Field Notes
www.welb-cass.org/mfc
Magilligan Field Centre Newsletter Vol. 1 Issue 2
Welcome to the second issue of Field Notes
In this issue:
 Revised Science and Biology GCSE
Specifications;
 KS1& 2 numeracy, literacy and
fieldwork;
 Enniskillen
Collegiate
and
Oakgrove College report on their
MFC experiences;
 Stem and the Outdoor Classroom.
_____________________
New fieldwork requirements for GCSE
Science specifications.
The revised CCEA GCSE Science Specifications
have now been approved and are available at
www.ccea.org.uk. From September 2011 there is
a requirement in the Specification to carry out
fieldwork.
The
Science
Double
Award
specification Biology Unit1 (B1), Living
Processes and Biodiversity, recognises the value
of first hand field observation and stipulates that
students are required to have opportunities to
„..observe living specimens and carry out
fieldwork in a natural ecosystem.’.
MFC is well placed to facilitate schools in the
delivery of this unit through programmes based
on sand dune, woodland or rocky shore
ecosystem studies.
_____________________
Numeracy at MFC
The summer term is the most popular term for
our primary day and residential groups at MFC.
We focus on learning about the world around us
and students also enjoy the experience of seeing
another part of their world and spending the night
away from home.
The outdoor classroom presents many
opportunities to develop numeracy skills for KS1
& 2 students.
At MFC there are many
opportunities to put into practice theory learnt in
the classroom.
Many of the field study programmes carried out
at this level involve habitat studies – beach,
freshwater, woodland or sand dune. These
usually centre around the collection and
recording of animal species (mini-beasts or
freshwater invertebrates) or evidence of life
(shells). This recording, usually in a tally, lends
itself to follow up numeracy activities. Simple
task questions present logical situations for the
application of skills; Which is the most common
species? or Which part of the woodland supports
the greatest number of species? To develop the
task, data can be sorted into categories –
carnivores, herbivores, omnivores and detrivores.
or bivalves and univalves. Which one is more
numerous and why?
This sort of data collection also lends itself to the
drawing of graphs including pictograms and
presents opportunities for the use of ICT in this
task.
Much of the focus in habitat studies involves
measuring
and
comparing
environmental
conditions – in different parts of a woodland for
example. Anemometers, thermometers and light
meters produce further data sets for presentation
and comparison. There are many situations
which
present
themselves
for
simple
measurements in the environment that can be
usefully incorporated to answer questions about
the different habitats on our doorstep
___________________
Peter Richardson, Hd. Of Geography, at
Collegiate Grammar, Enniskillen has been
using MFC since 2003 and outlines the benefits
of conducting fieldwork at MFC:
“The AS Geography group conduct a study of
fluvial processes on a tributary of the River Roe.
This provides them with the necessary
experience of fieldwork skills and relevant data
collection for the AS-1 module. Pupils often
MFC Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 2 Summer 2011
1
….outside the classroom
Supporting learning…..
comment on how much they enjoy this
experience and how it brings to life material they
have covered in class, supporting the idea that
the outdoor environment can make learning not
only fun but more meaningful. The river study
usually takes up two out of our three days with
the final day given over to a study of a transect at
the Umbra Dunes which supports the teaching of
plant succession from the Ecosystem element of
the specification.
life
and
the
interconnectivity
and
interdependence within the environment. With a
focus on searching for evidence of life on the
shoreline young minds are engaged in the
excitement
of
discovery,
unlocking
an
inquisitiveness about their findings and their
surroundings. Their discoveries provide points of
interest for talking and listening sessions, helped
sometimes by familiar songs or nursery rhymes
such as „Molly Malone’ or ‘Mary Mary Quite
Contrary’
Children‟s films or television
programmes can sometimes also provide strong
reference points: the sharks,
whales and
molluscs from Finding Nemo, for example. The
shells and other objects that the children find can
also stimulate thinking and talking time, not just
about natural history but about holidays and
leisure, fishing and the food we eat, litter and
how we treat our environment. The range of
items collected can be sorted and classified with
the aid of a simple key into the different types of
mollusc, or, by shape, colour or texture.
Our A2 group spend the first day of their stay at
Magilligan Point carrying out a study of coastal
processes and changes along the Lough Foyle
and Atlantic shores. Pupils use triangulation to
obtain the position of the coast before measuring
the processes at each point. They learn many
skills through this exercise some of which offer
challenges beyond the remit of the Specification.
In 2011 our A2 group undertook a new Global
Issues investigation at the Giant‟s Causeway
over 2 days in preparation for their A2-1 module.
We used the National Trust Education Centre as
a base to explore the impacts and management
of tourism at this UN World Heritage site. Data
was collected on levels of footpath erosion
around the Causeway and from tourists. It was a
very positive experience and one I would
recommend for any schools taking this A2 unit.
The whole activity lends itself well to story
building and telling and there are many children‟s
books to make a link in preparation for their field
studies or in follow up: stories such as Jula
Donaldson‟s „Sharing a Shell’ or Benedict
Blaithwayt’s ‘The Little House by the Sea‟ being
popularly used.
_____________________
Apart from the valuable learning experiences
outside the classroom I feel that the residential
aspect of our fieldwork at MFC offers many
benefits in giving young people the experience of
living and working together as a community
which will stand them in good stead as they
move into the world of work or third level
education.”
Nicole Sloane Head of Geography,
Oakgrove Integrated College:
“Each year students in KS3, 4 and 5 at Oakgrove
College use the facilities, equipment and staff at
Magilligan for a range of study topics including
river, land use and soil analysis.
At KS3
students enjoy a wade through the Curly Burn
River gathering data enabling them to investigate
a number of hypotheses. The river study is great
for group, pair and individual work and for
decision making (skills in revised curriculum).
The results generated give students plenty of
data to manage and interpret and the resulting
project which is ICT based allows them to be
creative. The active learning approach means
that, not only do they see the processes,
products and landforms of a river system and get
to use equipment, but it undoubtedly supports
classroom teaching. At KS4 and A Level more
_____________________
KS1 & 2 Beach Study – Exploring the
Literacy Strand
The seashore is a great source of inspiration for
teaching and learning at KS1&2. At MFC we are
close to one of the longest uninterrupted
stretches of strandline around the coast of
Ireland. At Magilligan Point we bring primary
years students for their exploration and discovery
sessions. Like any habitat it provides a basis
from which to learn about basic requirements for
MFC Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 2 Summer 2011
www.welb-cass.org/mfc
2
….outside the classroom
Supporting learning…..
time is spent gathering data for a more in depth
analysis.
encouraged his Geography students to get out
and experience things first hand, helping to make
a difference in their depth and breadth of
knowledge and understanding.
The facilities are very comfortable and the après
fieldwork entertainment is excellent. The kids
always comment that the food on residentials is
deserving of a Michelin star as the menu is
varied and caters for all palates!
Although over 30 years ago Des recounted that
even though it rained constantly he enjoyed
clambering up and down mountains looking at
rocks and making environmental observations.
All the staff at Magilligan are welcoming, friendly
and very well organised. The field staff have an
in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the area and
questions are readily answered both in the field
and in the classroom.
His inspirational website is www.desewing.com
____________________
Glenda McElwaine, World Around Us
Coordinator, Lisbellaw Primary School on
STEM
With the focus now shifted to controlled
assessment a residential is the only way to go.
AQA stipulate that 20hrs is to be given to
controlled assessment. We always endeavour to
complete the planning section prior to fieldwork
and use the rest of the allocated time over 3
days. Completing this as a residential takes the
pressure off trying to find time in the school year.
One student said, „this was the best fieldtrip we
had, we were able to see all the processes in the
river in action and it helped me remember the
key words better’. Another commented that, „I
liked going away to get all the fieldwork done
because it meant I didn’t have to worry about
missing any controlled assessment time if I was
off sick from school as we got it all done in
Magilligan’.
“From January to March I was fortunate to have
the opportunity to become the Teacher
Developer for the WELB. This involved working
in eight primary schools across the education
sector as part of the STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
project. The aims of the project were:
 to inspire confidence, enthusiasm and a
sense of wonder for science in teachers
 to increase schools‟ use of their outdoor
environment.
I had four broad areas to cover with each school:
observation skills, plants, trees and animals. All
lessons involved using the schools‟ own outdoor
classrooms. Activities were planned to cover the
elements of the WAU curriculum, including cross
curricular links with literacy, numeracy and ICT.
Pupils had the opportunity to become actively
involved, working with others, being creative,
problem solving, managing information and
developing thinking skills. Using the outdoors is
so important and is the responsibility of teachers
to provide children with the opportunities. How
else can they teach children with „hands on‟,
interactive approaches about:
 the variety of living things in the world and
how we can take care of them
 sounds in the local environment
 how animals use colour to adapt to their
natural environment
 how animals hibernate and the materials they
use
 changes in the local natural environment,
including how they can affect living things
We would just like to thank the staff for their
commitment, help and resources to us over the
last 13 yrs and highly recommend Magilligan as
an excellent facility for all fieldwork activities and
the completion of stress free controlled
assessment.
_____________________
Never under-estimate the impact of a field
trip.
Field trips can leave a lasting imprint. During a
recent radio interview on Radio Ulster‟s This New
Day, leading local architect Des Ewing recalled
“that a residential field-trip to Magilligan Field
Centre turned out to be the most memorable
week during his school career”.
Bill Dixon, his teacher, Head of the Royal School
Dungannon Geography Department always
MFC Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 2 Summer 2011
www.welb-cass.org/mfc
3
….outside the classroom
Supporting learning…..

how people‟s actions can affect plants and
animals
These are all experiences that teachers can
provide to help fulfil the statutory requirements
for WAU (refer to the Golden Book).
Task 4: An investigation of the sphere of
influence of a chosen settlement;
Task 5: A study of the attitudes towards aid;
Task 6: An investigation of tourism at the local
level.
_____________________
Having worked with twenty four teachers across
the WELB, I found that teachers were so positive
about Science in the Outdoors. One common
response was how the children who they
struggled with daily to get work completed, to
listen and pay attention, became „new‟ children in
the „outdoor classroom‟. Suddenly they were not
being asked to write, to draw, to sit in their chair,
instead they could explore, make, find, enquire,
express themselves, and the teachers were
amazed at some of the knowledge and
experiences they could relate to.
Ofsted Report, Geography: Learning to
Make a World of Difference, February
2011 www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/090224
This recent report provides strong evidence of
the value of fieldwork for developing skills,
motivating students and promoting the subject as
an exam option arguing that ‘schools should ….
maximise
opportunities for fieldwork to
enhance learning and improve motivation.’
‘The report highlights how good and regular
fieldwork motivated pupils and enhanced their
learning in geography, although just over half the
primary and secondary schools visited did not
use it enough. Fieldwork encouraged a higher
than average take-up of examination courses at
a time when examination entries for geography
were falling nationally.‟ P.2 Report Summary
One of the biggest restraints for teachers is
knowledge - not knowing what to do outside in
terms of focused activities with learning
objectives. If teachers are still reluctant but can
see the value of the outdoors they can use
outdoor centres who are specialising in these
areas. I am very excited that next week I am
going back to the Magilligan Field Centre with
our Year 7 residential trip. At Magilligan the
children have the opportunity to get involved and
learn about different habitats from pond dipping
at rocky pools, to sandy beaches and forest
floors. There are so many opportunities for
learning, and the staff at Magilligan are extremely
dedicated to learning in the outdoors and will try
their best to meet any specific teaching and
learning focus that you might have. So using the
Centre is an ideal way to provide children with
the opportunities that they may not otherwise get
in the school environment. I want to encourage
you to make the most of the resources on offer to
us!
____________________
_____________________
Field Notes is edited by Michael Cross at
MFC. If you would like to submit a brief
article on an issue relating to fieldwork at
any level, or simply a description of, or
comment
on,
a
recent
fieldwork
experience at MFC please email to
[email protected] .
Western Education & Library Board
www.welb-cass.org/mfc
Magilligan Field Centre
New CCEA Controlled Assessment Titles
(Sept 2011 – June 2013) www.ccea.org.uk
Task 1: An investigation of river
features/characteristics along the long profile of a
chosen river;
Task 2: An investigation of the weather
conditions and change associated with the
passage of a frontal depression at the local level;
Task 3: An investigation of the attitudes towards
and use of alternative sources of energy;
Tel: (028) 77750234
[email protected]
Oakgrove
Integrated College’s Geograhpy
[email protected]
experience (
[email protected]
MFC Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 2 Summer 2011
www.welb-cass.org/mfc
4