Outside the classroom
“Research shows the potential wider educational benefits of fieldwork – including teamwork, motivation and enthusiasm for the subject and its potential to influence positively the choice of science as a future subject to study” (Outdoor Science, ASE Outdoor Science Working Group)
Many students’ experience of practical science is mostly through lab-based activities, but going outside the classroom can not only add a sense of occasion but also introduce the important idea that variables are not as easily controlled in the natural environment.
We've searched the eLibrary to find some out-of-the-ordinary ideas for fieldwork, visits and outdoor activities, together with resources which provide clear descriptions of simple sampling techniques.
Visit the practical work page to access all resources and lists focussing on practical work in secondary science: www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/sciencepracticals
Landing lights for bees
The video on this webpage looks at the special relationship between plants and their pollinators and whether there is any advantage in having patterns of colour pigmentation on petals. This makes a great introduction to the investigation described below as it shows university students observing the forraging behaviour of bees at the John Innes research centre to see which flowers are the most effective at attracting bees.
Foraging Behaviour in Bumblebees *suitable for home teaching*
These unusual investigations can be combined with background research to create a great project which links together an extensive part of the biology curriculum, including food webs, insect pollination, food security, variation, natural selection, evolution and biodiversity.
Through careful observation and data analysis, students explore which flowers attract different species of bees.
How might bees drive the evolution of flowering plants? Challenge more able students to apply their knowledge and understanding of light, vision, adpatation and natural selection to explain why the bees selected a particular flower ..
Finally, students could use their analysis to create a bee-friendly habitat in the school grounds, generating an appreciation of the importance of biodiversity by seeing how many species of bee they can attract.
Module 1: Darwin's Bees
Did you know that Darwin investigated the evolution of certain aspects of bee behaviour? This is a great resource to combine with the Foraging Behaviour of Bumble Bees listed above.
The pre-visit lesson describes a circus of activities which show Darwin’s ways of working and the kind of evidence he collected to make an argument to support his big idea.
If you are within a reasonable distance of Down House, Kent (the home of Charles Darwin), the remainder of the activities can be carried out there. Not to worry if not - a garden, park or local nature reserve will do just as well.
The photographs in this resource are very useful for illustrating a range of insect pollinators and comparing how they are adapted to feeding on different plants.
Hunting and Gathering for Ideas
Create a nature trail with a difference!
Students hunt for ways in which evolution has led to a variety of solutions for different biological functions, such as moving liquids, being waterproof, gripping or insulating.
Each team is given a card with one function written on it and challenged to hunt for the function within a given location.
For a variation of this activity, you could use QR codes to guide students around an 'Adaptation trail'. Use any QR code generator on the internet which converts text into the code, and then print and laminate them.
There is much cross-over with the D&T curriculum here (designing with biomimicry) so it's worth discussing how the two departments could link up.
Ecological Survey
Teachers who are planning a field trip for the first time will appreciate this resource, with its clear descriptions of common sampling techniques and fascinating context.
The aim of the activities is to build up a picture of a location, explain the distribution of the different species found within it and gather data on abiotic factors such as soil conditions, temperature and light intensity.
This is useful for looking at how organisms affect, and are affected by, their environment, as the resource links to an exciting project which transformed 98 hectares of heavily polluted industrial land back into a place that could be used and enjoyed by both people and wildlife. The Avenue is now home to kingfishers, newts, snakes, toads and rare wildflowers.
The activities described are similar to those undertaken at the start of any remediation process to highlight the appropriate actions that may need to be taken to relocate species prior to a location being disturbed.
It may also be worth speaking to the geography department about a combined field trip!
Discover Heathland
It was difficult to choose one resource from this new collection, so we've linked to them all! The resources are extensive, detailed and thorough and can be used to plan a highly effective series investigations.
Don't worry if you don't have access to heathland. The techniques and resources can be adapted for use in a wide range of habitats.
Moths, Adaptations and Predators
This is a good resource for aspects of working scientifically, and the presentations are particulary useful for illustrating predator-prey relationships and how scientists investigated natural selection in the peppered moth.
In order to avoid predators, the caterpillars of some species of moths rest during the day by masquerading as twigs, well-camouflaged and keeping their bodies rigid and still. The aim of this investigation is to determine if caterpillars of the peppered moth show a preferred angle of rest.
It can either be carried out as a field trip, or students can look at images of larvae and measure the angle of rest of each one.
Students use calculations and graphs, and perhaps a statistical test, to determine whether larvae do show a preferred angle of rest.