worker. The refugees were in desperate need of help. A woman clutching her young children and looking for shelter said: “We are helpless, powerless. “We do not believe anyone will treat us well. I am too afraid to go home, but who will feed us here? We feel abandoned.” The Save the Children charity, which was forced to pull out of Goma after government troops went on the rampage last week, sent an emergency team back into the city yesterday. A priority is reuniting families split up in the chaos.
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Walk to school
School drop-off: The children who walk to class each day along 5,000ft cliff ledge
It is the only way these Chinese pupils can get to the school. No moans about your journey to school now!
See more here
It is the only way these Chinese pupils can get to the school. No moans about your journey to school now!
See more here
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
India - the fate of girls
This video is a bit long but you will get the idea. Some people think 10 million baby girls have been aborted in India.
Listen to this BBC programe if you can - it is only a few minuted long. Compare this to China.
In some ways this is a very old tale. Long before medical abortion became available, unwanted girls were killed after birth or not given enough food and medicine to survive. But modern technology has changed that. Ultrasound machines, which make it possible to determine the gender of a fetus, have spread from big city hospitals to small country clinics. Portable machines are taken to remote villages by motorcycle.
Here is another video.
Hundreds dead after Pakistan earthquake
Each year when we do the Earth Forces section this seems to happen. This time it is Pakistan’s turn. Hardly surprising when you see the plate boundaries in this region. Large parts of south Asia are at risk because a tectonic plate, known as the Indian plate, is pushing north into the Eurasian plate. Remember we mentioned that India used to be found at the Southern part of Africa! Look at the other posts to find out about this. At least 170 people have been killed after a powerful earthquake hit south-west Pakistan, leaving thousands homeless. Baluchistan is Pakistan's largest region geographically but is sparsely populated. There were aftershocks throughout the day. Boulders came crashing down from the mountains. The people were really scared. The Pakistan meteorological department put the magnitude (strength) of today's quake at 6.5. The official death toll is around 170 but reports are still coming in from remote areas. Some homes were buried in a landslide triggered by the quakeThis is expected to rise. Several people were injured in the panic, with one person hurting his legs after jumping from a first floor window and three people wounded when people fired guns in the air after the quake, hospital officials said. Read more here and here and watch a video here.
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Monday, 20 October 2008
Loo with a view
Great article here in the Daily Mail showing toilets with the best views. Anyone got a loo overlooking Ailsa Craig or Arran? Take a pic and send it please – unoccupied preferably!! Thanks to Alan Parkinson on Living Geography for highlighting this one.Monday, 13 October 2008
Earthquake cartoon -not good geography
Any idea why Manhattan can't get earthquakes? Anyone from Carrick who puts in a comment can win a prize after the hols. (Yes - OK I mean a sensible comment!)
Polish Migration to the UK
A couple of videos here highlighted by Richard Allaway. Great stuff for Higher, Int 2 and S grade. Will the return to Poland of all these immigrants be bad news for Britain? Who will fill all the jobs? Are there enough people here available to do the jobs vacated by the Poles? Will it be better for Britain with less pressure on the health service and schools? What about the lack of tax being paid now by the immigrants? Lots to consider in these two short films.
Weather Games
Good one here with lots of silly games t fill your time. Don’t know if they will help a lot but have a go if you have a spare 5 minutes.
The glossary is useful though. Might be a good idea for S grade classes to add to your favourites to refer to later.
The glossary is useful though. Might be a good idea for S grade classes to add to your favourites to refer to later.
Great volcano cartoon
Don't forget to revise after you have watched this one! Test coming up soon S2.
Friday, 10 October 2008
What not to do in an earthquake
Nice one here for S2. Thanks to the Kingsdown Blog for this one.
Find more videos like this on Edu4drr
Find more videos like this on Edu4drr
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Global warming - not about polar bears any more...
Great video here highlighted by Tony Cassidy. Thanks.
Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.
Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.
A few for staff only, for a change!
Great series of videos here showing how networking can help teachers do our job. This IS the way forward whether we like it or not folks. If you cant beat them………..
RSS feeds
Podcasting in plain English
Wikis in Plain English
Twitter in Plain English
RSS feeds
Podcasting in plain English
Wikis in Plain English
Twitter in Plain English
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Rainforest destruction
In Google Earth. Nice one.
This is the scariest of them all and really sad. Try to find out what palm oil is used for in this country.
OK this is really a loose connection but I like it. Enjoy!
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Development and Health
Two great movies here on the population topic. Just think of the first as a warning folks!
Population control?
Condom advert, India
Population control?
Condom advert, India
Malaria battle given $3bn boost
Malaria is the leading cause of death in children under five and the disease has far-reaching effects. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gives more to battle malaria. Donors hope the money will be enough to eradicate malaria by that time.
The money includes £598m from the World Bank and £870m from the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Malaria still kills more than a million people each year, according to the World Health Organization. Alongside the offers of money came reassurance from African leaders that efforts are working.
The president of Rwanda, said malaria deaths have fallen by more than 60% in his country. However a vaccine is still to be found and they hope this will be developed soon with the help of this money. Read the rest of this BBC article here and watch the short video.
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Fishing Issues in the North Sea
On the BBC tonight. This is “Geography in your face” Around 1m tonnes of fish are dumped back in the North Sea every year - much of it because catches exceed EU fishing quotas. EU rules and regulations mean that as much as half of the fish they work so hard to catch is thrown dead, back into the water. "Quotas" limit not the amount of fish that's being caught, but the amount that is landed.As a result, an astonishing amount of fish is being wasted because it is too big, or too small or the skipper is over quota for that particular species.
The quota system was introduced by the EU to protect threatened fish supplies. But what no-one expected was that it would result in so much waste. Read more and watch a video of this terrible situation here. More great stuff from the BBC for Geography!
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