What's it all about?
A new National Trust survey of over 1,000 children and 2,000 adults, found that more than three quarters of children aged between eight and 15 rarely or never listen to birdsong, and that even more never watch the Sun rise (90%), look at clouds (79%) or smell wildflowers (83%).
This PDF resource includes an article about how children can connect with nature , as well as accompanying activity ideas perfect for learning at home or in school:
- If connecting with nature is so important, debate whether we should we make it an official part of the school week, or if it's perfectly acceptable not to be interested in nature.
- Write a recount of the last time you spent in a natural environment. Describe where it was and what you saw, smelled, heard and felt.
- Write a pretend persuasive letter from nature to you, begging you to spend more time with it.
- Identify three to five different species of bird that you have actually seen in the wild near where you live. For each one, provide a description (and, if possible, a sketch) as well as brief details about its key characteristics.
To help tackle the problem, the National Trust has launched a guide to help people connect with nature. Find the nine-week plan here.
You can find more teaching resources from Plazoom her
Have you tried The Week Junior in your school yet?
This wonderful resource came from The Week Junior magazine. This fantastic magazine, written specifically fo
r 8-14 year olds, includes the top news stories of the week plus science and technology, animals and the environment, books, sport and much more.
You can take out a subscription for your school from just £54 to help your students:
- Access, interpret and question the world around them
- Improve their spoken language skills through debate and discussion
- Develop an enjoyment of reading across the curriculum
Try it for free in your school, order your free copy today!