Geogra3: Three videos on Russia, Iran and Vietnam to use in lessons

For this week’s Geogra3 I thought I would share three videos that can be used in your lessons, specifically based on Russia, Viet Nam and Iran.  I know I’m in need of a bit a breather at the moment, that’s for sure!

So let’s crack on…..

1. Russia - does it have a geography problem? https://youtu.be/v3C_5bsdQWg

This video clip is only 10 minutes but it is literally jam-packed with geography goodness, largely because it’s based on a chapter from Tim Marshall’s book, Prisoners of Geography.  It considers Russia’s early territorial expansion as well as how the physical geography of Russia has made development more tricky.  It also focuses on the natural resources Russia is home to and reasons for the invasion of Crimea.  

You could use this clip in lessons to help explore student perceptions of Russia, specifically linking to its level of development.  The clip finishes by suggesting that physical geography has had a part to play in Russia’ development but that it was also down to many human factors and this could be a further springboard for discussion.  Of course, it also lends itself perfectly to some wider reading of Prisoners of Geography.

2. Iran from above - in the mountains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fY8BVwsLMA

This 42 minute video from the DW channel on Youtube looks at a range of landscapes and cultures across Iran.  It’s the perfect way to look more in-depth at a Middle Eastern country, with the opportunity for follow up activities to be centred on the variety of climate zones and water scarcity.  

3. Vietnam - the coffee trail https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03sr67n/this-world-the-coffee-trail-with-simon-reeve

Another superb documentary from Simon Reeve that’s available on BBC iPlayer and Clickview.  It’s just under an hour, and follows Reeve as he travels to plantations in the remote central highlands to the processing factories in Ho Chi Minh.  He considers the development of the industry in a one-party state and questions whether their dependence on the instant coffee market is sustainable.

This video is perfect for exploring where our coffee comes from and lends itself to considering sustainable coffee producers as well as fair trade.

If you would like to utilise these video clips in your lessons but are limited on the time needed to prepare resources around them, you might want to have a look at the Geography Teacher Box vault.  

Lesson presentations and worksheets with answers have just been added for each of these videos, so have a quick watch of the preview below to get an idea of what there is:

You can currently access the GTB vault on a 7 day free trial and then join for as little as £3.99!  So come and join us - you deserve to take a breather for all the amazing work you do.

I love nothing more than supporting Geography teachers as we are a pretty awesome bunch.  

So here are five ways that I can help you….

• The GTB Vault - Classroom-ready presentations and worksheets so you never need to feel guilty about showing a video in class again! New pick up and go lesson resources added every month.
• Changing China - a set of 10+ classroom-ready lessons for students aged 11-44, with homework activities and an assessment PLUS a set of Youtube lessons that you can provide for absent students.
• The Geography Teacher Box bookstore - boost your subject knowledge while supporting local independent bookshops
• Tote-ally Geography - A newly created store with tote bags designed specifically for geography teachers.
• Connect with other like-minded Geography teachers and share resources (suitable for teachers of students aged 11-18) - The GTB Facebook Group