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| The Downs |
| The role of the Avon Gorge & Downs Biodiversity Education Officer and Summer Education Officer |
To provide opportunities for everyone to discover, learn more about and enjoy the wildlife and landscape of the Gorge & Downs.
Primary school educational sessions
The Gorge and Downs are a great place to study many aspects of ‘Life processes and living things’ from the Sc2 Programme of Study as well as for developing Sc1 ‘Scientific enquiry’ skills. Typically sessions last a morning. Details of the most popular sessions are given below, however we can adapt sessions to meet your particular needs. |
| National Curriculum links |
Most sessions have links with the following:
En1 Speaking and listening, Ma2.2 Numbers and the number system, Sc1 Scientific enquiry, Sc2.1 Life processes, Sc2.2 Humans and other animals; Sc2.5 Living things in their environment. |
| Discover the Downs |
Through a series of educational games and activities, pupils use their senses to explore the Downs. Activities include: The sounds of the Downs (hearing), Meet a tree (touch), Half a dozen touches (touch), Colour palettes (sight), Eye in the sky (sight), Smelly cocktails (smell).
Additional curriculum links - Geog3 Knowledge and understanding of places, Art2 Investigating and making art, craft and design
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| Butterfly lifecycles |
Sitting in the middle of our big meadow area, we begin this session with a story that introduces the butterfly life cycle. Using props and a beautiful butterfly costume we study the lifecycle of the common blue butterfly (a species that lives on the Downs). To reinforce learning, the children act out the stages of the lifecycle from egg to adult. The session ends with children making butterfly art using small amounts of plant material collected on the Downs. This stimulates discussion about butterfly food plants.
Additional curriculum link - Art2 Investigating and making art, craft and design |
| Comparing habitats |
Focusing on the fantastic meadow areas on the Downs and the woodland on Zoo Banks pupils can explore and compare habitats through minibeast surveys. In each habitat we imagine what it would be like to be a minibeast living there, predict which minibeasts we might find, carry a minibeast hunt and check if our predictions were correct. We also look at at least one example food chain for each habitat.This unit is perfect for developing investigative skills.
Additional curriculum links - Geog1,2 Geographical enquiry and skills
Geog 3,4 Knowledge and understanding of places, patterns and processes |
| Green things |
Pupils meet a variety of plants on the Downs including wildflowers and trees (such as Bristol Whitebeam). They learn the names of parts of plants, discover the many different ways that plants disperse their seeds and experience insect pollination through the ‘Busy buzzy bee’ game.
Additional curriculum links - Sc2.3 Green plants, Sc2.4 Variation and classification |
| Tree-mendous fun! |
During this session pupils find out why trees are so wonderful and important for us and wildlife. The whole class become parts of a tree in a role play. We take a closer look at leaves as we make leaf slides and start to think about how we might classify trees using their leaves. We also use simple keys to begin identify common tree species.
Additional curriculum links -Sc2.3 Green plants, Sc2.4 Variation and classification |
| Peregrine falcons and foodchains |
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Pupils find out all about peregrine falcons - the fastest birds in the world - in this session. We visit the peregrine watch viewpoint to discover how they live. Find out about the adaptations that make them such successful hunters and learn about foodchains and foodwebs in the pigeon-peregrine game. |
| Health & Safety issues |
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We carry out risk assessments for all sessions that we run.
We are trained first aiders.
There are two toilet blocks on the Downs (at Seawalls and at the Water Tower) |
| Advantages of working with us |
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If there are areas of ‘Life processes and living things’ that you’re not confident about teaching we may be able to help. Our area of specialism is science and we have spent many years working with British habitats and wildlife, developing field identification skills.
We have a good knowledge of the Gorge & Downs and its wildlife.
We have experience of teaching children in school and in outdoor settings.
IWe have the time to gather and create resources. |
| Why not also visit? |
The Visitor Services manager at the Clifton Suspension Bridge also runs an education programme. Why not combine your trip to the Downs with a visit to the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Learn about wildlife and habitats in the morning, have a picnic lunch and then visit the Suspension Bridge in the afternoon.
For further information contact us
Mandy Leivers,
Avon Gorge & Downs Biodiversity Education Officer,
Education Department,
Bristol Zoo Gardens,
Clifton,
Bristol,
BS8 3HA.
Tel: 0117 9030609
E-mail: mleivers@bristolzoo.org.uk |
Photography and images copyright individual owners. Early Morning Peregrine (Chris Jones).
Unless otherwise stated all other images belong to the National Trust or the Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project.
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