OK, so if you look up at the moment you'll notice something missing from the traditional skyscape: contrails...
With many schools due to go back next week (although some are already into the summer term) I would presume that many geographers will be considering teaching about the impacts of the volcanic ash. There will, of course, be plenty of discussion about this in the staffroom next week.
The culprit is the anthropomorphised volcano of Eyjafjallajokull
I hope that many colleagues will go with this as a theme for teaching. It may well be that colleagues and students will be absent, and you could try to find out where they are stranded. One idea that you could try would be to recreate your absent classmates by providing an outline of a person. Fill in their story and the place where they are stuck. Now take a photo of your creation(s)
I have a FLICKR GROUP on this ready for your images
I also have suggested a hashtag of #ashabsence
Do a search on the volcano name for a range of videos including one on how to pronounce the name of the volcano.
TONY CASSIDY has already stepped in with a splendid resource for starters.
View more presentations from TonyCassidy.
Of course there are lots of other options.
Mystery titles...
Why is Mr. Wolton stuck on the island of Kyushu ?
Why did Mrs. Hamilton have to go without her pineapple chunks ?
Simon Oakes has added a range of thoughts on the EDEXCEL community forum.
There's also an interesting discussion on the TES COMMUNITY FORUM which might prove to be a useful starting point for discussions on the impact of the ash as it affects schools.
A useful focus could be to start with the individual, followed by the school, followed by the town / city, then the UK and the wider implications.
Don't forget the Physical geography behind the disaster: the reason for the eruption. This particular geography explains why the ash is so potentially damaging to aircraft engines.
There's also Ian Hardie's personal account of being evacuated from his house, and some excellent Flickr pics of his on the SAGT geography page.
Plane or Volcano infographic... - decided not to reproduce this on this blog post, but this is well worth looking at and using as a focus for discussion...
There are also a few articles on the newspaper websites which would be useful.
KENYAN flower industry is losing a lot of money - potentially damaging...
GOOGLE EARTH KML file of the ash cloud (a large image which may take a long time to load)
Let me know what ashy lessons you teach please...
Safe travelling...
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