From the 12th to 15th May, the Year 12 Geographers carried out essential fieldwork for their A Level Geography coursework worth 20% of their final grade.
After travelling by train to Weymouth, students had a chance to look at the coastal management strategies being used to protect Weymouth beach. Then it was on to the Portland Bird Observatory Field Centre where we stayed in a lighthouse with beautiful views over Portland Bill and the sea.
The next day we carried out extensive fieldwork on Chesil Beach and Preston Beach including beach profiles, measuring wave energy, measuring sediment size, interviewing local businesses and photographing coastal defence systems in place.
On Wednesday it was time for some Human Geography:
We compared the need for regeneration at four different sites in Weymouth and carried out environmental impact assessments, land-use surveys, residential quality surveys and noise pollution measurements to mention a few. We also interviewed local businesses and completed questionnaires with locals and visitors to understand their views on the need for regeneration.
Students learned about a variety of data presentation methods and statistical analysis that they can carry out to analyse the data they have collected for their coursework. We were lucky to have glorious weather and the opportunity to learn a lot about the geography of the Isle of Portland including visiting pirate graves and a raised beach.
The students worked hard and will now be busy writing up their coursework report. Many thanks to Mr Cullimore and Mrs Marie for their wonderful support with this trip.
