School Visits to TOPS 2002 - 2005
About 60 children from year 2 of Hillbourne Community First School descended on the Tatnam Organic Patch on Tuesday 25th June 2002 in three groups. Each group had one hour, and everyone was so interested that we had problems keeping to time.
In 2005, we also hosted a visit from a residential Permaculture Design course held on Brownsea Island. 2006 sees this collaboration repeated, along with 2 one day 'Introduction to permaculture' courses in February and March.
The event has been sucessfully repeated in June 2003, with 100 children aged 8/9 from Hillborne School, and a couple of weeks later, 60 children from the reception year at Stanley Green First school, and in 1994 with children from 3 schools, adding St Mary's Combined School to the list.
Children smelt some of the herbs, and learned about the greenhouse automated watering system. They saw various vegetables growing, and the miracle of weeds turning into rich compost. From a safe distance, they saw the bees zipping in and out of the hive, and butterflies and caterpillars all around the garden. For 2003 and 2004 we dipped the pond before the children arrived, health & safety concerns seem to stop kids experiencing anything these days.
Mark shows off the slow worms
The children were fascinated by Mark's array of bugs, particularly the Tarantula. They saw the complete lifecycle from butterfly egg to adult, and some plants that bite back; the pitcher plant, and venus flytrap.
One of the mums commented 'you're ever so brave to work down here with all these bugs !", but fortunately the foreign beasties were all parcelled back off to Mark's house, the sticklebacks and medicinal leech were returned to the stream, and the sloworm made it's own bid for cover. The froglets, newts and dragonfly nymph went back in the pond, and the Rose Chafer retired by air to its favourite plant.
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Another Wild Strawberry caught
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Mark forking the compost to reveal the bugs within
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| Groups | Focus | Activity
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Stick insects are apparently naturalised in the UK from unintentional escapes, though these are captive ones.
| 1 led by Mark | Plants and their relationship with animals: control of creatures that eat plants. Why "organic" | Pond dipping, Look at wildflower area and vegetable area.
list plants and animals found and draw links between them.
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| Timings
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| 55 mins each group
| 15 mins tour around garden
5 mins questions
5 mins introduce quiz and activity
20 mins focussed activity
10 mins review
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| 1 led by teacher | Variation of plant life. Plants that are similar but have differences. | Draw two plants that are wildflowers, that are vegetables, that are trees. In what ways is each pair similar. In what ways is each pair different ? (bring magnifying glasses).
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| 1 led by Kirsten & Mark | Sustainable plant food. Look for water and compost systems. | Draw compost bins. Draw in it some things that can go in it. Draw things outside it that cannot go in it. Draw map of how water travels around the garden.
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Groups chose to "jigsaw" their findings to each other as follow-up activity. (or this was the 2002 plan)
Teacher comments (Katherine Littler)
Our children at Hillbourne learned a tremendous amount about insects and their relationship with plants. They were especially impressed with the water scorpion ! They made a class map of the garden showing the water and compost systems, and a book of their plant drawings. They presented their work in an assembly for parents as well as the rest of the school. We look forward to a return visit !
Comments from the TOP Team
Mark : This sort of visit is exactly what TOPS should be about, and makes it all worthwhile.
Barry : I wish I'd taken the day off to help with the kiddywinks.
Kirsten : It was great but I am exhausted.
Pictures on this page have been approved by the school for display on the Internet on the basis of parental consent.
We would be very happy to host other school visits. Contact Jan 01202 623987, or e-mail Poole Agenda 21