Geography field trips make a unique contribution to a student’s education and offer many varied benefits; with this in mind, Year 10 students from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester visited the Goyt Valley in the Peak District as part of their GSCE Geography course.
The fieldwork involved a day working with a representative, Frances, from the Peak District National Park Authority studying the changing river environment for their GCSE fieldwork. The students, with some guidance from Frances, focused on measuring the flow velocity, the depth and width of the river and the shape of the rocks at 3 sites to see if a river changes as it flows downstream.
Mrs Sarah Vallelly, Head of Geography, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for our students to get outdoors and practice their geographical skills in the real world. Field work is an essential component of geography education and the trip directly related to work which the students had been taught in the classroom. The practical skills that are gained on a trip such this are important in connecting the theory and vital in connecting classroom teaching with the real world. I was delighted that the group demonstrated an excellent application of their knowledge from the classroom to the real world.”
“The students thoroughly enjoyed the field trip and had an extremely positive attitude to their research. Students were highly engaged in the day and enjoyed seeing their geography lessons come to life,” added Mrs Vallelly.
“The world outside the school is richly inspiring, constantly re-energising what takes place within the classroom. A field trip is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain a level of understanding about Geography that textbooks or lessons alone, however good, can never equal,” commented Head Teacher, Mr Mike Whiteside. “It’s an opportunity for students to be creative, and to have a personalised outcome which gives them a sense of ownership of the learning. It’s a fantastic way to bring Geography to life.”