Ideas- of easy (and light) (and inexpensive - or free) things to collect to take and bring back......for contrasting /comparative location studies............these all worked brilliantly when I did a study of Canada - my poor parents were anxious about being stopped in customs and having to explain the strange array of things they had collected for me during their trip...........................

• collect wrappings from foods - tin labels, squashed cartons and boxes - to compare and contrast with those from here - especially good if they are familiar brands....with a different language
• Newspapers..........Local and National .......a font of all kinds of interesting stuff - and not just news - look in the adverts too!
• Estate agents details - to show the kind of housing in each location
• Bus and train time-tables - often have maps and pictures of the local buses and trains on the front- could be used for maths - time work too? ................
• Lottery tickets ...............
• An Argos (or similar catalogue) - look at toys/household appliances furniture etc...........prices and design
• A collection of small change up to £1 and a photocopy/scan of paper money - in colour if you can manage it
• Postcards of notable views - which can then be pinned around a map and joined by threads to show location.................
• TV Times or similar - what do children there watch on TV ?.........
• A teen type magazine - comparison of pin-ups - so children there like the Spice Girls? Are the Top Ten records similar in a give week?
• School uniforms - pictures from a Ladybird brochure (Woolies)
• School dinners - a week's menus
• School timetable -
• Class timetable - to be more specific in your comparison - "What are our pen-pals doing now?"
• Class data - for each class to work on - pets, birthday months
• A McDonald's Happy Meal (eat the burger first - but save all wrappings)
• Take some Nottingham lace - there are coasters/ mats on Victoria Market cheap enough for you to be able to afford to present one to each child in your link class
• Robin Hood - there is LOADS of stuff in the shop
• Photos of the school area
• Photos of the class at work - set pieces - in assembly, PE dinnertime, playtime, in the structured play area
• A typical reading book - one with simple text and story line so it can be 'read'

Sue L-B x