Our year 11 Geographers braved the elements to complete their fieldwork at Plymouth City Centre on Wednesday. Timing of the rain was impeccable, it poured down just as we reached our first site!
This did not prevent us from collecting the data we needed to answer the question ‘Has regeneration in Plymouth improved the environment?’ Students considered four sites around the city centre area using an environmental quality survey technique, this will enable them to give each site a score and rank them. They can use this to help them to answer the question with some evidence.
After a hearty lunch we all felt warmed and ready to tackle our afternoon tasks. We were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to listen to Dr. Mark Holton an associate Professor in Human Geography talk about the importance of place. We visited 4 sites around the University grounds and considered why each place mattered using sense survey mapping. We asked questions such as ‘Is this place visually appealing?’ and ‘How comfortable do I feel in this place?’ This enabled us to rank each place and consider how it could be made better. There was a general consensus that Drakes Garden (where the reservoir is) was the best place.
We were then treated to an insight into University life by some Ambassadors, who gave us a tour of the University including a look at the Students Union. We also found out about all of the clubs and societies that are on offer, and learnt that University is not just about academic study but it builds lifelong friendships.
Well done to our Geographers for battling the elements, we are sure this will be good preparation for their upcoming GCSE’s.
