Investigating the Changing Chilterns

Year 7 girls were treated to a visit by the Chiltern Society this week as part of the work they have been doing on The Changing Chilterns in Geography.  Gavin Johnson (Head of Conservation) and Fiona Bennett-Meere (Ranger) from the Society spoke to the year group about the unique nature of the Chilterns and the pressures the area is currently facing. 

Following on from this, Pipers girls took part in a workshop in which they used the Augmented Reality Sand Box to build relief models of parts of the Chilterns. They also used Google Expeditions, the Library's new VR headsets and a variety of maps, newspapers and magazines to find out more about the impact of large scale developments, such as the building of new homes and HS2 on the Chilterns.

The girls particularly enjoyed using the VR headsets as they explored pristine rainforest in Borneo and then rainforest clearance, identifying how large-scale development there can be linked to issues closer to home.  By being immersed "virtually" in a different environment, the girls were shocked at the changes inflicted by humans on natural environments and this has made them all the more determined to take more interest in local issues.