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Belgium Visit - 30th Sept - 2nd October
Written by Aima Kazmi, Jonah Williams, Gabriel Keen & Archie Tomkins
On Friday we visited 3 different places. The first was the ‘Gooses Foot’. It
depicts King Albert, the King of Belgium, and is made entirely of mud and
clay from the trenches. After visiting a trench we went to a Belgian cemetery. Our
guide Neil explained to us about the French and Flemish language differences on
the grave stones and we were able to look around. It was a really good start to the
trip and helped go over some of the causes of WW1.
The next day was very full and was based in Ypres which was commonly known
by the soldiers as ‘Wipers’. We went to an old medical station, the ‘In Flanders
Field’ museum and learned all about the Menin Gate. We came back to the Menin
Gate later on for the Last Post ceremony that takes place every day. When we were in Poperinge in the afternoon
we visited Talbot House where soldiers could enjoy, relax and refresh themselves. In Talbot House there
was one rule that there was no distinction between anybody so a captain would be treated the same as a private.
Sunday we visited a few more places before heading back. The first of which was Canada! A little plot of
land was given to Canada forever during the WW1 for helping to defend the front line during a gas attack. We
also stopped at two very different cemeteries. One of them was Tyne Cot cemetery where thousands of soldiers
were either buried, or their names were on display as their bodies were not found. The other cemetery
was German cemetery. This was very different and even had a mass grave where 25,000 soldiers were buried.
We really enjoyed the trip and it gave us a great insight into how people fought and died in WW1. Our guide
was excellent throughout the trip – thank you Neil. A final thanks goes to the teachers too.
This year Year 9 and 12 students at Rushcliffe School took part in virtual field trips around the world through the
use of technology provided by the Google Expeditions Pioneer Programme.
Students used Google Cardboard viewers, which operate using a smartphone, to view 360˚ panoramas of sites
around the world that are usually impossible or impractical to visit, and were able to identify and understand the
disastrous negative impacts of climate change. The teacher’s used a tablet to direct the students towards points
of interest, with built in annotations and questions aiding student discussions.
Some of the negative impacts of climate change that the students could explore included the bleaching of corals
at the Great Barrier Reef, melting of ice caps on Mount Everest and the Matterhorn, the inevitable submergence
of Venice due to rising sea levels, and the melting of Arctic Sea ice, all of which are current issues of global
importance.
Students were captivated by the immersive experience within the environments we usually study in the classroom,
which ultimately promoted the pupils to question their surroundings and develop a deeper understanding
of the world around them.
Following the virtual reality field trip, students carried out research into the locations they experienced on the
Cardboard viewers and using the information collected will take part in a competition to create a resource to
raise awareness of the devastating effects of climate
change.
Ultimately, Google Expeditions provided students with an
unparalleled opportunity to experience alternative teaching
and learning techniques, and develop a deeper understanding
of current issues facing our society.
N.B. The scenes have been developed by The Wildlife Conservation
Society, PBS, the American Museum of Natural
History, the Planetary Society and the Palace of Versailles.
Miss Wilson