Learning in the Great Outdoors (Autumn 2)

Diary of Events Autumn Term 2011

1) We visited Rhinefield Arboretum to look at the colours in the late Summer, where the colour was predominantly green.

2) We identified five different trees in and around our school grounds.The oak, the beech, the sycamore and the horse & sweet chestnut. We noted the shapes of the leaves, the seeds we found beneath the trees and observed that all these trees went to sleep in the winter, letting their leaves fall to the ground. We  called these trees 'broad leaved' trees.

3) We harvested some of the fruits of the forest, making an acorn clock for Harvest, a woodland tapestry for the classroom, and collecting sweet chestnuts to roast on open fires.

4) We learned how to build open camp fires with Mr. Baker in the grounds of St. Nicholas' Church, on which we roasted chestnuts (and marshmallows)

5) During our walk down through the churchyard at St. Nicholas' Church we noticed a Yew tree, and the following week we went to Mr. Sharp's furniture restoration workshop to follow the journey of  piece of 'farmed wood' from tree to our homes. We learned that it took many years for our 'broad leaved' trees to grow, and made the link that for this reason the wood they produced was hard wood. We found out that trees in this country are very carefully managed and that farmed wood is replaced to preserve the variety of our wooodlands for future generations.

6) We learned about different hard woods (oak, yew & rosewood)  and their characteristics.

We love outside school !!