Make the most of the summer break...

A reminder of the Mission:Explore SUMMER CAMP.

We're now just over the half way stage...

Providing a daily dose of adventure, the Mission:Explore virtual Summer Camp challenges children to explore nature in your local neighbourhood, park or holiday destination. Can you photograph an alien invasion, cross a park without being caught out by a squirrel or travel 100 metres without being seen?

"Using the site is easy" explained Tim, a 9-year-old Mission:Explorer. "There is a map that you can explore to find missions to do. I chose one that I wanted to do, then went outside to do it. Yesterday I went exploring wearing a mask, pretending that I was someone else. Once I'm done, I share a mission report on the website and collect badges".

By visiting the site you can sign up for daily outdoor activities, which are e-mailed to you, or browse a wide range of badges that your children can collect.

As Dan Raven Ellison says:

"Many of the activities on the site can seem a bit ridiculous - things like becoming a unicorn, climbing the height of a mountain on a staircase or making yourself a nest... but there is a serious side to what we are doing. Our activities inspire children to explore, play and learn outdoors and in nature. They can benefit children's health and education as well as help busy parents by providing lots of ideas for things they can do with their children".

The Mission:Explore virtual Summer Camp runs for 100 days until September and includes activities that have been created by National Geographic, The Great Nature Project, the John Muir Trust, City Farmers, Thames Water, UK National Parks, the RSPB, Ramblers Wales and a growing number of outdoor exploration and education organisations. Over 100 inspiring activities are available on the website.

If you have children, join the Summer Camp (www.missionexplore.net) - complete some missions today, and banish boredom forever!

Check out some of the missions you may have missed....

Shuffle exploration - Explore while you listen to music on shuffle. Each time the music shuffles, shuffle your way of exploring.
Find something... - Find something hard, soft, sticky, crumbly, silly, cool, brown, tiny, massive, smelly, mean, round, flat, strange, normal, straight, flying, underneath and something new.
Squirrel skirmish - Cross a park without being seen by a squirrel.
Become an extreme stair climber - Climb to the top of the world's highest places without leaving home.
Walk straight! - Visit a wood. How far can you walk in a straight line without bumping into a single tree?

On the trail of the 'Detectorists'

As I was in Suffolk last week, I headed for Framlingham as I knew that there were various locations from the series 'Detectorists' and also a wonderful pub just a few miles away where we could go for lunch. Parked up in the Market Square, and from there it was a short walk to several locations. Here are plenty more on a map. Managed to track down four locations: the outside of the 'Two Brewers' pub (the interior was filmed elsewhere), Lance's upstairs flat, the shop where Lance's former partner sells Spiritual goods and scented candles, and the village hall where the DMDC met. Here's me outside said hut. Don't forget the uniformbooks book of course. Still available and an excellent read.

Jonathan Meades on Sustainability

Have blogged about Jonathan Meades before, and his particular presentation style which I like... Lunchtime today was spent in the company of the first in the series "Off-Kilter", made for BBC Scotland and was about Aberdeen . I liked the look of the area known as Fitty. Towards the end, he moved on to Donald Trump and his controversial plans for a golf course in the sand dunes close to Aberdeen. He called the planned development "New Trumpton on Sea" and talked about gated communities and their absentee residents. He riffed on the idea of ' sustainability ' and how every architect and development trumpeted its sustainable credentials. New words like : "Sustain-abulous" and "Sustain-astic" ! Called it "architectural correctness"... "It's a slogan of conformist unoriginality..." "The very act of making a building is energy hungry and vastly wasteful even if the building is an eco-igloo of Fairtrade otter dropp...

Edexcel Cultural Geography Contexts

Those teachers who have opted for the Edexcel 'A' level specification in the UK (for students aged 16-18), there is a unit called "The World of Cultural Diversity" . Today, the pre-release titles were announced. Students will be expected to prepare OPTION 4: The World of Cultural Diversity • Explore what is meant by a global culture, how it is defined and, if it exists, what its characteristics are. • Research contrasting locations, some of which show the effects of cultural globalisation and others which seem to be resisting the process. Would be interested in hearing the thoughts of any blog readers on any suggested resources or thoughts on these particular contexts...

Cultural Geography Blog

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