Explorer’s
Journal
ers
plor
x
E
e
Brav only!
The Woodland Trust is registered charity no. 294344. A
non-profit making company limited by guarantee.
Registered in England no. 1982873. Registered Office:
Autumn Park, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. The
Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark.
12
1
What w
ill
on the f the picture
ront be
?
Welcome to your
explorer’s journal
Are you ready to be an
explorer?
This is ......................’s
Journal
2
11
home.
d
r
a
c
t
s
po
Write a
say?
u
o
y
l
l
i
What w
Explorer Kit
Do you have any of the following?
Bravest pants—are you wearing them
not just carrying them in your bag?
A useful bag to put
all your stuff in
A silly hat to keep
wild animals from
falling on your head
(not essential)
A map of the woods
you’re going to
A compass or an experienced guide
to stop you from getting lost
Other useful/useless things I’ve brought with me are:
10
Great! Now you are ready to start exploring...
3
I am exploring
............... Woods.
My voyage here was by
The weather on my expedition is
The ‘goo’ rating of the ground is
Not found anything?
1
Very dry
4
2
dry-ish
3
a bit sticky
4
definitely sticky
5
goo-tastic!
Tip: Try looking under a log or stone. Look
closely - remember, discoveries are
right under your nose!
Remember to put any creatures back where
you found them.
9
Expedition
report
About my expedition
Explorers always keep their wits
about them.
Is the woods
The most difficult bit was
all peas and quiet
The easiest bit was
or full of noise?
The stickiest bit was
Keep your ‘ear to the ground’.
What can you hear?
The scariest bit was
I got lost .............. times.
My advice to future
explorers in this wood would be
Does everything smell of roses
The award for
best expedition team member
or are there other smells
lurking in the woods?
goes to ........................
because .......................
8
5
Lots of Lovely layers
Woods are made up of lots of layers of life. Let’s investigate!
What plants and animals do you think live...
At the top of the trees?
In the branches?
On or under the bark?
On the woodland floor?
Underground?
What would the view be like from each of their homes?
6
7
d
i
p
e
r
t
In
s
r
e
r
o
l
p
x
E
!
d
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n
a
W
Intrepid Explorers Return!
Assembly Plan
Title: Intrepid Explorers Return!
Date: if fixed
Year group:
Key Stage 2
Key subject: Historical, geographical and social understanding
Cross curricular: Scientific and technological understanding; Understanding the
arts; applying literacy; health and safety/Personal, Social, Health and Economic
Education (PSHE).
Aims

To successfully communicate the results of the class expedition and

exploration of the woods in an engaging and memorable way

To highlight the need for keeping ourselves safe in whatever environment we
are in
Writing in BOLD ITALICS is
notes for the speaker/class.
Pupil parts needed
All of the rest of the text is to
1. Explorer(s) dressed in explorer equipment
be read by the teacher.
2. Bear
3.
Up to 6 pupils to shout the answers to what was found on the expedition
Introduction
INSERT NAME OF CLASS have been on an expedition. They are intrepid
explorers. Please give them a drum roll.
ASK AUDIENCE TO GIVE THEM A DRUMROLL BY BANGING THEIR HANDS
ON THE FLOOR/STAMPING THEIR FEET.
ENTER STAGE, PUPIL(S) DRESSED AS EXPLORERS (AS OVER THE TOP AS
POSSIBLE)
Main presentation
Their expedition was to INSERT NAME OF WOODS. When the class heard about
the trip, they were keen to get planning.
The Woodland Trust is registered charity no. 294344. A non-profit making company limited by
guarantee. Registered in England no. 1982873. Registered Office: Autumn Park, Grantham,
Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. The Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark.
Intrepid Explorers Wanted!
Assembly Plan
They were excited to find out that our woodland is just like the
rainforest and jungle. It’s crammed full of exciting animals and plants.
PUPIL TO ENTER STAGE AND PRETEND TO BE A BEAR. EXPLORERS LOOK
SCARED AND COWER.
First they thought about what dangers they might meet. What dangers do you
think are really in the woods?
GET RESPONSES FROM THE AUDIENCE AND GIVE CLUES IF YOU DON’T
GET THEM ALL.
Then they had to get to the woods. They made their voyage by INSERT MODE
OF TRANSPORT.
When they finally got there, Class INSERT NAME OF CLASS discovered lots of
fascinating things. They’d like to give you a summary of them.
We heard all sorts of things in the wood PUPILS TO MAKE NOISES THEY
HEARD AND SAY WHAT THEY WERE (CAN ALSO ADD ACTIONS E.G. RIVER
FLOWING)
We saw all sorts of things in the wood PUPILS TO ADD ACTIONS OF
INTERESTING THINGS THEY SAW
We even smelt all sorts of things in the wood PUPILS TO ADD ACTIONS
FORINTERESTING THINGS THEY SMELT, INCLUDING A FUNNY BAD SMELL.
THE FOLLOWING PART CAN BE TAILORED DEPENDING ON WHAT
HAPPENED ON YOUR FIELDTRIP. IF YOU HAVE LOTS OF PUPILS WHO
WANT TO TAKE PART THEN THERE COULD BE MULTIPLE ANSWERS TO
EACH STATEMENT. TRY AND MAKE SOME OF THEM HUMOROUS!
The most difficult bit was PUPIL TO SHOUT THE ANSWER
The easiest bit was PUPIL TO SHOUT THE ANSWER
The Woodland Trust is registered charity no. 294344. A non-profit making company limited by
guarantee. Registered in England no. 1982873. Registered Office: Autumn Park, Grantham,
Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. The Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark.
Intrepid Explorers Wanted!
Assembly Plan
The stickiest bit was PUPIL TO SHOUT THE ANSWER
The scariest bit was PUPIL TO SHOUT THE ANSWER
We got lost PUPIL TO SHOUT THE ANSWER times. Our advice to future
explorers in wood would be PUPIL TO SHOUT THE ANSWER
Summary
Finally, we would like to present an award to the best expedition team member.
PRODUCE AN ‘OSCAR STYLE’ GOLD ENVELOPE
The award goes to INSERT NAME OF PUPIL because INSERT REASON FOR
AWARD.
Additional notes
This assembly will need to be practiced in class before it is delivered and they can,
if appropriate input into the content. You will need to select pupils to play the key
roles as well as including any additional information to tailor the assembly to your
own expedition and the woods you visited.
A nice touch would be to have the award presented by the Head Teacher or local
Woodland Volunteer.
Extension/shortening tip
‘All things bright and beautiful’ (by Cecil Alexander) could be added If you would
like to add a hymn/music.
The assembly can be easily shortened by just selecting the most appropriate
sections for your class and fieldtrip.
Useful resources and equipment

Explorer outfit items, for example, pith style helmet, satchel type bag, rope,
boots.

Bear mask—download a mask at www.naturedetectives.org.uk/download/
mask_bear or a blank template to create your own masks at
www.naturedetectives.org.uk/download/mask

Large gold envelope

Extension activity ideas including ‘The Man Who Planted Trees’ assembly
resources at www.naturedetectives.org.uk/schools/assembly
The Woodland Trust is registered charity no. 294344. A non-profit making company limited by
guarantee. Registered in England no. 1982873. Registered Office: Autumn Park, Grantham,
Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. The Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark.
Intrepid Explorers Wanted!
Teachers’ Notes
This activity unit is based around a visit to a
woodland. The pupils play the part of
intrepid explorers tasked with planning an
expedition to the local ‘rainforest’, carrying
it out and reporting back on what they
found.
The activities can be tailored to the amount
of time available, the curriculum focus and
abilities of the pupils. This unit could be
used as the basis for a term’s topic learning
or for smaller schools, a whole school
activity.
Background information
Our ancient woodland is our equivalent to
the rainforest.
It is home to a huge variety of wildlife,
plants and fungi, just like tropical rainforest.
This is because woodland provides such a
variety of places to live and grow.
Ancient woodlands are the jewel in our
woodland crown. These are our richest
sites for wildlife; they have the greatest
biodiversity. Species range from bluebells,
orchids and dormice to less glamorous
fungi, insects and herbs. Some species
live in the woodland all the time and others
only spend part of their time there.
Vocabulary
Biodiversity - the variety of plant or animal
life in the world or in a particular
environment. Woodland biodiversity
The Woodland Trust is registered charity no. 294344. A non-profit making company limited by
guarantee. Registered in England no. 1982873. Registered Office: Autumn Park, Grantham,
Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. The Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark.
Key Stage 2 curriculum links
Geography
Geographical enquiry and skills
Collect and record evidence.
Communicate in ways appropriate to the
task and audience.
Knowledge and understanding of places
To describe and explain how and why
places are similar to and different from other
places in the same country and elsewhere
in the world.
Breadth of study
Study a range of scales.
Carry out fieldwork outside the classroom.
Other curriculum links
Science
Sc1 Scientific enquiry
Planning, obtaining and presenting.
evidence and considering evidence and
evaluating.
Sc2 Life processes and living things
Art and design
Investigating and making art, craft and
design
Use a variety of methods and approaches to
communicate observations, ideas and
feelings, and to design and make images
and artefacts.
Cross curricular studies
Children to develop and apply their literacy,
numeracy and ICT skills
Health and Safety
Learning to spot hazards and assess risks
refers to the sheer variety of different
wildlife species and habitats in a wood.
Ancient woodland - land that has been
continually wooded since 1600AD.
Intrepid Explorers Wanted!
Teachers’ Notes
Planning the expedition
The Woodland Trust website can help with
finding a wood to visit. Once you’ve
decided that, the detailed plan for the
expedition can be put together. Introduce
the unit and idea of a fieldtrip to the
‘rainforest’ to the class. A worksheet is
provided for the class to research the
woods they are to visit and a tropical
rainforest and compare and contrast the
two environments.
The expedition team
Firstly pupils need to find an expedition
team. A poster template is available so
they can design their own poster to
advertise the expedition and recruit team
members. This will help to build
anticipation for the fieldtrip and keep pupils
engaged. The posters should contain:




Basic details of the trip
Why it is important
An attractive picture
An idea of who might want to go on the
trip or what team members are
needed.
Posters can be hand drawn or put together
on computer. Finished posters can then be
displayed in class or somewhere more
prominent around school or taken home to
tell parents.
The class can now be split into small teams
or form their own. You may want to
The Woodland Trust is registered charity no. 294344. A non-profit making company limited by
guarantee. Registered in England no. 1982873. Registered Office: Autumn Park, Grantham,
Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. The Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark.
establish particular roles and
responsibilities for each team, for
example, expedition photographer,
scientists and reporters.
Will there be bears?
Risk assessment is an important part
of planning any expedition. It helps to
decide how you will go about your
fieldtrip and what you will need to take
and wear. Introduce the idea of
making your expedition safe to the
class and ask for suggestions on what
the dangers might be.
Have two lists, one for the wood you
will visit and one for a rainforest
environment.
How do they differ?
Which are the most serious dangers?
Which are most likely to happen?
A template is provided for pupils to do
a basic risk assessment. This exercise
will help them to think about the nature
of woods to be visited and their own
responsibility for keeping themselves
safe. It can also be used to develop
together some basic behaviour ground
rules for the field trip.
Intrepid Explorers Wanted!
Teachers’ Notes
Surprisingly, the most likely danger is the
same for both your local woodland and the
tropical rainforest. It isn’t being mauled by
a bear, chomped by a jaguar or even bitten
by a mosquito; it’s tripping and falling.
Tree roots, uneven ground, exposed rocks
and fallen branches all make both the
biggest hazard in our native woods and the
rainforest. Thankfully, by wearing sturdy
footwear and being careful we can make
sure we are safe; much easier than
safeguarding against bear attack!
From the risk assessments as a class you
can also draw up a list of what each pupil
needs to wear on the day of the fieldtrip
and what equipment the class needs to
take. See What to wear.pdf for a hand out
to send home to parents before the trip.
The day of the big expedition
An Explorer’s log is provided for each pupil
to fill in as an individual record of his or her
experiences in the woodland.
Woodlands are excellent places for undertaking all sorts of other investigations and
activities. The useful resources section
lists some places to find extra activities to
meet your curriculum needs.
The Nature Detectives website includes
many excellent resources you could use.
Try the treasure bags template, animal id
sheets, and the map template.
The Woodland Trust is registered charity no. 294344. A non-profit making company limited by
guarantee. Registered in England no. 1982873. Registered Office: Autumn Park, Grantham,
Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. The Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark.
After the expedition
It is important to report back after any
expedition what has been learnt. An
assembly plan is available to help
communicate the results to the rest of
the school.
You could revisit the pupils’ risk
assessments.
Did you meet any of the dangers you
expected?
How did you feel about the woods before your visit? Did you ideas change
after the visit?
An interesting follow-up activity would
be to conduct a class ‘talk it and chalk
it’ session. The topic for this could be
‘Why should we protect rainforests and
our own woodlands?’.
The class is asked to think of as many
ideas as possible and then they can be
pooled. An extension to this would be
writing each idea onto a leaf shape and
then sticking them all onto a class tree
to make an interesting display in the
classroom. Download blank leaf
shapes at
www.naturedetectives.org.uk/
download/outline_leaves
Intrepid Explorers Wanted!
Teachers’ Notes
Discussion question to finish with could
include:
What can we do ourselves to protect
woodlands?
What can our friends and families do to
help?
Useful resources
Woodland Trust website
More information about woods and how
they are cared for
www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
Nature Detectives
For great activity ideas for exploring the
outdoors and identification charts
www.naturedetectives.org.uk/schools
(see ‘The big day of the expedition’ section
of these notes for recommended activities)
Ancient Tree Hunt
More information about ancient woodland
and trees and activity ideas
www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk
Learning Outside the Classroom
Practical help with planning a fieldtrip
www.lotc.org.uk
Field Studies Council
Durable outdoor wildlife identification cards
www.field-studies-council.org/publications
The Woodland Trust is registered charity no. 294344. A non-profit making company limited by
guarantee. Registered in England no. 1982873. Registered Office: Autumn Park, Grantham,
Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. The Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark.
Will there be bears?
You are an intrepid explorer mounting an expedition to your local woods.
Our woods are like the tropical rainforest; teeming with life and excitement.
But what dangers might your expedition meet
and how will you deal with them?
Name of our group:
In the local woods
What dangers might you meet?
How likely is it to happen?
Circle one
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
What can you do to protect yourselves
on the expedition?
Will there be bears?
In the tropical rainforest
What dangers might you meet?
How likely is it to happen?
Circle one
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely
What can you do to protect yourselves
on the expedition?
Hackfall
nr. Ripon, North Yorkshire
Hackfall
nr. Ripon, North Yorkshire
What will it be like?
You are an intrepid explorer mounting an expedition to your local woods.
Our woods are like the tropical rainforest; teeming with life and excitement.
But what will the woods be like and how do they compare to a rainforest?
Woods we are going to visit
What animals live
there? Think of
some that are
small and some
that are large
What plants live
there?
Do any people live
or work there?
Who and why?
What is the terrain
like? Is it muddy,
dry, rocky,
smooth?
What is the
weather like?
Does anything
damage it? What
and how?
A tropical rainforest