We teamed up with the Students' Union to host an event that inspired local school pupils in Geography, whilst providing our students with valuable teaching experience.
On Thursday 2nd February, 60 pupils from Heysham High School and South Shore Academy visited campus as part of the “Geography Inspiration Day”.
The day was developed by staff at Lancaster University Students’ Union and Lancaster Environment Centre to provide an opportunity for local schools to gain an insight into studying both human and physical geography at the university.
All pupils took part in four sessions throughout the day which covered a range of topics including volcanoes, flooding, carbon footprints, food miles and global food distribution. The activities were designed to link closely to the National Curriculum so not only was the day enjoyable for the pupils who attended, but was also of real benefit! The volcano lava flow demonstration and the augmented reality sandbox (which provides a 3D visualisation of topography and the movement of water through an environment) were particularly popular.
Each session was delivered by student volunteers, with a total of 17 students taking part throughout the day. Inspiration days are a fantastic way for our students to gain teaching experience as no prior knowledge is needed, full training is given and the time spent volunteering is flexible.
Overall the day was a great success and both teachers and pupils enjoyed the day. Teacher Hilary Giebel said: “The whole day was brilliantly organised and delivered. The practical elements of the day – sand & volcanoes were excellent and engaging.”
A big thank you goes out to all students and staff that made this day possible.