Woodland Detectives Suitable for EYFS and KS1, March to November This programme is designed to introduce students to the Arboretum and its inhabitants. Students explore animal signs and homes to discover which animals live at Westonbirt and where and how these animals live. Key Concepts Habitats, animals in the environment, animal needs Learning Outcomes By the end of the programme, students should be able to: • List the resources animals need to survive – shelter, water, air and food • Explain that a habitat is a home • Use animal tracks and signs to identify the different animals that live at Westonbirt • Describe a simple woodland food chain, using the terms plant, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore Vocabulary Words and phrases relating to: • Life processes – produce new plants, produce young, reproduce • Names for animals – worm, snail, fly, robin • Names for plants – daisy, dandelion, oak tree • Features of animals and plants -­‐ fur, feathers, shell, branch • Comparative expressions -­‐ long, longer, small, smaller, smallest, similar to, different from • Expressions of generalisations -­‐ ‘we all…’, ‘most have….’ Before you come Q Which animals, large and small, live in a British woodland? Programme Outline Learning Objectives Activity •
To introduce the woodland habitat Powerpoint talk – Woodland Wildlife •
To assess prior knowledge and Introduces the woodland habitat, the things animals need to survive, questions from the group where animals shelter and tracks and signs that show us the range of animals that make their home at Westonbirt. •
To make a personal connection with Habitat explore the woodland habitat A short activity that enables children to freely explore the arboretum. The group will be challenged to choose a woodland animal and find evidence of its home and food. •
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To know what all animals need in Habitat Game
order to survive Individually, children are asked to find the four things animals need to To recognise some of the survival survive. Other animals competing for food and predators are then added challenges animals face into the game to add a few survival challenges Finish by looking at the food chain represented in the game •
To use the sense of sound to explore Listening Game
the woodland habitat Being a nature detective is not just about what you can see! The group are invited to stop a while and listen to the sounds of the woodland, identifying any wildlife. •
To apply knowledge about woodland Animal signs bingo
animals to find the evidence they have Working in a small team, the children are challenged to find 9 or more left behind different signs of woodland wildlife. Facts about animal habits and behaviour will be shared as a variety of burrows and hollows are explored. •
To assess understanding of Conclusion
learning points of the programme A short discussion that revisits needs for life, with the opportunity to share interesting facts and discoveries from the day. Self-­‐guided trails To complement this half-­‐day programme, we recommend the Forestry Commission’s Who Lives At Westonbirt? backpack. This can be viewed at www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt-­‐education National Curriculum links
Animals including humans •
Year 1 -­‐ identify and name a variety of common animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores •
Year 2 – find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food, air) Living things and their habitats (Year 2) •
Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other •
Identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including micro-­‐habitats •
Describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain, and identify and name different sources of food