4 March 2013 – Winter slow to release its grip!
This program looks at the importance of weather how it effects wildlife and the onset of spring, how we can cheat the weather to some extent by growing plants and using bees in a greenhouse, but not without a cost. Also how it can still cause problems with keeping livestock like pigs outside.
- The snow hath retreated – Looks at the signs of spring. What can you look for as an indication that spring has sprung! Also how you and your school can get involved with helping scientists analyse if spring is getting earlier like some people believe.
- Beating the weather? –Another visit to the greenhouses to see how the tomatoes are progressing, as well as cucumbers and surprisingly strawberries.
- The weather can kill! – This follows our newborn piglets through to weaning, looking at what different systems are available for rearing pigs and how the UK pig herd has some of the highest welfare standards in the world – which we should be supporting if we believe in animal welfare.
Download teachers notes for this section – New Spring New Life
NATIONAL CURRICULUM SUBJECTS LINKS.
Citizenship KS 1 + 2
E.g. Shows how farmers look after animals.
Relevant QCA Schemes of Work
Unit 3 Animals and Us
Design and Technology KS 1 + 2
Looks how farmers use modern technology to grow crops and provide fresh 5-a-day produce
Relevant QCA Schemes of Work
Unit 1c Eat More Fruit and Vegetables
Geography KS 1+2
Give examples of what the countryside around your schools ‘local’ area will contain.
Relevant QCA Schemes of Work
Unit 1. Around our school – the local area
Unit 6. Investigating our local area
Science KS 1 + 2
The videos have lots of science links to the units listed below for example:
Shows the start of plants life cycles and what parts of a plant we use and harvest.
Looks at how we can help bees so important to many of the plant food crops we rely on
Some of machinery could be used to discuss pushes and pulls.
Relevant QCA Schemes of Work
Unit 1B. Growing plants.
Unit 1E Pushes and Pulls.
Unit 2A Health and Grow.
Unit 2B Plants and Animals.
Unit 3B. Helping plants grow well.
Unit 4B Habitats.
Unit 5B. Life cycles.
Unit 6A Interdependence and adaptation.
These are just the links we thought of – please let us know if you make any more!
ECO SCHOOL TOPIC LINKS
With apologies if we are ‘teaching grandma to suck eggs’ here are some of our thoughts on how our videos link to the Eco School Topics
Showing pupils just which of their food products are grown in this country will give them important background knowledge when discussing transport, energy and global perspective of food production and the healthy living choices they make when they go to the shops.
Energy
Growing food and the associated energy costs of buying home grown food or imported food
Water
Use of water to grow plants
Biodiversity
How growing studying local habitats and where pest are found can help local biodiversity
School grounds
How the simple act of hunting for mini-beasts can help build up a picture of the school grounds in preparation for the design and creation of new features in your school grounds
Healthy living
How growing your own produce can promote healthy living by promoting a healthy diet and also promoting exercise in the act of growing that produce. The improvement of school ground can also aid mental well being.
Transport
Reduce transport costs of food by growing your own local produce.
Litter
When carrying out gardening tasks introduce children to tidy habits – pick up all packaging and dispose of ‘thoughtfully’ – see waste
When outside be it school, garden or countryside “Take only photos Leave only footprints!”
Waste
Explain that gardening and farming is and always has been synonymous with recycling. Re-use seed trays, compost is made from last years ‘recycled’ plants. Think twice abut where to put litter – bin or recycle?
Global citizenship
Explain how even the little things we do – where how food comes from, how much we recycle, our biodiversity, can affect the whole world be it good or bad!