Welcome to 8850
The Highest Geography On Earth
Starter: Check out both of the videos below. How Hollywood portrays Mount Everest, and how a climber of the mountain might view it!
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Task 1 - Which view do you think is more accurate?
Would you like to attempt to climb Everest?
Why or why not?
Write down ten adjectives that you would use to describe Mount Everest from what you have seen in the video.
Task 2 - 2023 - A 70 Year Anniversary of?
2023 was an important year for Mount Everest.
i. Wind the clock back 70 years from 2023, what year would you be in?
ii. Conduct a quick Google search with that year and 'Mount Everest' and find out why and what happened back then.
Task 3 - Everest & Music
Now watch the video below from the music group 'Public Service Broadcasting'. Do you recognise any of the people in the video?
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Nearly 60 years to the day after the first ascent up Mount Everest, Russian extreme sport star Valery Rozov (48) flew off the north face of Mount Everest - the world's highest BASE jump ever - 7220 meters (23,688ft) above sea level.
Where is Everest & What is it Like?
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Objective: To find out about the conditions that surround the highest mountain in the world.
*On this map, you will see Tibet, but on other maps all you will see is China.
Click here to find out more about the trouble between China & Tibet. Task 1 - Using both the fact sheet and the map (above), create your own annotated 'Where is Everest & What's it Like' fact sheet. You should include the location of Everest as well as your chosen 10 facts. Use the Google map to the right to help you. Adding an unusual image and caption from Everest will also help to improve the presentation of your work. This would be my chosen image. |
From the Sea Bed to the Top of the World
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Objective: To find out how and when Mount Everest (a Fold Mountain) was formed and to see if it is getting taller.
Task 1 - Watch the YouTube video to the right hand side. This is a documentary but you only need to watch up to 11:20. You might find it helpful to make some notes on what you see and hear. Use this worksheet to help you. i. What are the three main layers of rock called that are found on Mount Everest? ii. What were the risks in collecting the samples? iii. What evidence exists to prove that this rock was formed under the oceans? The climber you will see in the video is called Kenton Cool and he holds several Everest records including the one to the right where he sent the first ever tweet from the summit of Everest. You can find out more about him here. Cartoon Strip Task - EVEREST - 50 MILLION YEARS IN THE MAKING. Task 2 - You will be creating a cartoon strip to show the formation of the Himalayas in six stages. Y ou can use the video and the fact sheet (above) to guide you. For the video, the timings of the useful clips are indicated for you. Stage 1 - Continental Drift - India on the Move (15.00 - 16.17) Stage 2 - Crashing & Folding (16.17 - 16.52) Stage 3 - Folding & Thrusting (18.16 - 22:45) Stage 4 - Everest today - Most Famous Mountain in the World (no section on the video for this, draw it in its present state - with plenty of climbers all over it!) Stage 5 - The Growing Quakes (27.30 - 31:30) *Note that he talks about a potential forthcoming earthquake in Nepal* Was he right? Check this out from 2015 (4 years after the documentary was made). Stage 6 - Monsoon & Glaciers - Cutting Everest Down? (31:43 - 38.02) |
The first ever Tweet sent from the summit of Everest by Kenton Cool
Stage 2 - The formation of the Himalayas caused by the movement of India.
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Task 3 - Why does Everest's height keep changing?
Watch the Vox video.
A. Why was it difficult for British surveyors in the 1800s to measure Mount Everest accurately?
B. Why was the 2020 measurement important for Nepal, not just for science?
(3–4 sentences)
Note: A Spanish summary of the video can be found by clicking here.
The Sherpa People of Everest
The 'Rockstars of Everest'!
Spend a little time as a class watching both of the videos below. They show you the different roles and responsibilities that the Sherpa people have in and around the Everest region in Nepal.
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Objective: To find out who lives close to Mount Everest and how these people help mountaineers to climb Mount Everest.
Task 1 - The toughest people on the planet??
You must read the fact sheet above carefully If you are using Word, you can use the online highlighter tool (ask your teacher to show you) to show the most important information about the Sherpa. You will create a person profile (like you find on the back pages of magazines) for a 'famous' Sherpa of your chocie. You can research some of the best known here. A photo of that Sherpa should be in the middle of your document, and this should be surrounded by important information to enable the reader to gain as much information as possible about your chosen Sherpa and their achievements.* 
Physical attributes - Think of ...
Strength Ability to operate at high altitudes Work long hours Fit & healthy Personal attributes & skills - Think of... Languages Communication Attitude towards clients First aid Motivation Climbing Equipment |
Did you Know?? 
Task 3 - The Hardest Job on Earth? You must carefully read this article and watch the 'Sherpa Official Trailer' above. Have you ever wondered which Sherpa has the record for the most ascents of Everest? This 6 minute Podcast will give you the answer! Using one PowerPoint slide, create a job advert for a Sherpa Guide on Everest.
You will need to include physical and personal attributes. The mortality (death) rate of a typical Sherpa working on Everest is around 1.2%. That means approximately one out of every 100 Sherpa will die doing their job |
Extra Research: Watch the BBC 1 hour documentary on the Sherpa below.
Reaching The Summit Of Everest 1953
Objective: To learn about the first ever people to climb to the summit of Mount Everest and the record their adventure as a series of Instagram posts
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1953 was a big year for Mount Everest. After 50 million years on its own and left alone, at 11.30am on 28th May, two now famous explorers reached the summit of the highest land on earth. Task 1 - Watch the 1950's newsreel YouTube video that records the excitement after the event. Remember, there were no Tweets or Skype calls from the top back in 1953. Task 2 - Download, save and read the fact sheet above carefully. Again, use the PDF highlighter tools to mark out key dates and events. Use this together with the Planning my Instagram worksheet to identify key people, dates and places on this historic expedition. Task 3 - Create an Instagram Feed for either Sir Edmund Hillary or Tenzing Norgay (his Sherpa) about the adventure in 1953. Click the tab above to access the programme. There is a little 'How To' video on the front page to help you to get started. Use your worksheet to think carefully about...
You will need to research both people for their place of birth, date of birth etc using your Google skills. Extension - If you have finished before your classmates, please click on this link and complete the research necessary and follow the instructions. You will need to watch up to 6.50 of the YouTube video. |
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Altitude Sickness & The Death Zone
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Objective: To find out about the effects of the 'Death Zone' on the human body and the story behind Green Boots.
The Death Zone relates to any area of a mountain that is above 8000 metres in altitude. Seemingly fit and healthy climbers and mountaineers can suddenly drop dead or start suffering from a number of illnesses above 8000 metres. There is no of knowing how your body will react until you are there. Task 1 - Download and complete the worksheet below Task 2 - The Killer in the Death Zone Open the tab above and read carefully about the effects of altitude sickness on the human body. Using the Primary & Severe symptoms from the Wikipedia list, annotate all of the effects onto your unfortunate climber on this worksheet! Task 3 - How does this look in reality? Then play the first YouTube video at above right - 'Doctors in the Death Zone' between 39.33 and 49:00. Here is an alternative link for the video (start at 46.40) Task 4 - Who was 'Green Boots'?
Starter Task - Listen to this 10 minute BBC Witness Podcast. This sets the scene on the fateful day that claimed the lives of many climbers in one terrible storm. Here is the transcript if you need it. Green Boots is among many corpses remaining on Everest. Over the years it became a common term, as all the expeditions from the north side encounter the body of the Indian climber curled up in the limestone alcove cave. The cave is located at 27,890 feet (8 500 m), and is littered with spent oxygen bottles. |
Greenboots - Died on Everest in 1996 near the summit. Picture taken in 2010.
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Using the image above right and the information in the Wikipedia article, create a mini fact file on the likely identity of Green Boots and the reason why he was in the same place until 2014 when he mysteriously disappeared and then reappeared and is back in 2018.
Task 5 - Open the worksheet in the tab below. Complete all the tasks as set out. Check, proof read and print out to hand to your teacher.
Task 6 - Bodies & The Death Zone
i. Recap on what we have learned so far and watch the first video below as a class.
ii. Now, with your headphones one, spend 10 minutes watching and listening to the video below.
Please fill in the worksheet below.
You can access a Chat GPT generated translation of the transcript here in Japanese, or here in Spanish.
Task 7 - Your teacher will read this account, taken from a BBC article. Here is a summary of the article in Japanese, and here in Spanish.
Listen carefully to the content, and you may wish to look up 'Sleeping Beauty Everest' on Google.
Warning, this will take you to a picture of the body of the climber who is the focus of this article. Once you have finished reading the article, complete the 10 minute review task below.
Task 8 - Watch and read the resources below, starting with the National Geographic 360° video and then the 'Cleaning Mount Everest' video followed by the two BBC articles, and the short BBC video. Complete the note taking sheet below as you study each of the resources.
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What Kenton Told Us About the Bodies
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🌍 Role Play: The Great Everest Debate
🎯 Task 9 - Your Task
You will work in a group to create a short presentation answering this question:
What should be done about bodies and waste on Mount Everest?
The Nepalese Government is planning to invest millions of dollars into a new strategy. Your group must propose a plan that meets these three objectives:
👥 Your Role
Each group represents one of the following viewpoints:
1. Families of Dead Climbers - Here is your Google Doc
"Our loved ones died doing what they loved. Everest is their final resting place, and they should be left in peace where they died."
Think about:
2. Sherpa Community - Here is your Google Doc
"Everest is sacred to us. We do not want it covered in bodies or waste, even if removing them is dangerous."
Think about:
3. Nepalese Environment Agency - Here is your Google Doc
"Everest has a serious waste problem. Bodies are an issue, but pollution from rubbish and human waste is a bigger environmental concern."
Think about:
🗣️ What You Must ALL Do
💡 You Should Include
⚖️ Debate Rules
🏆 How You Will Be Judged
You will be assessed on:
🧠 Final Challenge
Your plan must balance:
👉 There is no perfect answer.
The best groups will show balanced thinking and strong justification. Your mark scheme is accessible in the orange tab below.
🎯 Task 9 - Your Task
You will work in a group to create a short presentation answering this question:
What should be done about bodies and waste on Mount Everest?
The Nepalese Government is planning to invest millions of dollars into a new strategy. Your group must propose a plan that meets these three objectives:
- Promote environmental sustainability and better practices on Everest
- Keep the Sherpa community happy and respect Everest as a religious symbol
- Honour the memory of climbers who have died on the mountain
👥 Your Role
Each group represents one of the following viewpoints:
1. Families of Dead Climbers - Here is your Google Doc
"Our loved ones died doing what they loved. Everest is their final resting place, and they should be left in peace where they died."
Think about:
- Respect and dignity
- Emotional impact on families
- Personal choice of climbers
2. Sherpa Community - Here is your Google Doc
"Everest is sacred to us. We do not want it covered in bodies or waste, even if removing them is dangerous."
Think about:
- Religious and cultural beliefs
- Respect for the mountain
- Risks faced by Sherpas
3. Nepalese Environment Agency - Here is your Google Doc
"Everest has a serious waste problem. Bodies are an issue, but pollution from rubbish and human waste is a bigger environmental concern."
Think about:
- Pollution (poo, oxygen cylinders, rubbish)
- Increasing number of climbers
- Long-term environmental damage
🗣️ What You Must ALL Do
- Create a 5-minute presentation
- Include at least 5.10 PowerPoint slides
- Present your group’s opinion and solution
- Explain how your plan meets all 3 objectives
💡 You Should Include
- Facts about Everest (height, death zone, number of climbers, waste issues)
- Examples from the videos and reading
- Clear arguments and reasoning
- A realistic solution
⚖️ Debate Rules
- One speaker (or multiple) presents for each group
- Listen carefully to other groups
- Be ready to challenge or question other ideas
🏆 How You Will Be Judged
You will be assessed on:
- Clear and convincing argument
- Use of geographical knowledge and facts
- Understanding of different perspectives
- Creativity and realism of your solution
- Confidence and teamwork in presentation
🧠 Final Challenge
Your plan must balance:
- People
- Environment
- Culture
👉 There is no perfect answer.
The best groups will show balanced thinking and strong justification. Your mark scheme is accessible in the orange tab below.
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**OPTIONAL** Task 10 - You will be split into groups of 5. Each of you will be allocated a role from the worksheet above .Your role is very specific on your card. You are to work together to produce an A2 sized presentation for 'Toulouse Trekkers LTD' detailing how you plan to scale the highest mountain in the world. You must all take part in the presentation. You will have 10 minutes per group. |
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A Diary From The Top Of The World (Optional)
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Task 11 - You are on a paid adventure with Wadebury Everest Expeditions LTD. and you have just spent 3 weeks trekking up to the base camp of Mount Everest (see map to the right).
After two days of acclimatization, you are ready to go! Using the base map to the right as your guide, you should create a diary entry detailing the journey to the summit. It is up to you how dramatic your voyage is and whether you all make it or not.
You should use the following tools to help you: 1. The Google Earth Tour - click on blue tab right 3. The Five YouTube videos below Watch each of the videos and note down the information on the table on the worksheet to the right. Once you have done this, you can start to write each of your 5 entries (one for each of the video locations). |
Your planned route up Everest towards the South Summit
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1. Base Camp - Everest3. Western Cwm (Camp 1 - Camp 2) |
2. Khumba Icefall (Base Camp to Camp 1)4. Lhotse Face (Camp 2 -Camp 3) |
5. The Last Push - Camp 3 to South Col and then to Summit
Everest Written Assessment (Compulsory)
Why is Mount Everest so important for Nepal's Economy?
Objective: To produce a written report outlining the importance of continued extreme outdoor tourism to Nepal.
Before we go any further, we need to learn about some economic geography terms. We often hear about rich and poor countries but we do classify them as follows:
LIC =Low Income Country
MIC = Medium Income Country
HIC= High Income Country
We can measure how developed a country is by using a number of development indicators such as:
- Birth Rates
- Death Rates
- Life Expectancy
- GDP Per Capita
- Literacy Rates
Task 1 - How developed is Nepal compared to the UK?
We are going to use the UK as a comparison as that is where Kenton Cool is from and he holds the record for the most ascents of Everest by a non-Nepalese climber.
Open and download the worksheet below and complete using the CIA World Factbook website. Links to the website are embedded on the worksheet.
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Task 2 - Remind yourself about the Sherpa. Spend 5 minutes watching the first (Everest Tourism Changed Sherpa Lives) and make some notes on who the Sherpa are and what they do and what change has happened. Task 3- What are the impacts on the Sherpa? Check out the first video, 'Disposable Man video to the right. Make notes on the content of the video. Task 4 - What are the environmental risks of too many people on Everest? Check out the third video to the right, and this video too (about cleaning the trash from Everest). Make notes on the content and the rules that are being put in place to control the environmental degradation of the Everest region. Task 5 - Update 2024 - How are Nepal trying to reduce Everest deaths? Watch the video (Electronic Chips Mandatory...) to take notes on how and why the government of Everest is trying to reduce accidents and deaths on the mountain by insisting that climbers wear electronic chips. Make notes on when the rules will start and how the scheme works. Task 6 - You are now ready to start writing up your assessment. See the tab below for full instructions and download the essay template sheet from the blue tab below. |
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OK, your research is now complete. You are now ready to start writing your report from the notes your have made above.
Don't forget your title:
Why is Mount Everest so important for Nepal's Economy?
Open and download the 'Everest Report Student Mark Sheet' from the tab above. This shows you exactly what you have to do to get the best marks on each section. Your report should be about three - five sides of A4 typed up with images, maps and text.
Don't forget for the location in the introduction, you can use the work you completed for lesson 1 (at the top of this page) to help you.
Good luck.
Thanks to The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and Jonathan Parrott for resources in this unit of work.
Don't forget your title:
Why is Mount Everest so important for Nepal's Economy?
Open and download the 'Everest Report Student Mark Sheet' from the tab above. This shows you exactly what you have to do to get the best marks on each section. Your report should be about three - five sides of A4 typed up with images, maps and text.
Don't forget for the location in the introduction, you can use the work you completed for lesson 1 (at the top of this page) to help you.
Good luck.
Thanks to The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and Jonathan Parrott for resources in this unit of work.
