It's always great to exemplify our young geographers' efforts and achievements, and indeed challenges and strategies to over come those challenges. Geog-blog has also helped us to bridge the socially-distanced gap necessary during the past few months, between home and your child's learning environment.
As our students think about their summer break, I would like to ask all our young geographers to continue to explore the geography on our planet, even in these travel-restricted times, by remembering all the times we learnt about about how to travel and explore further afield virtually this year in lesson and via the geog-blog, online and via travel and geography websites.
Our world will always change - that is inevitable. However what is important is that we adapt to that change, doing so in a sustainable way of course, for future generations to enjoy the world. Travel and exploring is so crucial in learning about new cultures and our geography, and making us globally-aware citizens. One can do this this year when not travelling - but by virtually exploring.
So if you planned to go to, let's say, Sicily for your holidays this summer and now cannot - then despair not! Look back at how we explored and learnt virtually, and visit there online; research your intended destination and be an even more-prepared traveller next time! And if that doesn't satisfy your appetite enough for your "Wanderlust", then look online for books or articles on the area or find some maps to explore the physical and human Geography. Listen to webinars, speeches and presentations online about your chosen destination. This is a super opportunity to become better prepared Geography tourists for the future!
Importantly, local travel has become a consideration as more people think about "stay-cations" in their local countries this summer, and this is a great opportunity to look at the Geography of our own 'back-yard', if official travel rules continue to permit such travel. There is an astonishing amount of Geography here in Poland that we often miss in our quest to go farther afield; striking and beautiful beaches and coastal features in the north near Gdansk and Sopot; splendid mountains and relief topographical geography in the south at the Carpathian mountain range; huge forests full of excellent flora and fauna and many beautiful lakes, especially in the Masurian region of north east Poland. The central lowlands of Poland offer some exceptional glacial Geography, at a time when glaciers swamped over Europe, and there are many medieval and fascinating cities here in Poland to visit; Torun, Kraków, Gdańsk, Poznań - to name just a few with some splendid examples of urban human geography - literally, a geographical local feast awaits on our own national doorstep!
So we at the geog-blog would like to close the summer term 2020 by thanking all students who have contributed to our articles and to all those that have read them - wishing you all a happy summer, stay safe! - and always of course, with all that said, always follow current official government travel and outdoor COVID advice before travelling anywhere.
Mark Stimpson
Head of Geography / KS3 - IB Geography / Iceland 2020 Co-ordinator / 9MS Form Tutor