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On Day 1 the students went to Walton on the Naze in Essex.
Students were using a theodolite to measure the beach profile to see if the protection methods (groynes) were working. Students were also testing the percolation rates and sediment size at the north and south side of the groynes. Whilst the students were sieving the sediment so they only had sediment greater than 5 mm, some were lucky enough to discover Sharks teeth. These fossilised teeth were part of the deposits found in the London clay at the base of the cliff and are estimated to be 54 million years old. Students then analysed all this data to prove or disprove their hypotheses that they had written in the morning. While doing these students did a cost benefit analysis to see if the area was worth protecting. When the area was seen as not worth protecting this made students think about how would people respond knowing their home or business would be allowed to fall into the sea.
On Day 2 students were investigating the proposals and impacts of developing a container port at Harwich in Essex. Students were wandering around the town conducting interviews to local residents to see what local people thought. It is worth destroying the natural salt marshes to develop this container port? Students were also looking at the environmental quality of the area and the land use. Students followed the work up by having a debate on the effects by taking up different roles of possible people where they did some secondary research. This was really good as it gave the students a chance to work with students from another school (Chesham Grammar).
On Day 3 the students visited Ipswich for the day where they were looking at the rebranding of the Ipswich Docks. Students looked at historic photographs of the area and then could see how the area had been completely transformed. While in Ipswich students were conducting some fieldwork. This included asking people a questionnaire about the rebranding and redevelopment of the docks. Here students could see there were many different opinions regarding the changes to the docks. Students also looked at the land use in much more detail in Ipswich and could see there was a big difference between some parts of Ipswich and the dockland areas. Students were also measuring the sound in different areas using equipment to measure the sound. This involved students taking ten measurements at each of their sites. Students were also analysing to see which areas of Ipswich were experiencing signs of growth or decline.
On Day 4 students went to a rural village in Suffolk called Hadleigh. This was another case study on rebranding, but on the rebranding of attitudes rather than buildings. Here students went to a local farmer's food shop and a local food hall. Here students were testing food miles to see if food being bought was from local sources or further afield. Students were to find out the attitude to people living in the area and it could be seen there was a strong community present. This was because many local people were protesting about the development of Tesco and signs were present saying Tesco, hands off Hadleigh. Students also performed a recently new fieldwork technique called shopper shadowing. This is where students were to follow somebody down the high street to see what shops they went in so the data could be plotted on a map. This was to see if people were using independent shops. Students were also investigating to see if Hadleigh was a clone town or a home town, depending on the amount of independent and chain stores that were present along the high street.
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