2) Bangkok is a Fantastic Place

On 11 Aug, 2012 By admin With 0 Comments

Two double lessons, two homework activities.

Contents:

Part C and D – Understand and carry out the main task – A Geographer’s Mini-Guide to Bangkok

PART A – Why is Bangkok ‘fantastic’?

Bangkok is a Fantastic Place

1) Discuss [5 mins] – What do you think we might mean by a fantastic place? What fantastic places outside of Bangkok have you visited in the last six months?

Why were they fantastic? Share with the class – the teacher might start this discussion off.

2) Ideas from Pictures [10 minutes]. View the slideshow below as a class. Take your time when we view each of the pictures. What do the pictures make you think of? Record any words or phrases that come to mind. What makes Bangkok unique? What makes it special? Bonus: try and use the Key Geography words we have learned recently. The class can share the ideas, and they can be recorded on the whiteboard / or large pieces of paper in the middle of a group table.

BPS Direct Link

3) Pairwork: (5 minutes) List and discuss your top 5 most special / important places in Bangkok. Explain to your partner why they are special / important.

4) Image Hunt (15 minutes): Find images on the Internet of the places that are special to you.

Paste them into a Word or Publisher document and make sure that you save this document on your laptop (call it Firstname Surname Class Bangkok Guide).

Give each picture a title, and also a link to where you found the picture.

Write a couple of sentences to describe each place and why it is important. Bonus: can you use any Geography key words for these? Use the shared ideas from the slideshow discussion to help you.

Here is a good example. Click on the dots on the writing under the picture to understand why this is a good example:

Rama 9 Park

Why is Bangkok an important city to us?

PART B – Become a Google Maps Ninja

The purpose of this part is to become comfortable with using Google Maps, and also to find some maps / satellite images to add to your document of special / important places in Bangkok.

1) Experiment (5 minutes): View this Google map of Bangkok and explore (click on the map below). Experiment with the controls. Zoom in and out to try a different scale. Try a different layer (top right) – satellite view or map view. Do not click on Earth view! Find a special place. Try stuff out. Some of you will know how to use Street View – show someone else who doesn’t know. It’s time to experiment …

Problem: my laptop doesn’t work right now! Share a laptop with someone else, but make sure you take it in turns.

2) Become a Google Maps Ninja and 3) Map Hunt (25 minutes)

In this section your teacher will play the presentation below while you continue to use Google Maps. Follow the instructions carefully. Your teacher will check that you have ‘exactly’ the same place and view on your screen as shown on the presentation. There are bonus questions to think of the answer to as others find the places. Don’t worry if you can’t find all of them / if you get lost – this is only to practice. Hopefully you will get better each time.

Bangkok on Google Maps Activity from James Penstone

BPS Direct Link

For the last slide activity, add your special places to a Word/ Publisher Document, but make sure you add a mix of maps / satellite images / street view images. You might already have a document from Part A, but if not, now is time to create and save it … (call it Firstname Surname Class Bangkok Guide).

3) Time left over?

You might want to review our first Geography Key Words. Notice that we have a glossary on the website.

Otherwise, now is a good time to read the main task in the Section below, so that you can start on it for homework.

Notice that you might already have a document which you can begin to use for some of the mini-guide – you might have saved pictures and maps already.

Part C & D – A Geographer’s Mini-Guide to Bangkok

The main task of this unit is shown here:

Some Suggested Resources:

Library Books – your class might book the School Library for one of these lessons, in which you could use both your laptop and the reference books for Bangkok.

Bangkok BTS Map From Free Printable Maps (click on the map if you need it, then right click to save it)

Map of Bangkok From Free Printable Maps (click on the map if you need it, then right click to save it)

Wikipedia

Google Maps

Wolfram Alpha (a clever search engine – ask it a question about Bangkok, and see if it can give you an answer).

Flickr for Creative Commons pictures that can use if you mention the name of the person who made it and include a link to the original.

Here is an example of what a first page might look like. Hover over the ‘hot spots’ to see why this would score a high level. It is up to you how you present your guide, but try to include a lot of detail, written in your own words (unless you give quotes).