There are many exciting and innovative experiences for children in our Scottish Woodlands site which will support both independent and interactive learning.
Please use the pre-loader buttons on this page. This will save time downloading the activities in class and can be done beforehand.
If possible, pupils should watch the television unit which supports this site: What? Where? When? Why? - Woodlands in Scotland 1) The Native Woodland 2) The Deciduous Forest 3) The Commercial Forest. For transmission details click here.
Viewing these programmes would help the children as they attempt the various activities in the site.
Children undertake activities to find out more about the variety of life dependent on woodlands. Within the four areas, there are differentiated tasks to meet the requirements of the 5-14 Curriculum at levels A and B as shown below.
Curriculum match
Areas
Tasks
Level
What
A healthy tree needs
A
Where
Wildlife photography
A/B
When
Seasonal changes
A/B
Why
Dead wood
B
As a resource, at home or at school, use of this site will enhance development in the following areas:
SKILLS
- Carrying out tasks Follow simple instructions
- Reviewing and Reporting recognise simple relationships and draw conclusions
DEVELOPING INFORMED ATTITUDES
- A commitment to learning Working independently to find solutions
- Respect and care for self and others Participating in the safe and responsible care of living things and the environment
The Forest Code could be introduced as part of cultivating a responsible approach to the woodland environment. Here it is-
Follow the Forest Code Guard against all risk of fire Protect trees, plants and wildlife Leave things as you find them, take nothing away Keep dogs under control Avoid damaging buildings, fences, hedges, walls and signs. Leave no litter
Social and environmental responsibility The importance of the interrelationships between living things and their environment.
Follow-up activities In conjunction with this site, use of information books could be encouraged as well as using the internet. By using this site, pupils will gain knowledge of species identification, the wider environment and seasonal changes. These starting points will facilitate further study, through, for example, nature walks, a school survey of trees, plants and animals, reasons for and methods of litter collection, construction of food chains, and the introduction of the terms 'habitat', 'energy', 'predator' and 'prey'.
Children could develop a glossary to help explain new terms and information.
Personal and Social Development work could be developed through a theme of 'living' woodlands.
What Page
Strand: interaction of living things with their environment Attainment target: give examples of how to care for living things and the environment
Level A - Trees are living and need sun, water, roots, leaves, bark, and care and attention to thrive.
Level A - Select and click the six essentials for a healthy tree.
When the game is completed, there is a song with animation.
WHERE PAGE
Strand: interaction of living things with their environment Attainment target: recognise and name some common plants and animals found in the local environment
Level A - Use arrows to search around woodland and then use the mouse to click on birds, animals, plants and insects.
Attainment target: give examples of feeding relationships found in the local environment.
Level B - click and drag each living thing to its home in the wood.
Children can then click on wildlife to fill their own scrapbook, with the option to print.
Attainment target: recognise and name some common plants and animals found in the local environment.
Level A - View wildlife gallery
To allow children to learn about such unusual wildlife as the capercaillie and the Scottish crossbill, we have made pine forests a major focus in this section.
WHEN PAGE
Strand: interaction of living things with their environment Attainment target: give some examples of seasonal changes that take place in the appearance of plants
Level A - Click on each season to see what happens to both a deciduous tree and an evergreen tree. We have made the general distinction that deciduous trees drop their leaves but evergreen trees do not.
Attainment target: give examples of feeding relationships found in the local environment
Level B - Study the oak leaf and acorn as the grey squirrel's food, and the pine needle and cone as the red squirrel's food. Help the red squirrel collect pine cones for the winter.
Attainment target: recognise and name some common plants and animals found in the local environment
Level A - view gallery of trees
WHY PAGE
Strand: interaction of living things with their environment Attainment target: give examples of feeding relationships found in the local environment
Level B - Identify the importance of dead wood in forest life, and the variety of life it supports. Then, help the beetle escape from the woodpecker by correctly answering quiz questions, Level 1 and 2.
Site Navigational Aids
Help icon In the flash version of the site, each section has a learning zone followed by a game/task/quiz to support the learning. A child may click on HELP at any time. There are also HINTS to help complete each section. Hints can appear as picture hints or text with audio.
Teacher's icon In the flash version of the site, you will find this teacher's icon on the top left hand corner of your screen. On each page this tells the teacher how to complete the activity. In the non-flash version of the site, there is a teacher's help page situated down the left hand side of the page.
Learn Again Throughout the site, there is always the option to 'learn again' key information to aid completion of the games and quizzes.
Galleries
In the Flash version of the site, we have provided photographs of living things in the forest as a reward at the end of the WHERE section. Additionally, there is a gallery of photographs of trees and leaves at the end of the WHEN section.
Forward plan
We have provided a forward plan which you can print out. Here you will find information about levels, strands, and attainment targets for knowledge and understanding, skills, developing informed attitudes and ICT.
To save classroom time you can click on the link above to preload the flash activities for WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? This will have to be done for each computer the activities will be viewed on.
