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Teach Me A Lesson with Greg James and Bella Mackie

CSI Geography: Can we solve a 2,000 year old crime with GCSE Geography?

Teach Me A Lesson with Greg James and Bella Mackie

BBC

Education

4.8957 Ratings

🗓️ 29 November 2021

⏱️ 41 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In a Geography lesson like no other, DI Greg James and DCI Bella Mackie investigate how human bodies can be preserved for thousands of years, with the help of Superintendent McCulloch.

Together, they will look at some of the famous cases of naturally preserved human bodies from history - including the Tollund Man, King Tut and the plaster casts of Pompeii - to find out how they died and why their bodies were so well-preserved for so many years. They'll look at how decomposition works and the factors that can speed it up or slow it down; and along the way they'll discuss the carbon cycle, how fossil fuels are formed, and find out what it's like to be caught in a volcano's pyroclastic flow...

Bad students of all ages are welcome. Expect brilliant teachers, captivating subjects but absolutely no homework.

Get in touch with your funny school stories - email us at teachme@bbc.co.uk

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts.

0:05.0

By the end of this podcast, we're going to answer the question,

0:08.6

can we solve a 2,000 year old crime with G.C.S.E. geography? crime with GCSE geography.

0:13.8

Not with my GCSE geography, perhaps with yours.

0:16.8

That is Bella Mackie.

0:18.0

I'm Greg James, and this is Teach Me a Lesson the podcast that invites the best teachers in the land, to teach us their

0:24.7

favorite lesson because the modern world is busy and you don't have enough time to absorb all the

0:30.0

things you should be absorbing, so this is a great place for you to learn something

0:33.8

new and also Bella have a bloody laugh at the same time. Every day you sound more

0:38.8

like Alan Partridge every day. We've got our kugawls and compasses out for our first ever geography lesson. I remember on my birthday at Chicago's

0:55.0

Rock Cafe my geography teachers bought me loads of shots and I got sick. Oh Christ

0:59.6

Chicago, what was it called? Chicago's Rock Cafe.

1:02.9

Where was that?

1:03.7

Bishop Stalford?

1:04.7

Have you ever been to the pub with the teacher?

1:05.9

Oh, absolutely not.

1:06.9

Ever been on a date with the teacher?

1:08.9

Um...

1:09.9

Okay, when someone asks me that question, don't hesitate with the answer.

1:13.0

That's the thing we need to learn here.

1:15.0

Our teacher today is Mr McCulloch, the assistant head of year 8

1:19.0

at Langley Park School for Boys in Bromley, which is very weird because that is actually where I'm from.

...

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