Geogra3: Documentaries on the Somerset Levels, waste and the city of Shenzhen

Hello and welcome to this month’s edition of the Geogra3!  I’m sharing three documentaries to help bring geography to life in your classroom, including the flooding of the Somerset Levels, how to build a waste-free world and life in Shenzhen.

1. Shenzhen: the people’s republic of the future.

When it comes to technology, Shenzhen may well be the most fascinating city in the world. It makes the majority of our electronics. It clones the best technology Silicon Valley has to offer with ease. And, these days, Shenzhen buzzes with new ideas and an unrivalled energy that ensures it will play a major role in shaping our collective futures. 

In this episode of Hello World, journalist Ashlee Vance heads to the spectacle that is Shenzhen to experience it firsthand. The results are equal parts inspiring and disconcerting as tech-fueled entrepreneurs try to navigate an authoritarian regime.

2. Somerset: After the Floods

The Somerset Levels is a commonly used case study at GCSE to illustrate the unprecedented changes in rainfall patterns that have been experienced in the south of England.  This video highlights the challenges residents faced and the difficult decisions made when evacuating.  It also highlights their frustrations with the Environment Agency and insurance companies.  A useful addition to any scheme of work to help students see the variety of stakeholders in an event like this.

The video is available with the Educational Recording Agency via this link: https://era.org.uk/streaming-service-resource/somerset-after-the-floods/ (free for UK schools to join) or you can find it on Clickview if your school subscribes.

3. Building a waste-free world

This programme draws on a variety of examples to challenge the way we think about waste.  As consumers we often operate in a closed system of waste - what is no longer useful or on trend, we discard without considering the consequences.  The natural world is now suffering from the waste we throw away.  Instead, we should operate in a circular manner whereby waste becomes a resource.  This video highlights solutions that draw their inspiration from the natural world and introduces us to the people bringing these extraordinary ideas to light. 

You can find the programme via this link: https://www.documentaryarea.com/video/Build+a+Waste+Free+World/

To make your life easier, I've created question and answer sheets linked to each of these documentaries. You can find them in the Geography Teacher Box vault, along with a growing library of 90 other resources, which is added to every month. Join today, and let's keep teaching firmly in its job box, allowing you to reclaim your evenings. 

Bring the world into your classroom and inspire the next generation of geographers with these captivating documentaries, while still ensuring you can have a sustainable career without burn out.