This week the children in Class One have been on a class trip to Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve to enhance their learning in science. We all had a fantastic time and chose a lovely sunny day for some outdoor learning!

The children were very excited to travel on a comfy coach and were so sensibile all the way there. When we arrived at Fairburn Ings we met the friendly team of voluteers and went straight to the indoor classroom. Andy, our group leader, explained to us and our Shadwell friends what we would be learning throughout the day. We found out that Fairburn Ings is home to many different species of animals and creatures including; deer, foxes, mice, birds and a wealth of minibeasts. 

We learnt how important it is to look after these creatures and preserve their natural habitats. 

Our first activity of the day was a 'Plant detectives' workshop. We headed to the glorious meadow to develop our knowledge of common garden and wild plants. We used classification sheets to identfy a variety of plants by the shape of their leaves. As we explored the meadow, we found burdock, ribwort, cranes-bill and many more plants. Next, we played a game that demonstrated how vital insects are in the life cycle of a plant. The children used coloured plastic balls to visualise how easily flowers can be pollenated by bees. 

We then moved on to exploring minibeasts and their habitats. We looked under big logs and rocks to discover millipedes, spiders, slugs and even a colony of ants. We were very careful when returning the insects to their homes after we had finished looking at them. We also discovered a baby newt, which the children were fascinated by.

After lunch, we walked down to the pond for our next activity. Laura, the activity leader, told us that the pond was a fresh water habitat and was home to many more different creatures. Each group had a turn using the nets to carry out pond dipping. It was quite difficult to move the nets in a 'figure 8' shape but some children did manage to find tadpoles, pond snails and a small water scorpion. We also investigated other pondlife at the tables and tried to identify different species. The children were very interested in the caddisfly larvae which looked like small pieces of wood. However, they were actully tiny creatures that build houses of wood and other debris around it's body to protect itself from being eaten. 

Before we got back on the coach, Laura allowed us to feed the mallard ducks. She warned us not to give the ducks bread as this isn't good for their stomachs but instead we used special duck food pellets. We learned that frozen peas are very good for the ducks too! 

We were so incredibly proud of all the children for being enthusiastic and polite throughout the whole trip. We had lots of fun learning about plants and minibeasts. We can't wait to use the new outdoor learning  area back at school to continue our learning!

Category: Class of 2017

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