Geographical Association logo
You are not logged in
you are here: home >> Projects >> Living Geography >> Marston Vale
Living Geography
Rotherham   
Marston Vale   
Living Geography: Marston Vale

Reclaiming a Derelict Rural Landscape via Community Forests:
A Case Study of the Forest of Marston Vale

  • What are Community Forests?
  • Where is the Forest of Marston Vale?
  • How do rural landscapes become derelict?
  • What is the legacy of past human intervention?
  • How can Woodland promote a sustainable environment?
  • What developments are sustainable?
The aim of this unit of work is to get students to make decisions about whether they feel that creating new forests has a role in reclaiming damaged landscapes and whether the proposals for the Marston Vale area are sustainable.
woodland

The key to understanding this work is that there are different interpretations of what is meant by 'sustainable development' and that the definitions do not necessarily match.

The work investigates real development proposals for the Forest of Marston Vale between Bedford & Milton Keynes. This is an area where the primary resource is becoming exhausted. Students take on the role of a planning officer in a decision making exercise to investigate up to four proposed developments in the Marston Vale area and decide whether they are sustainable and should be allowed to be developed.

The work is aimed at Key Stage 3 students, but is differentiated in to work for foundation and higher levels.


RESOURCE DOWNLOADS

All resources for this Exercise can be download below. A Zip file containing the full set of resources is also provided at the foot of the page.

Teacher Notes (43k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Introduction to Sustainable Development (Foundation) (141k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Introduction to Sustainable Development (Higher) (144k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Pairing Cards (66k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Taboo Cards (58k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Introduction to Community Forests Worksheet (Foundation) (31k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Introduction to Community Forests Worksheet (Higher) (32k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Introduction to Community Forests Worksheet (Team) (32k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Using Forests to Reclaim Landscapes (Foundation) (32k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Using Forests to Reclaim Landscapes (Higher) (39k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Aims of Community Forests (24k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Memo (Foundation) (22k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Memo (Higher) (21k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Memo (Team) (23k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

Report Writing Frame (36k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Word.

BBC News Article
Link: Jobs Under Threat at Brickworks

Talking Heads (150k)
note: this file requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader.
If you do not have this you can get it free from the Adobe website.

Presentation - Marston Vale (418k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Powerpoint.

Presentation - Warren Wood (352k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Powerpoint.

Presentation - The Wixams (239k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Powerpoint.

Presentation - Woodland (534k)
note: this file requires Microsoft Powerpoint.

Marston Vale Resource Pack (1.8M)
note: this file may require software such as WinZip® or WinRAR® if your operating system cannot open it automatically.
You can get a free trial of WinZip® from the WinZip website.


Map Co-ordinates

Use Google Earth to find aerial photographs of the locations mentioned within this activity:

Kempston Wood: N52:06:45 W0:32:54

Buttons Ramsey: N52:06:34 W0:31:57

Forest Centre: N52:03:56 W0:32:07

Brickworks: N52:04:46 W0:29:54 & N52:04:24 W0:31:03

Landfill sites: N52:06:09 W0:28:33

Warren Wood / Center Parcs: N52:01:21 W0:32:39

Elstow Storage Depot / Wixams: N52:05:17 W0:28:34



<<< back to Living Geography home
 
All pages © The Geographical Association 2004-2006  - Disclaimer

The GA is an independent charity funded predominantly by members.
Support us by becoming a member.
GA Sponsor: