Science Outside the Classroom Making the most out of you school grounds.

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Science Outside the ClassroomMaking the most out
of you school grounds.
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What can we do?

• This Powerpoint will give ideas as to how schools
  can use their environments to help develop
  childrens scientific knowledge and investigative
  skills. It will do this by looking at two main
  areas
• Habitats (Animals, Plants and Micro-organisms)
• Activities to support learning across the science
  curriculum.

3
Animals

• Mammals bats and hedgehogs
• Birds
• Pond life
• Bees
• Worms
• Ladybirds
• Butterflies
• Rockeries/Log pile minibeasts

4
Bats

• Make the box from rough sawn timber to give the
  bats something to cling to. Make sure the wood is
  untreated - many wood preservatives can kill
  bats! 
• The best place to position a bat box is on a
  tree. Place them in groups round three sides of a
  tree - bats like to move from one box to another
  during the day and from season to season as
  temperatures change. 
• Put the boxes as high as possible above the
  ground to avoid predators - some species of bat
  such as noctules prefer roosts at least 5 metres
  off the ground. 
• Clear away surrounding branches to give them a
  clear flight path. 
• Boxes can also be located on buildings. A good
  position is under the eaves to protect them from
  bad weather.
• It is illegal to disturb any bat when it is
  roosting, or to kill, injure or handle a bat
  without a licence

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http//www.lincstrust.org.uk/factsheets/batbox/ind
ex.php
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Hedgehogs

• This is a design that the British Hedgehog
  Preservation Society recommends and is a more
  permanent type of home. Any available timber can
  be used (old or new) but the better it is made,
  the longer it will last.
• Do not nail down the roof as you may need to
  clean the box in the future.
• The entrance tunnel could be constructed with
  old bricks placed on top of each other with a
  piece of slate with a brick atop for the roof.
  Make sure the entrance is kept clear and avoid
  the temptation to disturb the Hedgehogs during
  hibernation.
• The finished Home should be covered with plastic
  sheeting, soil and twigs placed on top and hay
  left outside which will be taken in and used for
  bedding by any prospective resident. Remember
  that Hedgehogs have soft feet and so the floor of
  your Hedgehog House should have newspapers,
  sawdust or earth on it.

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Hedgehogs
Helpful Hints When you have made a Hedgehog
House, place it in a quiet part of your garden,
preferably against a bank, wall or fence and hope
that you will have a visit from a friend seeking
a home. Make sure the entrance to the house does
not face North or North East, thus avoiding the
cold winter winds. It may then become the winter
home for some lucky hedgehog. If female, she may
even have her young in it in the Spring. After
winter use, it needs to be cleaned out and, to
some extent, fumigated or washed out. To make
sure there is nobody in residence, put a small
amount of food into the entrance to see whether
it disappears if it doesn't, this is an
indication that the hedgehog is no longer in
residence and you can clean the house using
Pyrethrum powder or one of the herbal dog dusting
powders. On no account should the Hedgehog House
be creosoted or "treated" as the fumes remain for
a long time and can be very harmful.

• http//www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/FAQS/hedgehog_h
  omes.htm

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Birds

• A Hanging Bell Feeder
• To make a hanging bell feeder, popular with blue
  tits and great tits, take a small plastic plant
  pot and thread a length of wire or string through
  the hole in the bottom, securing the pot so it
  hangs upside down. This will enable you to hang
  the feeder from the tree. If you are using
  coconut shells, cut the coconut in half and
  either remove the flesh to use yourself, or hang
  it up for the birds to peck at.
• Mix a selection of bird seed, nuts and berries
  together with breadcrumbs and suet in a bowl
• .Warm some lard carefully in a pan until melted,
  then add to the mixing bowl. Stir the lard in,
  and allow to cool a little.
• Carefully spoon the mixture into the pot or
  coconut shell, packing it in tightly. When the
  lard has completely cooled it will set hard and
  hold the mixture in place.

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Birds

• Making a Hanging Log Feeder
• To make a hanging feeder log, take sections of
  branch 7cm - 8cm in diameter and 25cm- 30cm long,
  e.g. from coppicing or heavy pruning. Drill a
  series of holes along the length of a wooden log,
  approximately 2cm in diameter, using a wide-ended
  drill bit. Attach a galvanised metal eyelet to
  one end, ensuring it is securely fastened and
  strong enough to take the weight of the log.
  Thread a piece of string or wire through the
  eyelet, to tie it to the tree. Prepare the
  mixture in the same way as above, packing it into
  the holes along the length of the log and waiting
  for it to set before hanging it out for the
  birds.

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Birds

• Mealworm Feeder
• To make a live food container to keep mealworms
  for insectivorous birds like blackbirds, robins
  and thrushes, thread a piece of string or wire
  through the holes in the bottom of a plastic
  plant pot, securing so the pot hangs the right
  way up. This will be filled with the mealworms,
  so to prevent them from wriggling out, tape over
  the holes with waterproof tape, e.g. freezer
  tape. To protect the mealworms from the weather,
  cut the top off an old plastic bottle (leaving
  the top screwed on) and attach it to the string
  higher up to act as a roof. Remember to leave
  sufficient space between the two for the birds to
  get in and out easily.

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Pondlife

• Choosing the right pond
• Make sure you discuss your requirements with the
  company/garden centre that you are using.
• Siting the pond
• It should be in the sun for at least ½ the day
  and preferably not surrounded by many trees to
  avoid shading and leaves falling into it. Best
  sited at the top of a slight slope.
• Making it Wildlife Friendly
• If possible have adjacent areas for marshlands,
  wild flower meadows and any other habitats.
• Go for an edge that provides a mixture of cover
  and open ground.
• Requirements
• It does NOT need to have a depth of 1m plus at
  its deepest point, but this would help it all
  freezing in winter. You need to include shallower
  areas 50cm, 30-40cm, etc.
• Include varied collection of pond life

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Pondlife Pond plants

• Go for a good mixture of floating, submerged and
  emerging species.
• Submerged plants milfoil, hornwort, starwort and
  water violet. These are good oxygenators and
  provide cover and hunting grounds for aquatic
  minibeasts.
• Floating plants also provide cover, prevent the
  water going green, and provide platforms for
  minibeasts.
• Emergent plants ones that root underwater but
  grow through the surface are vital for minbeasts
  e.g. dragonflies and damselflies need an emerging
  stem to climb out of the water to turn into
  adults.

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Pondlife Beware of aliens!

• Avoid invasive alien plants like parrots
  feather, New Zealand pygmyweed and floating
  pennywort. These may seem ideal minibeast
  habitats but will take over the pond and all too
  easily escape into the wild where they will
  damage other aquatic wildlife habitats.

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Pondlife

• Water supply
• If using mains water, this must be left in the
  open for 24 hours to allow chlorine to disperse.
• Health and safety
• Nursery very shallow
• Infants up to 60cm
• Junior up to 75cm
• The aim is for children to be able to stand up in
  it.
• Avoid large stones in pond so children cannot
  knock their heads on them if they were to fall
  in.
• A small wall/hedge may stop young infants
  inadvertently walking into the pond.

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• School Wildlife Ponds Guidance from The Royal
  Society for the Prevention of Accidents
• Schools have a duty of care towards their staff,
  pupils and other who may be on their premises. A
  school is required to carry out a risk assessment
  and implement reasonably practicable measures to
  ensure an acceptable level of safety. When
  considering safety issues, and in particular the
  risk of drowning in a school pond, there are a
  number of factors to assess
• What are the hazards?Primarily the water itself,
  but also how it interacts with features such as
  steep banks, silt, and overhanging branches.
• Who might be harmed? And how?Young children,
  particularly under fives the elderly children
  with special needs teenagers (peer pressure
  often leads to risk taking) lone workers
  members of the local community. The prevention of
  slips, trips and falls should be considered, and
  hygiene issues such as the risk of Weils disease
  and other water borne causes of ill health.
• Evaluate the level of riskDecide whether
  existing precautions are sufficient, or whether
  more can be done. Assess factors such as
  function, location, depth, edge gradients,
  supervision, user groups, information provision,
  effects of weather i.e. ice, summer swimming.
• Record findings and policiesCreate normal
  operating policies which detail how the pond is
  operated, the measures which have, or not, been
  implemented, and the reasoning behind any
  decision. Also, create an emergency action plan.
  This should be distributed to all staff, to let
  them know what to do on the event of an accident.
  
• Monitor and reviewThe safety policy should be
  monitored, as should the pond itself e.g. if
  signage is damaged, it must be replaced, and user
  behaviour should be monitored and the operating
  procedures altered accordingly. The same
  principles should be applied to the assessment of
  pond dipping activities organised by schools.
  Reach poles, details of the risk assessment, and
  emergency action plans should be available to
  teachers supervising the activity.
• For further information visit http//www.rospa.co
  .uk/waterandleisuresafety/factsheets/pondsafety.ht
  m

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Bees
The blue orchard mason bee will only lay eggs in
pre-existing holes. She is not capable of making
nesting holes herself and will potentially lay
fewer eggs if she can't find adequate housing.
Bee boxes are easy to make, and having mason bees
around will help your garden grow
3.Hammer a hook into the back of the bee box.
Using this hook, hang up the block in an area
that is south- or east-facing (exposed to morning
light). The box should be about 4 feet off the
ground and is most efficient if it is placed near
native plants and/or fruit tree blooms
2.Find a piece of wood that is 7 inches long and
1 inch thick. Nail this piece to the top of the
bee box to protect the holes from rain water.
1.Find an old or new 4x4" block of wood that has
not been treated. Using a 5/16" drill bit, drill
deep holes into the side of the wood being
careful not to drill through the end. Ensure
that the holes are clean.
http//www.lifecyclesproject.ca/resources/bee_aver
age/bee_box.php
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Flowers for bees

• Tubular or bell-shaped flowers
• Snapdragons
• Penstemons
• Campanulas
• Ericas
• Broom
• Clover

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Ladybird Homes

• Ladybird and lacewing homes (hibernacula) similar
  to bird boxes can be used be bought from
  suppliers and used as a place where they can
  safely pass the winter. (Available from TTS)

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Worms

• Making a wormery
• 400 compost worms. These are often called
  brandlings, tiger worms or redworms and are
  available from most fishing shops
• How to make your worm composter
• 1. Drill a tap into the bin about 5 to 10cm from
  the bottom. Don't put it too far up the bin
  otherwise it won't work properly.
• 2. Place the piece of wire mesh inside the bottom
  of the bin so that it covers the inside of the
  tap. This will help to prevent the tap getting
  blocked.
• 3. Drill some breathing holes into the bin lid.
• 4. Place 5 to 10 cm of sand or gravel at the
  bottom of the bin for drainage.
• 5. Place the wooden slats on top of the sand or
  gravel. The purpose of these is to separate the
  drainage material from the compost you are going
  to produce.
• 6. On top of the wooden slats, put down 10 to 15
  cm of damp bedding material for the worms.
• 7. Dig a small hollow in the bedding material and
  place the worms inside.

http//www.recyclezone.org.uk/az_worms.aspx
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Flowers for minibeasts

• Open structures
• The widest variety of insects in attracted to
  flowers with an open, flat structure which allows
  access to the nectar for insects without
  specialised mouthparts
• Rose family hawthorns, crab apples and
  potentillas.
• Saxifrage family saxifrages, heucheras and
  astilbes.
• Stonecrop family ice-plant and other Sedum
  species.
• Umbel family angelica, lovage and fennel.

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Butterfly Gardens
Mint, Phlox Primrose, Red valerian Rudbeckia,
Sedum Flowering shrubs and climbers Buddleja,
Ceratostigma Cotoneaster, Escallonia Hebe,
Honeysuckle Ivy, Lavender Lilac,
Privet Wildflowers Common fleabane Daisy,
Dandelion Field scabious Hemp agrimony Ox-eye
daisy Knapweed Purple loosestrife Ragwort,Teazel

• The first step is to design the border, which
  needs to be in a sunny position, but can be any
  size and shape you like.
• Butterflies and moths feed on the nectar of many
  flowers but will lay their eggs only on leaves of
  specific plants which are their caterpillars
  food. Check the sowing times and any temperature
  requirements, then devise a growing timetable.
  Its best to start off all the seeds in
  containers as this gives much more control over
  the process.

40 top butterfly plants Annuals and biennials
from seed Alyssum,Aster Bedding
dahlias Candytuft Forget-me-not French
marigold Lobelia, Honesty Sweet
rocket,Verbena Border perennials and
herbs Aubrieta, Catmint Marjoram Michaelmas daisy
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Flowers throughout the year

• Aim to provide a good variety of flowers
  throughout most of the year.
• Overwintering queen bumblebees, drone flies,
  small tortoiseshell and brimstone butterflies
  rely on late-flowering michaelmas daisies, ice
  plants and ivies. On emerging in early spring,
  they use early-flowering hellebores, narcissi,
  doronicums, viburnums and Prunus species.

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Rockeries/Log piles

• These are superb areas for both vertebrates and
  inverebrates.
• Many minibeasts hibernate (overwinter).
• Leaving fallen leaves and tree trunks to
  naturally decay will increase the diversity of
  animals.
• Dead wood attracts many beetles and hoverflies.
• Go for branches or trunks in preference to twigs.
• It is best to site these at the edge of shade or
  in dappled sunshine (but not in full sun) to get
  a good balance of warmth and moisture.

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Hot Spots

• Minibeasts are almost without exception,
  cold-blooded they must get their body heat
  from external sources rather than from their
  food. Little warm spots are therefore vital for
  minibeasts.
• Any bare ground, rock or wood in full sunshine
  rapidly warms up and may be 10 degrees Celsius
  hotter than planted areas.
• Particularly useful are hot spots that warm up
  quickly in the morning, allowing minibeasts an
  early start.
• If possible, make sure that there are little hot
  spots throughout the day in a variety of
  locations.

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Micro-organisms/ Composting
www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/compost_at_scho
ol/index.html This website will provide plenty
of information on how to compost at school. It
also provides a teacher pack for both Key stage 1
and 2.
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The Composting Process

• There are two main stages
• Bacteria, fungi, and micro-organisms (known as
  heaters) break down the softer material, causing
  the compost heap to heat up to over 60C.
• The compost heap cools. Worms, insects and other
  small creatures (known as chompers) break down
  the tougher material.
• Compost usually takes about 3-9 months to mature,
  although it may take longer during the winter
  months. Composted material can be taken from the
  bottom of the heap, allowing the partly composted
  and newer material to remain.
• Getting started
• Buy a compost bin. These can be bought at most
  DIY stores and garden centres. Make sure you buy
  a big enough composter. A 200-300 litre bin is
  big enough for average-sized gardens. Get one
  with a lid to keep out the rain.
• Make your own compost bin out of wood. Create a
  timber frame and attach to posts driven into the
  ground. Cover with a plastic sheet or carpet to
  keep out the rain and keep in the heat and
  moisture.
• Place your bin in a sunny, well-drained area of
  bare soil or grass, out of the wind. Breaking up
  the earth underneath will improve drainage.
  Warmth from the sun speeds up the composting
  process.

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What to put in a compost

• What to put in your compost...
• hair and fur
• shredded paper / soft card
• chopped straw and hay
• animal bedding
• egg shells - crushed
• grass cuttings / prunings / chopped old plants
• chicken / pigeon / horse manure
• raw vegetables and fruit
• tea / tea bags / coffee granules
• Do not add...
• meat or fish
• coal ash
• dog / cat mess
• nappies / used tissue
• persistent weeds
• dairy products
• cooked foods

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Plants

• Grasslands
• Hedgerows
• Herb Garden
• Herbaceous borders
• Marshlands
• Meadows
• Trees
• Vegetable plots
• Walls
• Woodlands
• Raised beds

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Grasslands/Meadows

• These must be grown on poor soils otherwise they
  will be competing with docks and thistles. This
  is best achieved by removing the top soil and
  ensuring any thistles and docks have been
  removed.
• Seeds can be sown into the ground in early
  September.
• Plugs (seeds that are grown in nurseries and sold
  as seedlings) can be sown in April.
• It is important to cut the meadow at particular
  times of the year and then leave to grow
  naturally in other months

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Grasslands/Meadows

• Spring meadows should be left uncut until early
  July when the flowers will have bloomed and set
  seed. It should then be mown regularly to a
  height of 5cm until October.
• Summer meadows should be mown regularly from
  April until the end of June to a height of 7.5 to
  10cm. This will prevent coarse grasses becoming
  dominant. Cutting should cease from June to mid
  September to allow the flowers to bloom and set
  seed.
• Information on which seeds to buy and
  identification sheets for grasses and weeds can
  be found on rbkc.gov.uk/EnvironmentalServices/Eco
  logy/ec_teacherspack_section2_a2.pdf

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Hedgerows

• What makes a good hedgerow?
• Ideally, a hedgerow should be 4 or 5 metres wide,
  of unlimited length, planted with a variety of
  berry- and seed-bearing shrubs for food, and
  interspersed with cedar for added cover. It
  should be thick, bushy, largely unpruned and
  entangled with vines.
• However, schools with small plots need not
  despair. Even a short, narrower hedgerow can be
  attractive to wildlife, if you follow the basic
  rules of mixed planting.

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Hedgerows why bother?

• Dense, well connected hedges are preferred by
  small mammals, and consequently by their
  predators e.g. foxes, stoats and weasels also.
• The presence of hedgerow trees is thought to be
  important for bats, providing potential
  hibernating places for species such as the
  noctule bat.
• For more information on growing hedgerows visit
• www.ofnc.ca/fletcher/howto/hthedge_e.php

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Herb gardens

• Choice of site
• It needs to be 
• in sunlight, although some herbs will tolerate a
  bit of shade
• accessible in all weathers
• safe and secure
• Soil
• Ideally the soil should be well drained and
  light, but herbs will grow in heavier soils.  If
  your soil is wet and heavy, include coarse grit
  to improve drainage.  Or alternatively, build a
  raised bed, with sides about 30cm high.

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Herb gardens

• Themes
• You may want to design your herb garden around a
  theme
• Culinary
• Medicinal
• Aromatic
• Historical
• Food for wildlife
• Dyeing
• For more information on growing herb gardens
  visit
• http//www.herbsociety.org.uk/schools/introsheets/
  making_garden.htm

Roman soldiers were said to put a leaf of
plantain in their footwear before a long march to
prevent blisters.
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Marshlands

• When creating a pond it is worth providing a
  marshland area at one end. It is most easily
  created if the pond is made from an artificial
  lining this is extended beyond the pond boundary
  to retain water in the fringe zones

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Trees

• Growing trees
• For all the information you need for growing
  trees visit www.treeforall.org.uk/JoinIn/AsASchoo
  l/
• Identifying trees
• Some great tree identification charts are
  available to buy from www.gatekeeperel.co.uk

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Vegetable plots

• For information on what to grow and how to grow
  it visit www.rhs.org.uk/education/documents/growi
  ngvegetables.pdf
• Remember that you do not need lots of space for
  vegetable plots maybe use raised beds or old
  tyres.

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Activities to support learning in science

• How often do you use your outdoor environment to
  support science learning?
• Do you use it to enhance all areas of the science
  curriculum?
• From the ASK primary science website download a
  copy of the playground pack for ideas about
  science that children can do during break times.

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Habitats

• How many habitats are there in your school
  grounds? The children can help improve these.
• Do children study these habitats at different
  times of the year in order to compare the number
  and types of animals and plants found there?
• Have you developed a nature walk around the
  school? You could have plaques at different
  locations where children are given information or
  questions/tasks.

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Plant/animal identification

• How often do children identify the plants and the
  animals in the school grounds?
• Do you have good identification charts for the
  children to use? Some great identification charts
  are available to buy from www.gatekeeperel.co.uk
• Have you tried giving children paint colour
  charts from DIY shops to match to natural objects
  around the grounds?
• Do you maintain displays of what the children
  have found throughout the year.

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Human body

• Heights of children. Maybe there is an area in
  the grounds where children can mark their heights
  on a wall/fence. Could a semi-permanent plaques
  be attached for the smallest, average and tallest
  child for each class? Could these be updates
  every year?
• Pulse rates. Could you set up a variety of
  activities for children to do outside? After each
  one they could measure their pulses.
• The heart. Could a model of the circulatory
  system be painted on the playground. The children
  could then run the route of the blood!
• Healthy eating. Are children having the
  opportunities to sow, grow, cook and eat their
  own foods?

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Materials

• Names of materials. Are different materials
  outside labelled? Have you got covered pictures
  of school buildings on display outside which
  children can use to identify different materials?

43
Forces

• Are there opportunities for children to explore
  forces in the school grounds
• Walls to bounce balls against
• Trays of water for floating and sinking
• Playground equipment
• Slopes built into grass banks for cars

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Earth, Sun and Moon

• Measuring shadows. Is the equipment available for
  children to measure the length of shadows and
  show their direction? Is there a compass rose for
  children to relate to the shadows? Have you an
  outside board on which information about shadow
  length and direction can be recorded and kept
  throughout a year?
• The Moon. Can children record what the Moon looks
  like on different days?

Health and safety Children need to reminded about
the dangers of sunlight.
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Light

• Transparent, translucent and opaque. Are there
  materials available for children to explore to
  find out whether or not they are opaque? Do
  children have the opportunities to measure the
  amount of light in different places in the school
  grounds with data loggers?
• Reflection. Do children have opportunities to
  explore with mirrors even directing light onto
  targets that are available?
• Shadows. Are children finding out if they can
  make different coloured shadows with coloured
  paddles?

Health and safety Children need to reminded about
the dangers of sunlight.
46
Sound

• Loudness. Is there a loudness scale with pictures
  available for children to judge different amounts
  of loudness? Do children have the opportunities
  to measure the loudness of sounds with a data
  logger?
• Pitch. Again, is there a visual pitch scale
  available for children to judge the pitch of
  different sounds? Do you have whirly tubes for
  children to use? What about plastic bottles
  containing different amounts of water?

47
Electricity

• Making a circuit. Allow the children to have a
  glow/ghost ball (available from TTS). They can
  all join hands to make a circuit and make the
  ball flash and buzz.

48
Advisory Service Kent Shepway Centre Oxford
Road Maidstone ME15 8AW Tel [phone] Fax
01622 670509 www.clusterweb.org.uk/ask