Tag: environmental studies

OH-COP week with Tong School P4-7

On the 25th September 2024, as part of the OH-COP week, Tong primary school were visited by Fraser. He organised a introduction session to orienteering, map reading and supported the young people to create maps of their local environment.

“We’re standing here, in the playground”, “That’s the playpark over there”

The young people were each given a map, shown how to use the local landmarks and map key to locate their position on the map. They were divided into groups, taking turns hiding items in the school grounds and plotting the location on their maps, and locating the items hidden by other groups. The young people engaged fully with the task, worked well as a team and enjoyed finding increasingly difficult hiding places to increase the competition.

“Let’s go, I know where to hide the bag!”, “Mark it on the map”.

“We’ve got one more bag to get”, “The boys hid it there”

The young people were then asked to use natural resources to create a map of their local environment. Some created detailed pictures of their street, displaying their houses and the neighbouring homes, including distinguishing local landmarks.

“That’s my house, and there’s the road”

“I used the leaves for the trees, and the pine cones are cars”
With support, the children added a map key to their picture. They creatively used the resources to depict their local environment.
Once the activity was finished, some children enjoyed creating other pieces of transient art using the natural resources.
If you would like to arrange a session or help to run a session like this, please contact the Outdoor Learning Team.

OH-COP week with Tong School P1-3

 

On the 24th September 2024, as part of the Outer Hebrides Conference of Peoples (OH-COP) week, Tong primary school were visited by a Fraser. He organised a minibeast hunt in the local woodlands for the P1-3 pupils.

“We went on a bear hunt in these woods, “Let’s explore!”

 

They gathered to talk about the woodlands; how to be safe, responsible, and how the area might impact the local community and the wider environment. The young people were provided with a minibeast checklist and pen, magnifying glasses and containers, and in small teams were asked to explore the woodlands to record the minibeasts they discovered.

“Help me lift this up”, “Look, a slater”, “I’ve got it in the tub”.

The young people engaged fully in the activity, sharing the equipment and celebrating each minibeast discovery made by their team. They learnt about the food chains which might be present in woodlands, how habitats and the animals which reside in them will be affected by climate change.
“That’s a consumer”, “I’ll dig him out”, “Come see the spiderwebs”.
If you would like to arrange a session, or would like to use the resources provided, please contact the Outdoor Learning Team.

OH-COP week with Tong School Nursery

On the 30th September 2024, as part of the Outer Hebrides – Conference of Parties (OH-COP) week, Tong Nursery school were visited by Fraser. He organised a minibeast hunt in the nursery garden, encouraging the young people to learn about the world around them, and the animals which inhabit the local environment.

The young people were provided with a minibeast checklist and pen, magnifying glasses and containers, and were asked to explore ‘Muddy Town’, their outdoor environment and record the minibeasts they discovered.

“Look, a spider”, “I’ll mark it”, “Look at his web”.

 

The young people engaged fully with the activity, exploring nearly every inch of the environment. They eagerly shared each discovery they made, creating stories and adding an emotional context to the activity:

“That’s a baby slug, let’s find his mummy!”

 

The young people found so many minibeasts they decided to create a bug hotel. It was agreed the bug hotel would provide somewhere for the young people and staff to rehome minibeasts they found during outdoor play, to keep them safe. We discussed what materials we would need to build the bug hotel:

“We need leaves and grass”, “We can collect sticks”.

“These will keep them warm and safe”, “The bugs can eat these leaves”, “I’ll put the snail in”.

If you would like to arrange a similar session or help or resources to run it yourself for your school, please contact the Outdoor Learning Team.

Fire craft with Stornoway Playgroup

On the 7th November 2024, young people and ‘Aunties’ from Stornoway Playgroup visited the Castle Grounds to participate in a fire craft activity with Fraser, from the Outdoor Learning Team.

The aim of the session was to explore fire safety. The young people learnt about the fire triangle, the three elements we need to create fire: fuel, ignition and oxygen.

The Fire Triangle Explained: What Are The Three Elements

Some young people shared their recent experiences of Bonfire night:

“It was so big!”, “I saw fireworks”.

Others shared their knowledge of fire, most commonly where they had seen them at home:

“We use logs”, “Daddy uses a lighter”, “We cook burgers”.

The Playgroup Aunties practiced starting a mini fire using a striker and cotton wool to catch the spark. Fraser set a larger fire in the fire pit and this was used to make a slice of toast for their morning snack.

“I smell the toast”, “I want butter on mine”, “I flipped it!”.

 

The young people learnt about the hazards of fire and how to move around a fire safely. The Aunties are planning are planning to visit to the Castle Grounds to try den building with the little people.

Please get in touch with the Outdoor Learning team for any advice or help in organising an outdoor session.

 

Planting Beetroot with Small People

Beetroot is easy enough to grow in the garden, and it’s a solid favourite of ours! Your 5-a-day are important, beetroot is tasty and good for you. You can use it in soups, cakes, roast them or put them in salads. I personally like to stick some beetroot on a lollipop stick and eat it like a lollipop. 

They’re great veg to grow with kids because the seeds are quite big and so it’s not too fiddly for little hands. They grow best in slightly sandy earth, but they do well in any type of soil. For example, if your soil is a little too acidic, a little lime through it should balance it out. Beets grow best when there aren’t other plants right next to them so make sure it has a little room around it to grow. You don’t even need to plant beetroot in a plot, they’ll grow well in a tub or container of some sort!

If you want the young people you’re helping in the garden to be encouraged, beetroot is a good choice of vegetable for this. It’s easy enough to plant, and it grows easily a lot of the time. There is usually a little bit of time before you start to see it breaking through, but don’t worry as it will still be growing. They take a bit of time to germinate, even if you can’t see them. 

We used egg-boxes to start them off in. We chose these so that we could plant them into the ground if we wanted to, however if you don’t have the space to be able to plant them in the ground a reasonably sized container will do. Firstly we put some earth in each little section of the boxes. Little hands will certainly help with this!

As you can see here, beetroot seeds are big enough that little hands won’t have a problem picking them up here. You need one seed per egg divot. Put the seeds in the middle and press it down into the soil, before covering it with more soil. Your helper will be able to do this without a problem!

Your beets should germinate within 14 days, and you  might start to see, at the earliest, sprouts from the third day . Make sure you water these at least twice a week so they don’t dry out! When your beetroots begin to sprout you will start to see little purple shoots.

Around then, it’s a good idea to move your beetroots to somewhere with a  more room. For example, if you have a little garden space. Cut up your egg boxes and plant them in a little pre-dug plot. If you don’t have the garden space available, a big box will work just as well! The egg boxes will break down as they’re biodegradable anyway.

With this done, all you have to do is keep your beetroot watered and to watch them grow over time.

Then when they are ready it is time to cook them and make lollipops.

 

 

 

 

A Planntadh Biotas le Daoine Beaga

Tha biotas furast gu lèor fhàs anns an gàrradh, agus ‘s e fear dha na glasraich as fhèarr leinn a th’ ann. Tha do 5-gach-latha cudrothmach agus biotas blasta agus math dhut.  ‘S urrainn dhuibh an cleachdadh ann am brot, cèicichean, an ròstadh neo fiù ‘s ann an salad. Tha e còrdadh riumsa biatas a chur air forc agus an ithe mar ‘lollipop’. 

‘S e glasrach sgoinneil a th’ann airson fàs le clann, oir tha sìol aige mòr agus furast gu leòr a chuir sgàth ‘s nach eil è ro dhuilich airson corragan beaga an togail. Tha e a’ fàs as fhèarr ann am talamh le beagan stuth-mathachaidh troimhe, ach fàsaidh e ceart gu leòr ann an diofar seòrsan de pholl le beagan cuideachadh. Mar eisempleir, ma tha ur talamh ro shearbh, cuiridh beagan aol sin ceart dhuibh. Fàsaidh biotas as fhèarr nuair nach eil e faisg air planntaichean eile, dèan cinnteach gu bheil rùm gu leòr timcheall air gus am fàs e. Chan fheum thu fiù ‘s a chuir dhan an talamh ann an gàrradh, tha e comasach fàs ann an soitheach a choireigin!

Ma tha sibh airson misneachd a thoirt don òigridh a’ tha sibh a cuideachadh sa gharradh, ‘s e biotas deagh thaghadh airson seo a’ dhèanamh. Tha e furast’ gu leòr a’ phlanntadh, agus fàsaidh e a mhòr chuid dhan an tìd’. Bheir e beagan ùine gus am faic sibh e briseadh tron an talamh, ach na gabh dragh oir tha e fhathast a’ fàs ged nach faic sibh e!

Chleachd sinne bucais-uighean. Thagh sinn iad seo gus am b’ urrainn dhuinn am planntadh dhan talamh as deidh druiseag bheag fàs, ach mar nach eil rùm agaibh airson sin a’ dheanamh ni soitheach meadhanach mòr an aon rud. An toiseach feumaidh sibh beagan poll anns gach pìos dhan am bucas. Cuidichidh làmhan beag leis an seo co-dhiù!

Mar a chì thu an seo, tha mìol biotas mòr gu leòr ‘s gun tog nan làmhan beaga iad an airde cuideachd. Feumaidh sibh aon phìos mìol anns gach roinn den bhucas. Cuir gach pìos mìol am meadhan am poll agus brùth sios air le ur chorrag mus cuir sibh poll air a mhullach. Tha sin furast’ gu leòr airson làmhan beaga ur cuideachadh.

Bu chòir don bhiotas ginideachadh ann an ceithir latha deug, agus chì thu duilleagan beag as deigh timcheall air trì latha aig a ‘char as tràithe. Chan fheum thu ach bùrn a chuir air turas neo dhà gach seachdain gus nach fàs iad tioram. Nuair a tha nam biotas a briseadh tron am poll chì thu duilleagan beag purpaidh. 

Timcheall air an àm seo, ‘s e dèagh smuain a th’ ann nam biotas a ghluasad gu àite anns a bheil beagan a bharrachd rùm. Mar eisempleir, ma tha beagan gàrradh agaibh, geàrr an airde na bucais-uighean agud cuir iad dhan an talamh ann am plota beag. Mar nach eil comas gàrradh agaibh, nì bucas mor le poll a chùis cuideachd! Brisidh nam bucais-uighean sìos oir tha iad bith-chnàmhach co-dhiù.

Leis an seo deànt, chan fheum sibh ach air burn a chuir air ur biotas bho àm gu àm, agus cumail sùil air mar a tha iad a fàs thairis air ùine. 

 

Exploring the Moor with Tong School

The class were doing a project on black houses and wanted to look at and explore the moor behind the school. Tim first looked round the village to see if there were the remains of any black houses on the crofts but sadly in Tong he couldn’t find any, so the decision was to have a walk out onto the moor, look at how it was different to the rest of the village and how the land might be being used.

The class used the Outdoor Journeys model developed by Simon Beames at Edinburgh University as a start point to prepare. Tim went into the class and they looked at the map and discussed the potential hazards, wrote this out before completing their journey plan to be left a the school before they set off. (Here are the CnES versions of the documents; Journey Plan, Hazard Assessment)

The walk went out of the school up the road, left out towards Craignish and the followed the peat tracks past the fank to the 42m high point. Then before turning to head for the wind turbine and then back down Barraidmhicille Mhoire to the school.

It was a very frosty afternoon so frozen puddles were a great source of interest with everyone looking at the ice and then jumping on it to smash it.

As part of the project to look at how people lived in black houses the class learnt the song Eilean Fraoich, they thought it would be good if they stood on top of some peat banks and sang the song.

On the way round the moor the class looked at the plants and birds they saw, it was so cold they came to the conclusion that was why they didn’t see many birds apart from seagulls.

The cold wasn’t bothering the cattle we  saw near to the end of the journey.

The journey ended back a the school and the inevitable ‘wellies off scrum’ and lots of smiling faces.

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