Uncover the secret life of aquatic plants with Plantlife's new Pond Education Pack
Pond Plant Education Pack CD cover (c) Plantlife
Plantlife Scotland is this week launching its new Pond Plant Education Pack aimed at 8-11 year olds. The pack ties in with the national curriculum and provides activities for teachers, rangers and other environmental education staff to include in lessons, focusing on pond plants and their vital importance in the pond ecosystem.
"Our new Pond Pack is unique," said Suzanne Cooper from Plantlife Scotland. "It focuses specifically on pond plants, and aims to make it easy for educators to plan fun lessons based around a school or local pond. Through the activities and the notes we provide, pupils will be able to understand that it is plants that make up the vital habitats in which all other pond life - including insects, frogs and fish - can thrive."
The Pond Pack includes a CD-ROM of 8 fantastic activities suitable for leaders working with groups in P4 to P7, which centre on pond plants and how they are an important part of the pond ecosystem. With activities and teachers’ notes to tie in with the national curriculum, teachers will find the CD-ROM ideal for helping them to plan great lessons with indoor and outdoor components. The activities and learning can contribute not just to Environmental Studies but also to Art, Language, Mathematics and ICT curricular areas.
Activities include a string game to demonstrate how each part of a pond ecosystem is connected to other parts, and a mapping exercise to show how different wildlife may use different habitats near a pond. Naming, describing and drawing different pond plants will help children to look carefully at pond plants and develop their environmental knowledge and artistic skills.
The Pond Pack also comes with a stunning poster showing ‘A year in the life of a pond’ with ideas on managing the pond, and plants and wildlife to look out for in each month of the year.
The Pond Pack and poster are available for free by phoning Plantlife Scotland on 01786 479382 or emailing suzanne.cooper@plantlife.org.uk.
The Pond Plant Education Pack is set up to link with the Scottish school curriculum, with examples of plant species common in Scotland. It could also be adapted for use in England or Wales, although other examples of plant species would need to be found which would be more appropriate for those countries.
The development and production of the Pond Plant Education Pack and “A year in the life of a pond” poster has been supported by funding from BAGS and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
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