Immersive Fieldwork in Year 7 Geography

Year 7 students have been engaged in an immersive fieldwork project centered around oceans and sustainability. This project works to highlight the importance of fieldwork in the subject of Geography and addresses the crucial issue of plastic pollution, which is intrinsically linked to the sustainable development of our planet.

Fieldwork serves as a vital component of the Geography curriculum, enabling students to explore real-world environments, collect data and develop critical thinking skills. It provides an invaluable opportunity for students to observe and understand the relationship between human activities and the environment. By actively participating in fieldwork, students gain a deeper knowledge of geographical concepts and cultivate essential research and analytical skills.

Year 7 students undertook a comprehensive study of plastic waste and its detrimental effects on marine ecosystems, investigating its sources, impacts and potential solutions. Equipped with data collection tools such as environmental quality surveys and litter counts, the students documented the presence of plastic waste, analysed its effects on the school environment and identified strategies for mitigating its harmful consequences. Our outdoor-centric campus, with its proliferation of green spaces and vegetation that provide natural habitats for native flora and fauna, was a good asset in their learning.

The fieldwork project directly aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably Goal 14: Life Below Water and Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. By focusing on plastic pollution and its impact on marine environments, students actively contribute to Goal 14, which aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. Furthermore, by investigating responsible consumption and production patterns, they support Goal 12, which emphasises sustainable practices to reduce waste generation.