A blog providing ideas and resources for those teachers hoping to teach the new GCSE Specification, first announced in April 2022. Draft subject content released for consultation in June 2026 - for first teaching from 2028 or 2029.
Another in a series of posts on people who one would probably be worth discussing with students as part of the final course, because of their contributions to Natural History.
It remains to be seen whether this will actually form part of the final specification.
Alexander von Humboldt should have a place on any such list.
There is a very useful book on the life and work of von Humboldt by Andrea Wulf: a biography published in 2015 which won several awards.
It outlines his pioneering work in a range of sciences, including the creation of
Here's a short video from the Smithsonian which talks about his ideas, some of which were contemporaneous with other figures.
His first major expedition to South America began in 1799. It would last five years and what he 'discovered' and described there was to kick start his career.
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& one from TED Education...
Von Humboldt was also credited with some of the early examples of infographics, which he developed.
Evolution is co-produced by The Open University and the BBC, and supported by leading OU academics specialising in evolution, ecology and the history of life on Earth.
Through Chris Packham's journey, the series explores the extraordinary story of life on our planet, from humble origins to the complex creatures we see today, shaped in surprising ways by the unstoppable force of evolution.
Earth in 100 Seconds is a short film made by Daniel Raven Ellison - with each second revealing 1% of land and how we are using it.
After the premiere last night, the film is now available.
From the film's script:
"What are we using planet Earth for?
Let’s go for a walk to find out.
Each second of our walk reveals 1% of land and how we’re using it.
We spend our first 10 seconds walking across a frozen land of ice.
The next 11 in desert, barren and rocky lands.
14 more seconds of our walk is through ecosystems we minimally use including only 8 seconds of intact forests.
All other land is directly exploited by people.
So that makes just 35% of the Earth's land area is 'natural' - we could debate that.
Just 1% of land is built on
Crops cover 11% of land, nearly half of these are fed to livestock
For 20 seconds, we’re in the woods again These forests are managed for their timber and play a vital role in regulating our climate, air and water Some are great for wildlife, while much are not.
We’ve prioritised over a third of land for producing meat, dairy and animal products.
14 seconds of our walk is on less used wilder grasslands and rangelands As well as cows, sheep and goats, wild animals could graze here Some livestock is managed carefully so other species can flourish, much is not
Our final 19 seconds is through pastures that we mostly use for rearing cows.
Cows now have a collective mass that’s nearly 10 times greater than all wild mammals combined At a time of climate crisis And when a million species are at risk of extinction Why not rethink this mix of lands we have and how we use them I need more trees please I think more nature would be greater So what if we made more space, for nature?"
Dan explains why he made the film:
This is an important little film. It tells the story of how we're using and (mis)using the planet.. all through a humble walk. Earth is vast and complex, making it difficult to fully comprehend its scale, understand how we’re using it, or organise efforts to manage it more effectively.
Thoughtful land use is vital for the survival of humans and countless other species, as well as for creating fair and equitable futures. Access to better data and insights about how we interact with land is crucial - whether it’s choosing what to eat or deciding who to support at the ballot box.
This film draws on data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land. While the report does an excellent job of presenting the facts, its charts and graphs often fail to connect with people on a human level.
Earth in 100 Seconds transforms this data into a relatable journey, using a simple walk to evoke a sense of story, place, and scale.
In just a couple of minutes, it allows viewers not only to see what the data means but also to feel its impact - by sitting through it.
We desperately need to have better relationships with the rest of life on our planet and the land, climate, resources and systems we all depend on - ones that are kinder, healthier and more harmonious.
I hope this short film sparks meaningful conversations that help make that happen more of the time.
This follows the recent designation of the Flow Country as a World Heritage site as mentioned in the previous blog post.
Bog Day is celebrated around the world every year on the fourth Sunday in July.
This annual event, in celebration of bogs, fens, swamps & marshes is an opportunity to raise awareness of peatlands – the benefits they provide, the threats they face and the ways we can all help protect them.
This site is linked to the work of the Global Peatlands Initiative.
A day to read Annie Proulx's book, which is coming up in a future 'Reading List' post.
We are starting to see increasing evidence of what I always taught about when I first started teaching in the 1980s... tipping points being approached or reached where we change some aspect of a physical system into a new state which is irreversible.
This will have a dramatic impact on natural systems, and all life, as our food supply will also be impacted.
The one I always used to talk about was with respect to permafrost, which I used to teach about in the old Cambridge 'A' level, before all the hard physical stuff was taken out...
