Educational Resources
01
Black Grouse
Age Range: 5 – 11
Key Stage: 1 – 2
This free educational resource provides both topic plans and learning materials in five modules, starting with Let the investigations begin along with Habitat, Adaptation, Life Cycle and Food Chains. The materials are designed to be suitable for Key Stage 1 and 2 learners. There are fact sheets and examples included, where required.
If you wish to download the entire pack then click download to the right of this panel. Each module may be reviewed and downloaded individually using the drop down menu on the panel below. Within the Let the investigations begin module there is a Background Links download that provides a useful list of materials from a variety of sources about the Black Grouse.
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The learning objectives for each of the five modules are:
A – Let the investigations begin: Recognise the key features of the black grouse. Understand that the black grouse populations have decreased dramatically over time and they are now a protected species. Curriculum Links: Art and Design; Geography – Locational knowledge; Literacy. Vocabulary: Feathers, beak, camouflage, game bird, population, herbivore, insectivore, endangered, extinct.
B – Habitat: Understand that a habitat is a place where plants and animals live where they get everything they need to survive. Recognise that different plants and animals live in different habitats. Describe the habitat of the black grouse. Curriculum Links: Science -Living things and their environment. Vocabulary: Habitat, Branching key, species, heath.
C – Adaptation: Understand that living things in a local habitat are interdependent. Understand that animals are well suited to living in their habitat and identify some characteristics of this in the black grouse. Know that different animals and plants are found in different habitats. Curriculum Links: Science -Living things and their habitats; Literacy.
D – Life Cycle: Understand the different stages of a black grouse’s life cycle. Understand that animals can communicate in various different ways. Curriculum Links: Science -Living things and their environment; Art and Design, Drama
E – Food Chains: Understand that animals often have a predator-prey relationship within a habitat. Use vocabulary to describe how living things get their energy. Understand that energy transfers through from plants to animals as they feed. Curriculum Links: Science -Living things and their environment. Vocabulary: Food chain, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, producer, consumer, food web, predator, prey, interdependent.
02
Curlew
Age Range: 5 – 11
Key Stage: 1 – 2
This free educational resource provides both topic plans and learning materials in five modules, starting with Let the investigations begin along with Habitat, Adaptation, Life Cycle and Food Chains. The materials are designed to be suitable for Key Stage 1 and 2 learners. There are fact sheets and examples included, where required.
If you wish to download the entire pack then click download to the right of this panel. Each module may be reviewed and downloaded individually using the drop down menu on the panel below. Within the Let the investigations begin module there is a Background Links download that provides a useful list of materials from a variety of sources about the Black Grouse.
Learn More
The learning objectives for each of the five modules are:
A – Let the investigations begin: Recognise the key features of the curlew; Understand that curlew populations have decreased dramatically over time and they are now a protected species. Curriculum links: Art and Design; Literacy; Maths – tally chart, bar and line graphs.
B – Habitat: Understand that a habitat is a place where plants and animals live where they get everything they need to survive; Recognise that different plants and animals live in different habitats; Understand that a curlew spends Spring and Summer in the upland habitat and Autumn/Winter in a coastal habitat. Curriculum links: Science – Living things and their environment.
C – Adaptation: Understand that living things in a local habitat are interdependent; Understand that animals are well suited to living in their habitat and identify some characteristics of this in the curlew; Know that different animals and plants are found in different habitats. Curriculum links: Science – Living things and their environment; Literacy.
D – Life Cycle: Understand the different stages of a curlew’s life cycle; Understand the habitat requirements for curlews to successfully reproduce. Curriculum links: Science – Living things and their environment; Literacy.
E – Food Chains: Understand that animals often have a predator-prey relationship within a habitat; Use vocabulary to describe how living things get their energy; Understand that energy transfers through from plants to animals as they feed. Curriculum links: Science – Living things and their environment.
03
Plant Life
Age Range: 5 – 7
Key Stage: 1
This unit is designed to allow pupils to develop their understanding of plants via a constant embedding of terms, facts and ideas. Previous learning is revised throughout the schedule through tasks like the concertina and seed growing diary to deeply embed understanding.
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The learning objectives for each of the five modules are:
Notes and guidance (non-statutory)
Pupils should use the local environment throughout the year to explore and answer questions about plants growing in their habitat. Where possible, they should observe the growth of flowers and vegetables that they have planted.
They should become familiar with common names of flowers, examples of deciduous and evergreen trees, and plant structures (including leaves, flowers (blossom), petals, fruit, roots, bulb, seed, trunk, branches, stem). Pupils might work scientifically by:
- observing closely, perhaps using magnifying glasses, and comparing and contrasting familiar plants.
- describing how they were able to identify and group them and drawing diagrams showing the parts of different plants including trees.
Pupils might keep records of how plants have changed over time, for example, the leaves falling off trees and buds opening; and compare and contrast what they have found out about different plants.
Pupils will learn what a plant is and its basic parts – including seeds. They will plant their own seeds and make weekly observations of its growth progress over the course of the unit. Pupils will name, describe, and ultimately identify a variety of common UK garden and wild plants.
Pupils will learn about trees as plants and will study the difference between evergreen and deciduous trees.
The sessions are split into activities. Teachers can choose to follow the scheme of work verbatim or pick and choose the activities they feel fit their planning and daily schedules.
Unit session breakdown:
- What is a plant? – Introduction
- Exploring plants – naming plants
- Exploring plants – The parts of a plant.
- Tree-mendous Trees #1 – why are plants so important?
- Tree-mendous Trees #2 – deciduous or evergreen?
Key vocabulary:
Plant, grow, leaf, stem, flower, root, trunk, branch, twig, seed, soil, light, species, sow, disperse, identify
Useful classroom resources to enable learning beyond this taught programme:
- A classroom plant/plants – this is an excellent resource with a range of positive outcomes that serve well beyond this learning suite. Pupils can take turns to water the plant – possibly as a star for the week activity. They can name it. Research and learn facts about it and it can apply to a host of PSHE activities and outcomes.
Additional resources beyond the contents of this learning pack:
Small plant pots
Cress seeds (or other quick growing plant)
non-peat-based compost
04
Short-Eared Owl
Age Range: 5 – 11
Key Stage: 1 – 2
This free educational resource provides both topic plans and learning materials in five modules, starting with Let the investigations begin, along with Habitat, Adaptation, Life Cycle and Food Chains. The materials are designed to be adaptable for the use of Key Stage 1 and 2 learners. There are fact sheets and examples included, where required.
If you wish to download the entire pack then click download to the right of this panel. Each module may be reviewed and downloaded individually using the drop down menu on the panel below. Within the Let the investigations begin module there is a Background reading page with links which useful reading materials from a variety of sources about the short-eared owl.
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The learning objectives for each of the five modules are:
A – Let the investigations begin: Recognise the key features of the short-eared owl; Understand that the short-eared owl populations have decreased in the UK and they are an amber list protected species. Curriculum links: Science, Art and Design; Geography – locational knowledge; Literacy.
B – Habitat: Understand that a habitat is a place where plants and animals live where they get everything they need to survive; Recognise that different plants and animals live in different habitats; Describe the habitat of the short-eared owl. Curriculum links: Science – Living things and their environment.
C – Adaptation: Understand that living things are adapted to their habitat and lifestyle in different ways including physical and behavioural adaptations, identify some of these adaptations in short eared owls. Curriculum links: Science – adaptation in animals. Asking questions and using scientific evidence to answer questions and present theories. Literacy – using language well to explain your thoughts and ideas to others.
D – Life Cycle: Understand the different stages of a short-eared owls life cycle and what a short-eared owl needs to breed successfully. Curriculum links: Science – Living things and their environment, life cycles.
E – Food Chains: Understand that all animals have a predator-prey relationship; use varied vocabulary to describe how living things get their energy; understand that energy transfers through from plants to animals as they feed. Curriculum links: Science – Living things and their environment.
05
Source to Sea
Age Range: 5 – 11
Key Stage: 1 – 2
This SOURCE TO SEA free educational resource provides a topic plan and learning materials in three modules, starting with Our Amazing Oceans along with The River Wear, and Plastics in the Environment. The materials are designed to be suitable for Key Stage 1 and 2 learners. There are fact sheets and examples included, where required, and lots of fun activities for school or home learning.
If you wish to download the entire pack then click download to the right of this panel. Each module may be reviewed and downloaded individually using the drop down menu on the panel below.
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The learning objectives for each of the five modules are:
A – Topic Plan: The Source to Sea Education Resources can be used at home or in school. These provide an understanding and knowledge of how the River Wear is connected to the North Sea, and how our everyday use of plastic items can have an effect on both these habitats. We need to better understand the impact of plastics in the environment and what we can each do to make better use, and reduce waste of, plastics. The resources can be used by following this suggested plan, or individually.
B – Our Amazing Oceans: Know that most of our planet is ocean; Recognise that we are still exploring and learning about our oceans and discovering the animals that live there; Understand how important oceans are for all life on our planet; Recognize and identify a number of common ocean animals. Curriculum links: Science – Living things and their habitats; Geography – Human and Physical Geography; Art and Design.
C – The River Wear: Describe and understand key aspects of the River Wear; Understand that a habitat is a place where plants and animals live where they get everything they need to survive; Recognise and identify a number of common river animals; Understand that animals often have a predator-prey relationship within a habitat; Use vocabulary to describe how living things get their energy; Understand that energy transfers through from plants to animals as they feed. Curriculum links: Science – Living things and their habitats; Literacy; Geography – Human and Physical Geography; Art and Design.
D – Plastics in the Environment: Understand that some materials take longer to decompose than others; Recognise how many items we use every day that are made of plastic; Understand that litter can affect wildlife; Recognise that people can reduce, reuse and recycle many items made of plastic. Curriculum links: Science – properties and changes of materials; Science – Living things and their habitats; Literacy; Maths – Number and place value; Art and Design.