First level 1-02a Self-led information
The following information is for groups who intend to undertake activities without a countryside ranger present, either within the country park, school grounds (if suitable) or a local green space. Each activity has a general description together with an equipment list. The majority of the activities are duplicates of the countryside ranger led ones described earlier but more detail is provided on subjects and games. There are notes for teachers leading their own outdoor learning activities outwith school grounds in appendix 2 and an example risk assessment can be found in appendix 3. It is important to remember there will be additional hazards related to specific sites, groups and variables which will not be included in the example risk assessment. Make sure you carry out a full risk assessment before your trip. Blank risk assessment forms can be downloaded from
www.damstodarnley.org/pack. Additional advice on risk assessments can be sought from the Dams to Darnley countryside ranger service even if they are not going to be leading the group. If you do not have the required equipment it may be possible to borrow this from the countryside ranger service (contact details can be found in appendix 4).
Self-led activities
1. Mini-beast hunt and food chain discussion. Send your group off on a mini-beast hunt in a suitable area. Get the children to sort what they find into simple categories such as what they eat or number of legs. Discuss food chain levels: leaves (producers), leaf eaters (primary consumers), bug eaters (secondary consumers), birds (tertiary consumers) and cats (top predator). Relate this to some of the mini-beasts found and what might eat them in the surrounding area. Time: 30mins.
2. With your group play the ball of wool food chain game to show food chain connections. Each child gets a badge with an animal or plant that makes up a simple food chain. The children then stand in a circle. Starting with the top predator (e.g. buzzard) throw the ball of wool down the food chain until it reaches a plant (children should hold on to the unravelled wool before throwing the ball on; this shows the links). Then the plant throws the ball of wool to something that would eat it and up the food chain again until it gets to the top predator. Repeat this until all children have hold of the wool. You should now have a spider’s web effect of wool across the centre of the circle. To demonstrate connections further say that the top predator has been poisoned. Get the top predator to sit down (keeping hold of the wool) and ask the group who felt a pull on their wool. Repeat this for different scenarios. This shows repercussions across the whole system. Time: 15mins.
3. Children are given a badge with an animal or plant that forms part of a simple food chain. The children have to act like their animal or plant and join together in groups to form that simple food chain without talking to each other. For example, a plant, slug, bird and cat should be in a group of four by the end of the game. Use questioning to check learning. Time: 15mins.
Equipment: • Bug pots, trays, magnifying glasses and bug ID sheets. • Laminates of producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers and top predators.
• Ball of wool. • Badges of plants and animals (producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and top predators).
www.damstodarnley.org
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