The Aims for the Kent Projects

2. The Aims for the Kent Projects • To develop children’s and teacher’s knowledge of living things. • To develop children’s scientific enquiry skills. • To develop the outdoor environment as a learning environment. • To develop teachers’ knowledge on how to use outdoor environments safely and effectively • To develop the use of a range of ICT tools. • To begin to make links between school and ‘science experts’

3. Birdwatch • January/February 2010 • Kent Bird Watch 2010 Project Launch • RSPB Survey – Which birds have visited your garden and school grounds? Maths (Data Handling) • Design and Build a Bird Box Design Technology • National Bird Box Week • RSPB Webcasts (3-5 minute webcasts using FlashMeeting will take place every fortnight during Term 3 on the subjects listed below) • Following each web cast pupils will have the opportunity to blog and post questions on the micro-site for RSPB Officers to answer • Winter Migration Birds in our gardens? • What do birds eat? Building a nest box (Save our sparrows)

4. Birdwatch • March / April 2010 • RSPB Officers to visit project schools (subjects to be covered – feathers, feeding, food chains (insects) • Bird Watch World Day – A 24 hour event linking project schools across the world • Which birds have visited your school grounds today? • RSPB and Environmental Experts to online to answer pupils questions • RSPB webcasts • Make a bird feeder • Insects out of hibernation • Feeding • What do birds eat – Plan an experiment (science) • Record and share results (numeracy)

5. Birdwatch • May / June 2010 • Viewing webcams • How many eggs do birds lay? (numeracy) • Birds and their territory • Predators • The life cycle of a bird • Adaptation • Project schools to visit Kent RSPB Centres • Activities to include: Insect Sweep, land use, foodchains, ditch dipping, Invertebrates, bio diversity and The Habitats Game

6. Birds • RSPB – bird identifier - http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier/ • RSPB – big school/little school birdwatch http://www.rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch/

7. Birds (cont) http://www.gatekeeperel.co.uk/poster.html http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/download/hunt_birds.htm http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/download/idial_bird.htm http://www.teachers.tv/video/36468

8. Build a nest using newspaper strips and tape. Can it hold four mini-eggs? And a tennis ball (parent bird)?

9. Learning in the schools grounds - Saving The Gardens of KentStructure of the project • 20 schools were identified who were likely to participate or had shown an interest in developing the outdoor environment. • These teachers attended training days at the two Kent Educational Environmental Centres and a primary school. • 60 children from many of the schools attended a hands-on wildlife day at the 2 centres. • All schools had an opportunity to use video-conferencing as a ways of communicating with some ‘science experts’.

10. The Training Day • Half the day concentrated on ICT. Teachers learnt to use Flash meetings and also how to create a micro-site. • The teachers were then taken out into the grounds of the environmental centres to learn more about what they can do to encourage wildlife into their school grounds. • The final part of the day look at some of the logistics when taking children outside as well as ideas about what they can do with the children.

11. Impact of project – School grounds, teachers and children • Nature was the winner: new habitats, food supplies and cared for better

12. Other effects of the project • Gardening clubs developed – and the children ate or sold the produce. • Experts made better links with the schools – some worked alongside children in many of the classes or ran a talk about nature. • Schools took part in national surveys. • Schools took part in award schemes.

13. Beach study project 20 school ½ day on beach with coastal development officer ½ day in school learning about hazards and risks and using ICT to enhance the learning

14. ICT - Plotting your route and photos using GPS (Mobile Action- I got U) http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/34242

15. ICT - Flashmeeting – between schools and with ‘beach’ experts

16. ICT - Micro-site - Sharing Images/Findings/Questions

17. ICT - National Education Network Gallery – Sharing images

18. ICT - Making the News – A chance for children to publish their finds

19. Improving the school habitats – What do you want? http://www.kentbap.org.uk//assets/library/documents/4_Habitats.pdf Have you… • Bat boxes • Hedgehog homes • Bird feeders and boxes • Ponds • Bee homes • Ladybird homes • Wormery 8. Butterfly gardens 9. Rockeries/log/hot spots piles for mini beasts 10. Composters 11. Grasslands/Meadows 12. Hedgerows 13. Herb Gardens 14. Marshlands 15. Trees 16. Vegetable plots

20. The Kent Biodiversity Partnership - Countryside Management Partnerships Creating an area for nature http://www.kentbap.org.uk/creatingareasfornature/ When creating your area for nature, the Countryside Management Partnerships can help you with the following: •  Establishing your soil type and the right kinds of plants for your site. •  Advising you on the health and safety issues related to the relevant activities, and helping with • risk assessments. •  Putting you in contact with local contractors and suppliers as necessary. •  Carrying out project planning and delivery from start to finish, if you would prefer not to carry out • the works yourself. •  Advising on local biodiversity and habitats. •  Providing volunteer power.

21. Things that can be learnt outside of the classroom • Observations • Identification and classification • Pattern-seeking/suveys • Investigations over time • Problem-solving

22. A. Observations - Nature Walk • Could you develop a route around your habitats? • Can a plaque be placed in the different habitats? • Can you gather information at different times of the year from the different places?

23. Observations • Being a camera • Touchy egg boxes • Magic water! • Woodland concert • Canopy gazing • Nature’s Palette • Painter’s paradise

24. B. Identifying and classifying animals and plants • Spend some time having a look at the different identification resources (charts and ICT). How well will these work with your children? www.gatekeeperel.co.uk

25. Diary of Events

26. Kent and Medway Biological Records Centre (KMBRC) http://www.kmbrc.org.uk/information/community/wildwatch.php • Kent Kids' Wild Watch is an exciting opportunity to help us record Kent's wildlife. We need your help to map Kent's mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians this spring and summer. We need to find out what children see in their gardens or school grounds • Downloadable survey form and animal identification guides: • Mammals • Birds • Reptiles • Amphibians

27. C. Pattern-seeking • What sort of information/data could you collect from different habitats throughout the year?

28. D. Investigations Over Time • What sort of things could you investigate outside over a period of time? • Growing a range of plants • Cover up areas of grass

29. Practical Issues • Planning – When, who, where, how and why? • Resources – People, places and things • Subject knowledge • Weather – are we kitted up for working outside regularly? • Recording – how do we capture the learning? • Assessment – how do we assess the children’s learning?

30. Hazards and Risks • CFE Health & Safety Unit (01622 694476 david.nicholson@kent.gov.uk - Senior Health & Safety Adviser). • You must carry out your own risk assessment • You must draw up your own operating procedures • Check your school insurance. • Anything you are unsure of contact CLEAPPS. • ROSPA Things to consider • Animals – bees, caterpillars • Chemicals • Hygiene • Plants and fungi • Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) • Pond safety • Tools and equipment • Sunburn

31. Use of ICT

32. Recording • Learning log/diary (big books) • Photos and video • ICT – comic life • Regular sharing in assemblies

33. Action Planning • How can you improve the use of schools grounds for children’s learning? • How can you make the most of other environments?