What direction will our learning take today?

On Tuesday, the Year 4 group were lucky enough to have a brief respite from the recent wet and windy weather for their visit to the woods. They greeted me buzzing with ideas about what they would like to do. Some of the children were keen to build dens whilst others wished to investigate what creatures have made the woodland their home. They chose to take with them the ropes and tarps bag and the discovery bag (containing inspection mirrors, magnifying glasses, collection boxes and field guides).

On the way to the woods, conversation turned to how do we tell which direction is which. We discussed how the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so we can use the position of it to work out direction. Adam suggested that we could use a compass. Safa pondered how a compass is able to show direction and Kayden explained how a compass relies on Earth’s magnetic pull.

Once at our base, the children set out the boundary markers and began exploring the base. Anisha decided to rest in the crook of a tree and take in the sights and sounds of the wood. Kayden found a spot at the top of the embankment that gave way to pleasing views of the beck below and the town in the distance. Ellis enlisted the help of Miss Rushton to create a rope swing on our base camp tree. Adam and Kayden then moved on to finding a suitable den spot, whilst Anisha helped me to create a lean-to shelter.

   

All too soon, it was time to return to school, but as they strode back, the children were bubbling with ideas for our next session (including very ambitious plans to build Jurassic Park!)