Last week, a group of Year 12 students made their annual geography trip to the Smolensk Oblast and explored the source of the Moscow River. The purpose of this trip was to provide our young geographers with real life experience and to collect data straight from the river’s source for use in their upcoming IA’s on the topic of Freshwater.
In total, the group explored 13 sites, measuring river depth, width, riverbed roughness, and more, collecting all the necessary data in order to understand the features of hydrology and geomorphology at each site. Students were excited to investigate how the Moscow River changes as it flows downstream, and the extent to which it follows the Bradshaw model. In the evenings, students discussed their findings and finalized the calculations required for their learning project. In addition to gathering information and visiting river sites, the group had taken plenty of time to rest and engage in team-bonding activities such as playing volleyball and enjoying a traditional Russian banya, which was of course followed by a swim in the nearby lake.
On the last morning of the trip, the group took a detour to visit the highest point in Moscow Oblast, called “Zamri Mountain”, situated near the village of Shapkino.
Over the years, this trip has become a true BIS tradition, including the welcoming stay at a local village where our students went to rest after climbing Zamri Mountain. BIS Moscow students were able to enjoy freshly baked rhubarb pie and herbal tea with local plants from the hosts’ garden. Our hosts also took students on a tour of the farm that included getting to know the local animals and even mowing grass with a scythe.
It was delightful to see so much hands-on experience and learning take place on one short trip. BIS students enjoyed a lovely weekend away in the countryside, exploring both the geographical aspects needed for their studies, as well as having engaged in cultural experiences.
