A Rocha UK is pleased to offer our new education resources, for primary and secondary school-aged children (3-14 years)
These free education plans have been created to aid children in a variety of settings - schools, community groups and churches - to enjoy exploring nature and caring for our planet through both indoor and outdoor activities.
Each Education Plan is divided into sections and, if completed in full, takes approximately 3 hours. As part of our Christian mission, some education plans have specific faith-based content. Please use whichever sections you wish and adapt the timings and content to suit your specific needs. These fun, interactive, stimulating outdoor sessions are linked to the national curriculum and use scientific enquiry to educate.
Key Stage 1 (3-7 years)
Key Stage 2 (7-14 years)
An introduction to rocks, fossils and soils, by using samples, maps and pictures. Outdoor activities engage children with soil by collecting samples, testing soil, experimenting with planting seeds into different soils, nature art and modelling clay.
Identification is revisited using scientific enquiry skills looking into the differences in the taxonomy of plants, insects and animals. Activities include: sweep netting, classification and ID of insects and plants, drawing, and campaigning (creating posters and writing letters).
Exploring the different stages of plant life-cycles through observing plants and trees in the local area, investigating samples, planting an acorn or hedge, sketching the progression from acorn to sapling to mature tree and learning about the importance of pollinating insects in connection with plants.
An introduction to understanding the different stages in the life-cycles of insects using ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ story as a visual demonstration of a butterflies journey and comparing that to life-cycles of damselflies and dragonflies. Activities include: observing and comparing insects in their habitat, pond dipping and learning how to protect habitats needed for the different stages of insect life-cycles.
Discuss habitats – wetlands, grasslands and woodlands. Introduce adaptation; why would you not expect to see a polar bear in the woodland in this country? Outdoor activities include: engaging children in the woodland by taking photographs and botanical sketching, studying wetland by pond dipping and grassland by sweep netting.
Please email any feedback and suggestions to improve and develop our education resources to uk@arocha.org. Thank you for helping us with future planning.
With thanks to former and current A Rocha UK staff, teachers and partners who have worked closely with us:
Andy Lester, Hannah Pearson, David Melville, Rebecca Paynter, Andy Jowitt, Fiona Wilkinson, Amy Lewis, Kailean Khongsai, Mark Prina, David Chandler, Anne Scott, Regina Ebner and Lydia Reese.
Lucy Hartmann, Lead Teacher Wolf Fields Primary School
Eileen Dhak, Lead Teacher, St Anselms’ Catholic Primary School
Punam Ranji, Lead Teacher, Guru Nanak Sikh Academy
Dragana Knezevic, Jennifer Hedges, Minet Country Park