Thursday 8 May 2014

Outdoor Learning Updates and Education Resources for Teachers

Updates from the partner organisations to Education Scotland's Outdoor Learning team.

Forestry Commission Scotland – Woodland Workout

Forestry Commission Scotland is encouraging young people to feel the benefit of the Commonwealth Games with a new Woodland Workout pack. Targeted at 3-14 year olds the pack promotes opportunities for quality, fun and safe physical activity in the outdoors and includes ideas for games, physical activities and staging ‘adapted’ Commonwealth sports in the woodlands. The pack, complete with teachers’ guide, encourages young people to have fun but to also be responsible for their well-being and consider risk. As well as considering potential hazards in their activity space and taking risks with solving problems, it also allows children the chance to learn how to manage ‘failure’ through reflecting on performance to set new challenges. The Woodland Workout, with Commonwealth Games supplement has been issued to schools across Scotland and is available to download

Youthlink – The Link Magazine

The latest edition of The Link Magazine focuses on outdoor learning and highlights the huge range of Outdoor Learning experiences being delivered across the youth sector. An online edition can be viewed here.

RSPB- Nature of Scotland Awards

The Nature of Scotland Awards are now open for entries. The Nature of Scotland Awards are designed to recognise and celebrate excellence, innovation and outstanding achievement in Scottish nature conservation.
The Youth & Education Award celebrates a school or youth group who can demonstrate how they have made a real difference to the conservation and sustainability of Scotland’s wildlife and habitats.

This could be through fundraising for a conservation-related project, a school grounds development, partnership working or best practice in hands-on delivery of learning for sustainability, connecting young people to the natural world.

Sustrans – Big Street Survey

We have developed a learning and teaching resource for P6-7 and S1-3 called The Big Street Survey. It is designed to get pupils thinking and learning about their local environments, how they make them feel and how they can go about developing a manifesto for changing their streets and making them healthier and safer places.  You can view the resources here.

The resource delivers various Health and Wellbeing outcomes, Social Studies, Expressive arts, literacy and numeracy Experiences and Outcomes..

The Royal Highland Education Trust / Glachbeg Croft Centre – Maths on the Farm Career Long Professional Learning

A  FREE training session to primary practitioners which will introduce a range of maths activities that can be carried out using the farm as a background and provide information on what is on offer locally to help support farm learning. This training will take place on 22nd May at Glachbeg Croft Centre, Munlochy.

Duke of Edinburgh Award – Flag a Munro Challenge

The Flag a Munro Challenge is being organised by the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and is open to those who have signed up to complete their DofE Award. From April to June 2014 participants are invited to ‘Flag a
Munro’ to celebrate the Commonwealth Games. The project aims to connect people with our mountain heritage, encourage physical activity and recognise the significance of Scotland’s landscape. Photos taken on each climb will be used to compile a collage, a lasting piece of artwork to share the legacy of the challenge. The collage will be displayed at a special art exhibition in Glasgow this summer. For more information including how to sign-up, visit the Flag a Munro blog.

The Octavia Hill Awards

This year, the Octavia Hill Awards are looking for heroes who have helped children and young adults connect with the outdoors and wildlife – passing on their own experience, enthusiasm and love of nature. As many studies have shown, such connections with nature (even, or especially, in towns and cities) are essential for our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

Nominate your wild hero - examples could include:
  • A teacher who makes a special effort to inspire their pupils to love and understand nature through outdoor learning.
  • An individual or organisation that has fought a campaign to save outdoor space to play in.
  • A conservation volunteer who gives up free time to take children and parents on field trips.
  • A national organisation that promotes the importance of children’s connection with nature.
  • An individual who teaches children outdoor skills, such as foraging, den-building, camping and birdwatching.
The closing date for nominations is midnight 31 May. Further information can be accessed here or here
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The Great Trossachs Forest

The Great Trossachs Forest has developed Geography, Art & Design and Biology teaching resources. Each resource pack contains a series of fact sheets, short films to compliment the subjects and suggested activities for the classroom and as part of outdoor learning. All the written information is provided in either pdfs or editable word documents so they can be tailored to suit different needs and teaching styles. The resource pack also provides useful information about bringing a class to The Great Trossachs Forest along with contact information should ranger support be required during the visit. 

Click here to access the downloadable resources

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