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A reading of 'The Cloud Spotter' by Tom McLaughlin and read by Tom Hardy

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Bedtime Stories | Tom Hardy | Cloudspotter | CBeebies

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Animated story of The Great Bear Native American Legend.

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Hunting The Great Bear Iroquois Legend - Bing video

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Caleb GOES on a Bear Hunt Adventure IN THE WOODS! We are Going on a Bear Hunt wit...

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A description of the seasons is here along with a diagram to show the earth tilting on its axis and how this links to seasons.

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The Met Office website where you can read about the weather, look up different sorts of clouds and even make a cloud in a jar!

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The earth's atmosphere exhibits an extraordinary variety of weather phenomena. The world's weather is perpetually on the move, pushed and shaped by air currents in the atmosphere.

What we experience day to day is a tiny sample of what is going on in earth's weather systems.

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The earth's atmosphere exhibits an extraordinary variety of weather phenomena. The world's weather is perpetually on the move, pushed and shaped by air currents in the atmosphere. What we experience day to day is a tiny sample of what is going on in earth's weather systems.

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This is a link to the Met Office You Tube Channel to watch weather maps and weather reports.

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weather "weather channel" "uk weather" "weather uk" "weather channel uk" "daily weather forecast" "forecast today" "daily weather forecast uk" "weekly weathe...

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If you're looking for the very latest weather forecast, wherever you are in the UK, then you've found the right YouTube channel. We are the Met Office, the UK's national weather service, and every day of the week we bring you a morning weather forecast and an afternoon weather forecast so that no matter where you are in the UK we have you covered.

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A link to renewable and non renewable resources. Warning you may need to download a flash player for this site to work!

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Renewable and non-renewable - The Children's University of Manchester

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A website that describes the process of logging.

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By Lisa Algee

Logging, or commercial logging, involves cutting trees for sale as timber or pulp. The timber is used to build homes, furniture, etc and the pulp is used to make paper and paper products. Logging is generally categorized into two categories: selective and clear-cutting.

Selective logging is selective because loggers choose only wood that is highly valued, such as mahogany.

Clear-cutting is not selective. Loggers are interested in all types of wood and therefore cut all of the trees down, thus clearing the forest, hence the name- clear-cutting.

You may be wondering if selective logging is better for the forest than clear-cutting?

This is a very interesting question! You think it would be, but actually selective logging can be very damaging to the surrounding trees which are not selected for logging. What happens is that the heavy equipment used to cut the selected trees often damages the surrounding trees. It is estimated that 40% (40 out of 100 trees) die from just one tree that is selectively logged (Kricher, 1997). That's a lot of damage!

Which logging practice is worse, selective logging or clear cutting?

It depends on who you ask. According to NASA, clear cutting is much more damaging to a tropical rain forest because when all of the trees are removed, the soil loses its nutrients and becomes barren (NASA, 1998).

However, according to Ashton, in some cases, it is better to clear-cut a forest than to selectively log it. With selective logging, the largest trees are taken which means a loss in the seed source. The trees remaining often shade seedlings (small plants) that need sunlight to grow and eventually become trees. Clear-cutting is better when the soil already contains seeds. With clear-cutting, all of the seedlings are exposed to an equal and uniform amount of light. This equal amount of sunlight helps the young plants to grow and eventually become trees (Ashton lecture, 2005).

Is there a type of logging practice that is not so damaging to the environment you may ask?

Yes, there is. It's called strip logging. This type of logging is designed to mimic or copy the natural succession (re-growth) of a rainforest.
How does it work?
Strip logging involves the clear-cutting of a relatively thin strip of forest that parallels a river (goes along the river) along a slope. A gallery forest (bordering the river) is left intact, but a strip is cut immediately upslope and the desirable timber is removed by a road that is also designed to parallel the river. Following this, another strip is cut several years later immediately upslope to the first strip and the road. Nutrients eroded (broken down) from the newly cut strip wash down slope and aid in spreading the recovery of the first strip (Kricher, 1997, p. 346). The process allows the strip to regenerate (regrow) while selecting another strip upslope. It also prevents erosion (the wearing down of nutrients from the soil) because the strip is buffered by a row of trees remaining and a supply of nutrients from the newly cut strip. Smart, huh?
Why does logging happen?
Logging occurs for many economical reasons, such as: agriculture (planting crops), cattle-ranching, mining, oil and gas extraction, development, and subsistence-farming. The logs, or wood, are also used to make homes, furniture, paper, pencils, wood-chips for packaging products, fuel for cooking and providing heat for homes, etc.
Can we use other materials for building homes and furniture?
Sure! Why not use plastic, metal, stone, brick, or even sponge glass! Sponge glass is found in the ocean and is one of the strongest and most durable materials in nature.
What can we do as consumers (buyers) to decrease the logging of rainforests? Be creative. Here's a start:

Always use both sides of paper when writing, drawing, photo-copying, typing, faxing, etc.

Recycle all paper products.

Buy recycled paper and paper products: notebook paper, paper towels, toilet paper, books, etc.

Read the newspaper on-line.

Use pencils until they become stubs. Think of pencils as pieces of gold; you'll never lose them if you do.

If you do buy wood or furniture made of wood, make sure it is Certified wood. This means the trees were legally cut-down.

If you buy a product that is packaged with wood-chips, write the company and suggest they use another packaging material, hmmm, like recycled paper, straw, or hay. Hey! That sounds good.

Write letters of protest to companies which log illegally or in ways which are harmful to the environment.

Okay, now you try...

What are some of the effects of logging irresponsibly?

1. Loss of bio-diversity. Many species live in, on, or near primary trees. When these trees are cut down, species lose their habitat, source of food, and shelter. Also, primary trees provide seeds for new trees to grow. When these trees are cut, the seed source is lost.

2. Extinctions. Many species can not live without trees. When trees are cut, animals lose their homes, source of food, and shelter.

3. . Trees and leaves (leaf litter) provide nutrients for the soil in rainforests. Without trees, a rainforest becomes barren and without life. Trees also prevent erosion by absorbing water, thus preventing the washing away of nutrients in the top-soil.

4. Flooding. Trees keep the soil stable by absorbing rain water. Rainforests receive 1,500-3,000 mm of water annually (hmmm, how many inches is that?) That's a lot of water! Without trees, flooding and mud-slides can occur causing serious environmental and ecomonic damage. Seedlings (young plants) and existing trees can be wiped out as well as nearby homes and buildings. Many people have lost their lives due to massive floods and land slides.

5. Obstruction of rivers and streams. With erosion and flooding, the soil and silt often runs into rivers and streams. This sedimentation (soil and silt) clouds the water and sometimes prevents fish and other species from making their nests and laying their eggs. For example, salmon need clear rivers and streams with small pebbles to make their nests and lay their eggs.

6. Forest fragmentation affects the living space of species. It cuts their habitat into fragments or pieces. This can have a serious affect on their habitat, food availability, and migration patterns. Many species have decreased or even become extinct due to forest fragmentation.

7. Climate change. Trees (store) carbon. When trees are cut or burned down, the carbon is released into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a green house gas which means it absorbs heat. This absorption of heat is called global warming and has serious environmental and economical consequences. It increases the earth's temperature, thus causing glaciers to melt and sea-levels to rise; it disrupts earth's weather patterns. For example, droughts, massive floods, and extremely powerful hurricanes are just some of the effects of global warming.

What's happening with logging in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica has lost over 60% of its forest cover to logging, agriculture, and cattle ranching. Although 40% of Costa Rica's land contains forests, only a small percentage of primary forests remain. The peninsula of Osa, an area barely 25 kilometers wide and 57 kilometers long, contains the last primary forests of the entire Pacific coast of Central America. Unfortunately, this peninsula is being illegally logged.

Why are primary forests important? Primary forests are rich in bio-diversity. In the entire peninsula, there are more than 1,513 species of plants unique to the area. There are also about 500 species of trees. In Corcovado alone, one of the two national parks in the Osa peninsula (Corcovado and Piedras Blancas), scientists have documented 124 species of mammals and 375 species of birds. According to the environmental organization, Fundacion Neotropica,the trees in the Osa peninsula are comparable -in structural complexity and biological diversity -with those of Amazonia, Central Africa, and Asia. When these trees are logges, bio-diversity is lost.

Why is it being logged? Loggers are interested in the most desirable species of trees. Some of these species are: cristobal, mahogany, nazareno, espavel, and cedar.

Why isn't it being protected? Although the logging is low-intensity and continues to be prohibited, the government is granting permits for controlled cutting called "plans of operation." The problem is there isn't enough forestry workers to enforce and monitor controls. With a limited amount of forestry workers and a lack of economic resources, illegal logging is occuring.

A social issue as well? The 6,000 inhabitants of Osa have suffered unemployment for years. Sawmill owners entice these jobless inhabitants with money in exchange for permits or "plans of operation" to log on their properties.

Is there a solution? What do you think?

Can reforestation of these primary forests restore bio-diversity? Although reforestation takes place in commercial or secondary forests, it can not replace lost bio-diversity.

What's being done? The Minister of the Environment is coordinating volunteers, the national police, and other state institutions to patrol the peninsula and monitor "plans of operation."
Time to show yourself what you have learned:

1. What is the difference between selective logging and clear-cutting?

2. In your opinion, which category of logging is more harmful to the environment and why?

3. What is strip logging and what are its benefits?

4. Why does logging occur? For what reasons?

5. Can you match these words with their meaning:

parallel a.) regrowth

leaf litter b.) habitat is cut into pieces

regeneration c.) provides nutrients to soil

fragmentation d.) goes along or next to

6. Choose the correct word: When primary forests are cut down, bio-diversity _____________ (increases or decreases).

7. A synonym (a similar word) for sequester is _________.

8. Fill in the blanks: Trees _______ carbon. When trees are cut or burned down, the carbon is ________ into the atmosphere in the form of ____________.

Carbon dioxide is a green house gas which means it absorbs heat. This absorption of heat is called ___________ and has serious environmental and economical consequences.

9. What are two effects of global warming?

10. Name two materials we can use to build homes instead of using wood.

Math question: If rainforest receive 1,500-3,000 mm of water annually, how many inches is that?
Answers are located after the references (please don't look until you have completed all 10 questions).
Pen Pal conversation: Discuss with your pen pal possible solutions to the illegal logging in the Osa peninsula. Be creative. Remember to write to your Pen Pal in the Comments Section after this lesson.
References:
Kricher, J. (1997). A Neotropical Companion: An introduction to the animals, plants, & ecosystems of the New World Tropics. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Answers to the questions:
1. Selective logging only cuts down certain trees (valuable trees), whereas clear-cutting cuts down all of the trees.

2. This is your opinion...there is no "right answer"

3. Strip logging involves the clear-cutting of a relatively thin strip of forest that parallels a river (goes along the river) along a slope. A gallery forest (bordering the river) is left intact, but a strip is cut immediately upslope and the desirable timber is removed by a road that is also designed to parallel the river. Another strip is cut several years later upslope from the first strip. Nutrients are replaced from the remaining trees upslope.

4. Logging occurs for many economical reasons, such as: agriculture (planting crops), cattle-ranching, mining, oil and gas extraction, development, and subsistence-farming. The logs, or wood, are also used to make homes, furniture, paper, pencils, wood-chips for packaging products, fuel for cooking and providing heat for homes, etc.

5. parallel d.) goes along or next to

leaf litter c.) provide nutrients to soil

regeneration a.) regrowth

fragmentation b.) habitat is cut into pieces

6. When primary forests are cut down, bio-diversity decreases.

7. store

8. Trees carbon. When trees are cut or burned down, the carbon is into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a green house gas which means it absorbs heat. This absorption of heat is called global warming and has serious environmental and economical consequences.

9. Warmer temperatures and a rise in sea levels.

10. Stone and sponge glass!

Math answer: If rainforests receive 1,500-3,000 mm of water annually, how many inches is this? To solve this we need to go from mm to cm to inches. We can use this logic to help us do the conversion. If there are 10 mm in 1 cm (a 10:1 ratio) then in 1,500 mm there are 150 cm. To convert cm to inches, we use the conversion: 1 inch= 2.54 cm. So, 150 cm = ______ inches/cm. If we divide 150 by 2.54, we will solve the question. The answer is about 60 inches of rain, and that's on the low end of the range!

Note: This integrated lesson is designed for 3rd grade students. The following California standards are addressed in this lesson:

Reading: Vocabulary and Concept Development (1.6): Use sentence and word context to find the meaning of unknown words.

Reading Comprehension: Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text (2.6): Extract appropriate and significant information from the text, including problems and solutions.

Writing applications: Write narratives (2.1): Write narratives: (a) Provide a context within which an action takes place.

Life Science: Students know living things cause changes in the environment in which they live: some of these changes are detrimental to the organism or other organisms, and some are beneficial.

Social Studies: Students understand the role of rules and laws in our daily lives and the basic structure of the U.S. government (3.42): Discuss the importance of public virtue and the role of citizens, including how to participate in a classroom, in the community, and in civic life.

Algebra and Functions: Express simple unit conversions in symbolic form (1.4) (e.g.,____ inches=____ feet x 12).
eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp_docs/Deforestation.pdf>More resources on logging

Threats from Humankind

LOGGING: Timber certification, trade restrictions

Reduced-Impact Logging

Sustainable Logging in the Rainforest

Why are rainforests disappearing?

Paper

Logging news
FAQs

May I use graphics from mongabay.com for my projects? Yes, you may provided that you don't remove the mongabay label from the images. You may use information from the site for class projects and can cite mongabay as the source.

Where can I learn more about rainforests? Check the main rainforest site.

Is this web site credible? Mongabay is the world's most popular source for information on tropical forests. The site is highly acclaimed by a number of the world's leading tropical scientists. See more answers at our frequently asked questions page.

© Mongabay 1995-2018

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Logging, or commercial logging, involves cutting trees for sale as timber or pulp. The timber is used to build homes, furniture, etc and the pulp is used to make paper and paper products. Logging is generally categorized into two categories: selective and clear-cutting.

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This website is all about recycling. Click on the different materials to find out how each one is recycled.

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The amount of rubbish we throw away is increasing due to things like lifestyle changes and an increasing population.

We need to increase the amount of rubbish that is recycled because we cannot continue to landfill or burn it forever. This is recognised by Government who are thinking of ways we can reduce the amount of rubbish that we produce and increase the amount of rubbish we re-use and recycle.

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The amount of rubbish we throw away is increasing due to things like lifestyle changes and an increasing population. We need to increase the amount of rubbish that is recycled because we cannot continue to landfill or burn it forever.

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A short animated film for children about recycling.

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recycling animation for children - Bing video

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Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, to enjoy a better life | Educational Video for Kids.

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Year 1 Taking care of the Earth  (Literacy Tree text link) 

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Year 1 Taking care of the Earth  (Literacy Tree text link) 

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A re-telling of Lost and Found with illustrations from the book.

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📚 LOST AND FOUND - OLIVER JEFFERS - STORY TIME READ ALOUD FOR KIDS - BOOKS FOR KS1 CHILDREN

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Year 1 Spring  - Taking Care of the Earth (text link)

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Year 1 Spring  - Taking Care of the Earth (text link)

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A theatrical production of 'Dinosaurs and all that rubbish' by Michael Foreman told in 3 consecutive parts with illustrations animated from the original book.

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dinosaurs and all that rubbish youtube - Bing video

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Dinosaurs and All That Rubbish by Michael Foreman | Created by Roustabout | Episode 1 of 3

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Find out about recycling in Sheffield. Watch the video that shows which coloured bins are used for which materials.

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Recycling in Sheffield and what items to put in each bin

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This link takes you to energy UK where the creation of electricity is described.

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In the UK, our electricity is generated in a number of different ways. It is important to have different fuel sources and technologies to generate electricity so that we have a constant supply and are not overly reliant on one type of power generation. The different types of energy and the amount of electricity they create are listed below:

Fossil fuels

Most of the UK's electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels, mainly natural gas (42% in 2016) and coal (9% in 2016). A very small amount is produced from other fuels (3.1% in 2016). The volume of electricity generated by coal and gas-fired power stations changes each year, with some switching between the two depending on fuel prices.

Nuclear

21% of our electricity comes from nuclear reactors, in which uranium atoms are split up to produce heat using a process known as fission. The UK's nuclear power stations will close gradually over the next decade or so, with all but one expected to stop running by 2035. Several companies have plans to build a new generation of reactors, the first of which could be running by 2018.

Renewable energy

Renewable technologies use natural energy to make electricity. Fuel sources include wind, wave, marine, hydro, biomass and solar. It made up 24.5% of electricity generated in 2016 - this will rise as the UK aims to meet its EU target of generating 30% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

Imports

The UK electricity network is connected to systems in France, the Netherlands and Ireland through cables called interconnectors. The UK uses these to import or export electricity when it is most economical. In 2015, the UK was a net importer from France and the Netherlands with net imports of 13.8 TWh and 8.0 TWh respectively which accounted for 5.8 per cent of electricity supplied in 2015. Total net exports to Ireland amounted to 0.9 TWh.

Further information

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In the UK, our electricity is generated in a number of different ways. It is important to have different fuel sources and technologies to generate electricity so that we have a constant supply and are not overly reliant on one type of power generation.

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A link about Electricity and how to use it safely.

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Peter Hartree on behalf of Farquhar Design (www.farquhardesign.co.uk)

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Switched on Kids - from Electrical Safety First

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Learn about electricity and electrical safety with this children’s website from Electrical Safety First.

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A short video for you to spot which things use electricity.

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Please be aware that resources have been published on the website in the form that they were originally supplied. This means that procedures reflect general practice and standards applicable at the time resources were produced and cannot be assumed to be acceptable today. Website users are fully responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is in accordance with current regulations related to health and safety and that an appropriate risk assessment has been carried out.

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Produced by Teachers TV, this short video is part of the Lesson Planning Pack series. It encourages primary school children to think about the items in a house that use electricity. It can be used as a lesson starter to stimulate thought and discussion about electricity in the household.

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Learn about what electricity is - a short animation aimed at KS2 but suitable for younger learners too.

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A collection of Science resources for Year 3-4 / P4-5 on the topic of electricity

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A short video about light sources.

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Do you know what the Earth's main source of light is? Yes it is the Sun. The sun is the main source of light on earth.

Without light from the sun, the world would be in darkness. Plants wouldn't grow and no other life would exist on Earth. The sun gives us energy to survive. Light makes up only a small fraction of the energy that comes to us from the sun.

Light sources can be two groups.

Following is a list of light sources;

Natural light sources produce light naturally without any human involvement.

Artificial light is light made by humans.

What is meant by incandescent?

Emitting light as a result of being heated is called incandescent. This means, when an object is incandescent, it emits light because it is hot. Most of the light sources are incandescent.
Examples of incandescent light sources
What is meant by bioluminescent?

Some sources of light emit light without getting hot. These can be both living and non living things. Fluorescent tubes, glow-in-the-dark paints, glow-in-the-dark signs, glow-in-the-dark stickers and sticks, glow-worms, fireflies, jellyfish are some of the examples for light sources that emit light without getting hot.

Living things that emit light without getting hot are referred to as bioluminescent.
Examples of bioluminescent light sources
Animals like fireflies and glow-worms emit their own light to attract mates. The firefly's light energy comes from a chemical reaction that takes place in its abdomen.

The ocean is in complete darkness from a depth of about 1000 metres downwards. This is because, light from the surface does not reach deep below the ocean. This causes problems for the fish to find food. Some deep-sea fish swim closer to the surface to get food whereas some fish spend all of their time in the dark. Angler fish, viperfish and black dragonfish are some of the examples of fish who spend their entire life in the dark.

The angler fish lives in the darkness, about 4000 metres below the ocean surface. It wiggles a luminous lure to attract its prey.

The viperfish uses bioluminescent lights in its open mouth to entice prey directly into its stomach.

The black dragonfish produces red light from a spot just beneath its eye. This allows the dragonfish to see its prey, but the prey cannot see the red light.

Non-luminous objects

Objects which do not emit light or reflect the light from luminous objects are called non-luminous objects.

Some non-luminous objects reflect light struck on them from luminous objects. One good example is the moon. The moon just reflects light from the sun.

Reflectors of light

What are Reflectors of light?

Reflectors of light cannot emit their own light. They just reflect light.

Examples of reflectors of light

Look at the beautiful reflections of the surrounding environment in the smooth water of this stream.

Why are mirrors not sources of light?
Mirrors do not make their own light. They just reflect light. That is why you cannot see a mirror in a completely dark room.
Is the moon source of light?
No, it isn't. The moon is not a source of light because it just reflects light from the Sun.

Remember! You must not look directly at the Sun because, Sun is a very bright object which can damage your eyes very quickly.

Invisible Light
Did you know there is invisible light that your eyes cannot see?
Infrared (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV) are the two types of invisible light.

Living things and very hot objects like the Sun give out infrared.

Ultraviolet is very powerful light that is given out by the Sun. UV light can damage your eyes. This is why you shouldn't directly look at the Sun. Ultraviolet also causes severe sunburn and skin cancer. You should always remember to use sunscreen before exposing to the direct sunlight.

Also, read the lessons How Does Light Travel and Shadows.

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Sources of Light | Examples of Sources of Light | Examples of Reflectors

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Do you know what the Earth's main source of light is? Yes it is the Sun. The sun is the main source of light on earth. Without light from the sun, the world would be in darkness. Plants wouldn't grow and no other life would exist on Earth.

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Find out about the natural phenomena of fireflies that produce their own light.

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Fireflies

Family: Lampyridae

Status: Not Listed

Classification: Invertebrate

Description

There are a number of different species of fireflies, none of which are actually flies-they're beetles. They get the names "firefly" and "lightning bug" because of the flashes of light they naturally produce. This phenomenon is called bioluminescence, and the bioluminescent organs in fireflies are found on the underside of the abdomen. A similar group of organisms are glowworms. The term "glowworm" can refer to firefly larva or wingless adult females-some of which are not in the firefly family Lampyridae. Both glowworms and fireflies are bioluminescent. The important distinction is that fireflies have wings and glowworms do not. Fireflies can reach up to one inch (2.5 centimeters) in length.

Range

Fireflies are found in temperate and tropical regions on every continent except Antarctica. They live throughout the United States in parks, meadows, gardens, and woodland edges. They are most commonly seen on summer evenings.

Diet

Firefly larvae eat snails, worms, and slugs, which they inject with a numbing chemical to disable. Adults eat other fireflies, nectar, or pollen, although some don't eat at all.

Life History

All larvae are able to produce light to deter predators, but some species lose this ability in adulthood. Each species has its own pattern of light-flashing, which is controlled by the nervous system. Some species, such as the Pennsylvania firefly (Photuris pensylvanica), are still bioluminescent as adults and use their flashes to attract mates of their species. This species also uses light to attract their prey, the big dipper firefly (Photinis pyralis), which they eat to obtain defensive chemicals. Aside from mating and prey attraction, it's thought that bioluminescence may be a defense mechanism for the insects-the light lets predators know that their potential meal isn't very tasty and might even be toxic. A firefly typically lives for approximately two months in the wild.

Conservation

Anecdotal evidence suggests that firefly populations may be on the decline. Fireflies live in fields, meadows, forests, and other natural habitats, and these areas are becoming fewer due to development.

Fun Fact

Bioluminescence in fireflies is nearly 100 percent efficient, meaning little energy is wasted to produce their light. By contrast, an incandescent light bulb is only 10 percent efficient-90 percent of the energy is lost as heat. For another comparison, the heat produced by a candle is 80,000 times greater than the amount of heat given off by a firefly's light of the same brightness. Fireflies must be more efficient to save energy.

Sources

Disappearing Fireflies, Firefly.org

Evans, A. V. National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.: New York, NY 2007.

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Fireflies | National Wildlife Federation

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Family: Lampyridae Status: Not Listed Classification: Invertebrate Description There are a number of different species of fireflies, none of which are actually flies-they're beetles. They get the names "firefly" and "lightning bug" because of the flashes of light they naturally produce.

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Discover more about light and dark from the BBC Bitesize website.

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A ppt with images of natural and man made light sources for teacher led discussion.

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An information site about Joseph Banks.

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Joseph Banks (1743-1820) was born on 13 February 1743 in Lincolnshire. His father, William Banks, was a wealthy landowner.

As a child, he enjoyed the outdoors and developed a passion for natural science at a young age. He was educated at Eton College and the University of Oxford, and left in 1763 with an extensive knowledge of natural history.

At 21, having inherited the impressive estate of Revesby Abbey in Lincolnshire, Banks became one of England's wealthiest men, with an income of £6,000 per year - more than £1 million pounds in today's money.

With a thirst for knowledge and the means to pursue it, Banks took his first voyage of discovery at the age of 23.

Newfoundland and Labrador (HMS Niger)

In 1766 Banks joined HMS Niger, travelling under the command of Sir Thomas Adams.

The purpose of the journey was to transport a party of mariners to build a fort and survey the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, today Canada's most easterly province.

As the ship's botanist, Banks collected many species of plants and animals previously unknown to Western science. Two weeks after his return to the UK, he was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society.

He caught the attention of the scientific community by publishing the first Linnean descriptions of the plants and animals of Newfoundland and Labrador. He also documented many new species of birds, including the great auk, which subsequently went extinct in 1844 from overhunting for its feathers, meat and oil.

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Joseph Banks: scientist, explorer and botanist

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Joseph Banks (1743-1820) was born on 13 February 1743 in Lincolnshire. His father, William Banks, was a wealthy landowner. As a child, he enjoyed the outdoors and developed a passion for natural science at a young age. He was educated at Eton College and the University of Oxford, and left in 1763 with an extensive knowledge of natural history.

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A link to the RHS site with some practical ideas for investigating the lifecycles of plants.

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We're encouraging Primary School pupils to learn, create, plant and discover at home using our RHS learning resources.

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A colourful booklet from Kew Gardens in London with information about unusual and endangered species of plants.

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Animation showing seed dispersal of a dandelion.

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Video link to a video of a bee pollinating a plant.

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Flowers and pollinators depend on each other for survival. Flowering plants (angiosperms) are the most diverse group of living plants. Most flowering plants rely on insects such as bees for pollination (learn more about pollination here). Insects are efficient pollinators because they can move directly from one flower to another, picking up and unintentionally depositing pollen along the way, allowing angiosperms to reproduce.

Thus, insect-pollinated flowers have evolved an array of colors, patterns, fragrances, shapes, and "floral rewards"-including pollen, floral oils, and nectar (see below)-to attract their pollinators. These three floral rewards have different nutrient and energy content, and a different amount of energy is required from the plant to produce each one.

"Slo-Mo Footage of a Bumble Bee Dislodging Pollen" by Smithsonian Channel ( YouTube).

Pollen

Pollen is a powdery substance that contains plant sperm. Pollen from different flowers takes different shapes. This variety prevents cross breeding with other plants. Durable internal layers give pollen grains their texture and shape. Pollen's resilience makes it hard for most animals to digest, but it's perfect for fossilization.

Pollen is the primary source of protein for bees. The protein content of pollen varies between 2.5% and 61%, depending on the plant species. For context, beef is approximately 26% protein!

The outermost coating on a pollen grain is soft and gooey. It sticks to the bodies of bees and other pollinators. The inner layers of the pollen grain are rigid and indigestible, protecting the nutrient-rich cytoplasm at the center. It's difficult for most animals to digest pollen, but bees have digestive enzymes that soften the pollen grain's rigid layers.

Bees evolved physical structures for harvesting pollen, including specialized brushes, combs, and rakes on their legs, abdomen, or mouthparts. Bees that prefer certain plants may have specially-shaped hairs on their bodies to pick up their favorite pollen. All non-parasitic bees developed mechanisms for carrying pollen from flowers back to their nests. Most bees transport pollen externally, but some bees consume the pollen and carry it in their crop or "honey stomach." Bees also produce a small electrostatic charge, which helps the pollen stick more securely to their bodies.

Blue-banded bee using a technique called "banging" to dislodge pollen from a flower ( YouTube).

Floral Oils

Floral oils are the most energy-rich floral reward. Oils are produced by 1,500 to 1,800 species of flowering plants. Multiple angiosperm families have evolved to produce floral oils since the Cretaceous Period ended 66 million years ago. Each family evolved this trait independently and at different points in their evolutionary history. Today, 11 flowering plant families produce floral oil.

Virtually no oil-producing flowers produce nectar, so oil is their primary reward for pollinators. Floral oils are produced in glands called elaiophores, which oil bees break open with special hairs. Bees carry oil back to the nest on their legs or abdomen.

Oil-collecting bees occupy a variety of habitats across the globe, but are most common in the tropics. These 440 species of bees use floral oils to nourish and protect their offspring. They line the walls of their brood cells with the antimicrobial oil and feed their larvae with this energy-rich substance in place of nectar.

Oil-containing flowers and their bee pollinators ( YouTube).

Nectar

Nectar is made of water, sugar, carbohydrates, amino acids, and proteins. Flowers produce nectar from special structures called nectaries. Different plants produce different types of nectar to attract particular pollinators. Nectar may be scented or contain certain stimulants like caffeine to entice pollinators and help them remember the plant.

Nectar sugar concentration can vary from 7% to 70% by weight, but most nectar is between 25% and 55% sugar. By comparison, Coca-Cola is about 10% sugar by weight!

Bees use their complex mouthparts to access nectar. The 17 interlocking, moveable parts allow bees to lap up and even suck nectar from flowers. Bee mouthparts vary in shape and length depending on the shape of the flowers they prefer.

A small number of social, stingless bees in Thailand collect tears instead of pollen. The tears of large mammals like dogs, humans, and cattle contain protein that the bees seek out and collect. These species have an expandable abdomen used for storing and carrying liquids. The bees don't transmit diseases or have a negative impact on hosts who supply the tears, though it does tickle a bit when they're harvesting!

Vulture bees in Central and South America have developed a surprising change in their diet. Instead of getting protein from pollen, vulture bees feed on carrion. The bees collect rotting meat, chewing it before they return home. In the nest, adult bees store and consume the meat, converting it to a protein-rich secretion used to feed their larvae. These bees have a reduced physical capacity to carry pollen, having switched to an animal protein diet.

Scaptotrigona depilis, a social stingless bee from Brazil, has taken a unique approach to feeding its larvae. This species not only exclusively feeds on fungi, but actively cultivates it within the nest as larval food. The bees raise the fungi, feeding it with a blend of pollen and nectar as it grows. They even transplant their crop from one nest to another, carrying it within a wax-and-resin mixture used to build nest walls. This is the only known bee species that cultivates its own food!

The evolutionary connection between flowering plants and their insect pollinators helps to explain the great diversity of angiosperms alive today. Bees and flowering plants have a complex give-and-take relationship. We often think of bees as pollinators, but bees are really herbivores gathering food for their offspring. A bee's role in pollination is completely incidental. They're just trying to collect the most pollen, nectar, or floral oils possible. To plants, bees are useful tools in their quest to spread pollen and reproduce. Plants have evolved devious ways to manipulate their pollinators, and bees have developed counter-strategies to maximize their harvesting capacity.

Tricky Plants

Plants work hard to limit the loss of pollen, nectar, or oils while maximizing the chance of pollination. Some plants trick bees into returning multiple times by dispensing pollen in small doses or releasing floral rewards slowly over time. Other flowers place barriers in the way of pollen or nectar harvesting so that only certain bees can access their floral rewards.

Some plants, like bee orchids, take an especially deceptive approach. Bee orchids look and even smell like female bees! When male bees are lured in and try to mate with the decoy female, the orchid deposits a sticky packet of pollen onto the bee. As the bee travels to similar orchids, he spreads the pollen. The orchid is essentially tricking the bee into being an effective pollinator, and the bee gets nothing useful in return!

"The bee orchid, Ophrys apifera" by Natural History Museum ( YouTube).

Other species take a more lethal route to control their pollinators. The death camas ( Zigadenus) produces a neurotoxin in its leaves, pollen, and nectar. It is poisonous enough to kill humans and livestock, not to mention bees! Despite this, one bee species ( Andrena astragali) loves death camas pollen and is probably the plant's only pollinator. The death camas can't self-pollinate and the bee lives exclusively off of its pollen - they are locked in a relationship of mutual survival.

Bandit Bees

Some bees, including honey bees and carpenter bees, rob flowers of their nectar and bypass pollination completely. Instead of picking up pollen from the anthers of the flower, these bees cut slits in the petals, sneak their heads in, and steal nectar directly.

Buzz Pollination

Over 22,000 plant species limit bees' access to their pollen by enclosing it in a poricidal anther, a structure with just a small opening. Bees use a technique called buzz pollination (sonication) to access the pollen. When buzz pollinating, bees grab hold of the flower and vibrate their flight muscles. This action transfers the vibrations to the flower, forcing the pollen out and on to the bee.

"This Vibrating Bumblebee Unlocks a Flower's Hidden Treasure | Deep Look" by PBS Deep Look ( YouTube)

Comparison of buzzing behavior by 6 bee species ( YouTube).

Tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and other flowering fruits and vegetables all need pollinating for attaining large yields and fruit sizes. Tomatoes are one high-value, delicious fruit that requires buzz pollination.

All bees have the muscles needed to perform buzz pollination. Species from all seven bee families use the technique. However, only 58% of bee species use buzz pollination. Why some bees can buzz pollinate and others cannot is a mystery! Despite their reputation as great pollinators, honey bees are among the species that can't sonicate, making them ineffective pollinators for certain plants. Bumblebees can, however, making them important pollinators of crop plants like tomatoes.

Perfumed Pollination

Orchids and male orchid bees in Central and South America have an unusual, sweet-smelling relationship. Unlike other male bees, orchid bees have a complex mating behavior involving the collection of fragrance from rotting fruit and plants, fungi, feces, and orchids. The fragrances are used to create perfume that attracts female orchid bees. These females choose their mate based on who creates the most attractive perfume.

Bucket orchids use their fragrant oils to lure the male bee, depositing pollen packets on his back before he leaves the flower. As a result of their mating behavior, male orchid bees are key pollinators for 600 to 700 different orchid species.

"An Orchid's Trap | Wings of Life" by National Geographic Wild ( YouTube).

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What Bees Eat Pollination - Museum of the Earth

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Flowers and pollinators depend on each other for survival. Flowering plants (angiosperms) are the most diverse group of living plants. Most flowering plants rely on insects such as bees for pollination (learn more about pollination here). Insects are efficient pollinators because they can move directly from one flower to another, picking up and unintentionally depositing pollen along the way, allowing angiosperms to reproduce.

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Background information to George Washington Carver - African American Scientist.

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George Washington Carver was born into slavery in Diamond Grove, Newton County, now known as Diamond, Missouri, in possibly in 1864 or 1865.

His master, Moses Carver, was a German American immigrant who had purchased George's parents, Mary and Giles, from William P. McGinnis on October 9, 1855, for $700.

When George was only a week old, he, a sister, and his mother were kidnapped by night raiders from Arkansas, who would sell the family before Carver's owners would be able to rescue them all. Only George and his brother James would be spared by the kidnappers

After slavery was abolished, Moses Carver and his wife Susan raised George and his older brother James as their own children.They encouraged George to continue his intellectual pursuits, and "Aunt Susan" taught him the basics of reading and writing.

At the age of thirteen, due to his desire to attend the academy there, he relocated to the home of another foster family in Fort Scott, Kansas. After witnessing a black man killed by a group of whites, Carver left the city. He attended a series of schools before earning his diploma at Minneapolis High School in Minneapolis, Kansas.

College

Carver applied to several colleges before being accepted to Highland College in Highland, Kansas. However, upon his arrival, the College terminated his enrolment due to his race.

By August 1886, Carver traveled to Eden Township inNess County, Kansas where he would work as a ranch hand and experimental farmer. Maintaining a conservatory of plants, flowers and a geological collection, Carver would manually plough17 acres (69,000 m ²) of the claim, planting rice, corn, Indian corn and garden produce, as well as various fruit trees, forest trees, and shrubbery.

Wanting to go back to his studies, Carver obtained a $300 loan at the Bank of Ness City for education, but by June he had left the area. However, in 1890, Carver began studying Art and Piano at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa; to which he gained a profiency in painting flowers and plants. This profeciency was regonised by his teacher Etta Budd, who helped Carver enroll into Botany at Iowa State Agricultural College in Ames in 1891, to which he was their first Black student.

After submitting his Bachelor's thesis; 'Plants as Modified by Man' in 1894, the Professors at Iowa State encouraged Carver to remain for his masters degree and to work at the Iowa Experiment Station for two years. His work at the experiment station in plant pathology and mycology first gained him national recognition and respect as a botanist.

Carver would go on to teach as the first Black faculty member at Iowa State.

In 1896, Booker T. Washington, the first principal and president of the Tuskegee Institute, invited Carver to head its Agriculture Department. Carver taught there for 47 years, developing the department into a strong research center and working with two additional college presidents during his tenure. He taught methods of crop rotation, introduced several alternative cash crops for farmers that would also improve the soil of areas heavily cultivated in cotton, initiated research into crop products (chemurgy), and taught farming techniques for self-sufficiency.

From 1915 to 1923, Carver concentrated on researching and experimenting with new uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans, pecans, and other crops, as well as having his assistants research and compile existing uses. This work, and especially his speaking to a national conference of the Peanut Growers Association in 1920 and in testimony before Congress in 1921 to support passage of a tariff on imported peanuts, brought him wide publicity and increasing renown. In these years, he became one of the most well-known African Americans of his time.

Legacy

Carver developed techniques to improve soils depleted by repeated plantings of cotton. Together with other agricultural experts, he urged farmers to restore nitrogen to their soils by practicing systematic crop rotation: alternating cotton crops with plantings of sweet potatoes or legumes (such as peanuts, soybeans and cowpeas). These crops both restored nitrogen to the soil and were good for human consumption. Following the crop rotation practice resulted in improved cotton yields and gave farmers alternative cash crops. To train farmers to successfully rotate and cultivate the new crops, Carver developed an agricultural extension program for Alabama that was similar to the one at Iowa State. To encourage better nutrition in the South, he widely distributed recipes using the alternative crops.

In addition, he founded an industrial research laboratory, where he and assistants worked to popularize the new crops by developing hundreds of applications for them. They did original research as well as promoting applications and recipes which they collected from others. Carver distributed his information as agricultural bulletins.

In 1916 Carver was made a member of the Royal Society of Arts in England, one of only a handful of Americans at that time to receive this honour. Carver's promotion of peanuts gained him the most notice. In 1919, Carver wrote to a peanut company about the potential he saw for peanut milk. Both he and the peanut industry seemed unaware that in 1917 William Melhuish had secured US 1243855, issued 1917-10-23 for a milk substitute made from peanuts and soybeans.

The United Peanut Associations of America invited Carver to speak at their 1920 convention. He discussed "The Possibilities of the Peanut" and exhibited 145 peanut products. By 1920, the U.S. peanut farmers were being undercut by low prices on imported peanuts from the Republic of China.

In 1921 peanut farmers and industry representatives planned to appear at Congressional hearings to ask for a tariff. Based on the quality of Carver's presentation at their convention, they asked the African-American professor to testify on the tariff issue before the Ways and Means Committee of the United States House of Representatives. Due to segregation, it was highly unusual for an African American to appear as an expert witness at Congress representing European-American industry and farmers. Southern congressmen, reportedly shocked at Carver's arriving to testify, were said to have mocked him. As he talked about the importance of the peanut and its uses for American agriculture, the committee members repeatedly extended the time for his testimony. The Fordney-McCumber Tariff of 1922 was passed including one on imported peanuts. Carver's testifying to Congress made him widely known as a public figure.

Honours

1923, Spingarn Medal from the NAACP, awarded annually for outstanding achievement.

1928, honorary doctorate from Simpson College

1939, the Roosevelt Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Southern Agriculture

1940, Carver established the George Washington Carver Foundation at the Tuskegee Institute.

1941, The George Washington Carver Museum was dedicated at the Tuskegee Institute.

1942, Ford built a replica of Carver's birth cabin at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn as a tribute.

1942, Ford dedicated a laboratory in Dearborn named after Carver.

1943, Liberty shipSS George Washington Carver

1951-1954, U.S. Mint features Carver on a 50 cents silver commemorative coin.

1965, Ballistic missile submarine USS George Washington Carver (SSBN-656)

1969, Iowa State University constructs Carver Hall in honour of Carver- a graduate of the university.

1943 the US Congress designated January 5, the anniversary of his death, as George Washington Carver Recognition Day.

2007, the Missouri Botanical Gardens has a garden area named in his honour, with a commemorative statue and material about his work

Willowbrook Neighborhood Park in Willowbrook, California was renamed George Washington Carver Park in his honour.

Schools named for Carver include the George Washington Carver Elementary School of the Compton Unified School District in Los Angeles County, California and the George Washington Carver School of Arts and Science of the Sacramento City Unified School District in Sacramento, California.

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George Washington Carver - The most prominent African American scientist of the early 20th century.

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George Washington Carver was an American botanist and inventor, he actively promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was the most prominent African American scientist of the early 20th century.

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Link to the RSPB website to explore more about habitats.

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Habitats are made up of plants, animals, fungi, rocks, mud and water. They create amazingly different homes for nature and affect what kind of creatures can live there. Why not try and figure out what kinds of habitats are near you?

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Habitats | Learn About Nature - The RSPB

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Habitats are made up of plants, animals, fungi, rocks, mud and water. They create amazingly different homes for nature and affect what kind of creatures can live there. Why not try and figure out what kinds of habitats are near you?

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A link to the Bitesize channel to look at Habitats and the environment.

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Living things and their habitats - KS1 Science - BBC Bitesize

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KS1 Science Living things and their habitats learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers.

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A video clip about producers, consumers and decomposers.

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A video clip about ecosystems and how the bears in a forest rely on a fish.

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These connections can be seen in a forest ecosystem where salmon is vital for the stability of life within it.

The secret behind this is the bears, and how they hunt for the fish and then discard some of the carcasses which are rich in nitrogen.

The nitrogen in turn helps the trees to grow.

This is then linked to the food chains and webs within the ecosystem.

Ecosystems can come in all shapes and sizes, as small as a termite mound or as large as a tree.

This clip is from the series Life Lessons.

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Science KS2 / KS3: The connections within ecosystems

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These connections can be seen in a forest ecosystem where salmon is vital for the stability of life within it. The secret behind this is the bears, and how they hunt for the fish and then discard some of the carcasses which are rich in nitrogen.

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A range of science investigations all linked to pollution.

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Pollution, of various kinds, is having a significant impact on society and the environment. According to the World Health Organization, some 4.2 million deaths every year are a result of exposure to outdoor air pollution. Ninety-one percent of the world's population lives in places where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits.

And then there is plastic pollution. According to an article by National Geographic, some 18 billion pounds of plastic waste flows into the oceans every year from coastal regions. The problem is, this plastic destroys local habitats and is known to be a contributing factor to animal mortality. Clearly, something drastic needs to be done about the surge of pollution. And these are just a few examples.

Education is certainly part of improving the situation. Teachers can educate their students so they can make a difference - whether it be in their own personal lives, or as the environmental scientists and inventors in the future.

To spark the inner environmentalist in students, we've compiled a list of the best hands-on science projects that teach kids about pollution. We have also suggested what grades each activity is suitable for. However, these are just a guide, so feel free to use your discretion and adapt each activity to the grade you are teaching.

1. Oil Spill Simulation

Oil spills are devastating for the environment, and cost millions of dollars to clean up. Videos and images of oil spill disasters can be an effective teaching tool since they can be so emotional. Although caution is advised when showing pictures of affected animals!

Nevertheless, a hands-on oil spill simulation will help your students to understand why oil spills affect the environment so badly and how difficult they are to clean up. You can find specific instructions for this activity here. In a nutshell, the activity requires students to simulate an oil spill in a tray of water, examine the potential effects on wildlife, and suggest clean-up methods using household items.

Suitable for: 3 - 6

2. Real-World Testing of Biodegradability

If objects and materials were more biodegradable, this would help with pollution since the discarded objects would break down more quickly. Some of the materials we use, however, never break down, and they end up clogging up our waterways and littering our soil. In this activity, students will conduct an experiment that establishes what materials really are biodegradable.

You can find instructions here. It essentially involves burying a range of objects (an apple core, leaves, plastic packaging, and Styrofoam) underneath the ground and leaving them there for a month. Students then return to the burial site and dig down to see what has broken down and what has not. The activity also comes with some excellent discussion questions.

Suitable for: K - 6

For more ideas, see Activity # 14 Renewable or Not? in PLT's PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide.

3. "Happy Earth, Sad Earth" Sorting Game

This activity is a very simple sorting exercise for younger children. It involves putting pictures of things that are beneficial for the Earth, and those that are not, into the appropriate category. The activity could be conducted in groups, or as a class.

For this activity, you will need to print out and laminate (optional) the cards and objects found here (courtesy of www.totschooling.net). How you encourage your students to sort the objects is entirely up to you, but displaying them on a big piece of cardboard that can be put up on the wall when finished is ideal!

Suitable for: K - 2

For more ideas, see Activity # 24 Nature's Recyclers in PLT's PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide.

4. Modeling Pollution Uptake by Plants Using Celery

Pollution can also end up in food chains, including our own, which can have a negative on health and wellbeing. This activity is a great way to kick off a discussion about pollution and food chains. It involves creating a simple model that demonstrates how pollution can be drawn up into plants.

To do this activity, place a piece of celery in a jar or beaker of diluted food dye. Over time, the food dye moves up the celery, and there it remains. The food dye represents pollution, and the celery could represent any number of plants that are used for food. You can find specific instructions for this activity here.

Suitable for: K - 3 (NOTE - A knife is needed to cut the celery, so just be aware of that. Probably best if adults did that part).

For more ideas, see Activity # 27 Every Tree for Itself in PLT's PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide.

5. Polluted Display Jars

This activity enables students to "see" pollution in the classroom - a great teaching or memory aid when discussing the topic. And it's super easy too! In summary, students collect samples of air and water (even snow), put them in clear glass or plastic jars, and then manually "pollute" them.

You can find some instructions and ideas here. But here are some quick suggestions regarding what could be added to your jars to pollute them: For your jar of air, you could drop a lit match into the jar, and quickly put the lid on, so that the smoke is caught in the jar. That will certainly give that nice clean air a brown/grey tinge! (Only adults should handle the matches.) For the jar of water, dirt and bits of plastic will suffice. Remember to have jars of clean water, air, and snow so students can compare the clean ones with the polluted ones.

Suitable for: K - 5

For more ideas, see Activity # 28 Air Plants and Activity # 36 Pollution Searchin PLT's PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide.

6. Sea Turtle Fate Game

From the moment they are born, various species of sea turtles have a tough time making it through to adulthood. Although sea turtles die of natural causes or as the result of predator attacks, they also die as a result of human activity and pollution. This game allows students to explore the effects of humans on sea turtles, and the true scope of the problem.

You can find a detailed explanatory video here. The activity involves drawing plastic eggs out of a bowl of sand, with each plastic egg having a "fate" message inside. The message describes whether the figurative sea turtle in that egg survived or not, and if it didn't survive, why not. Students then sort each ill-fated turtle egg into categories related to whether its death was as a result of man-made or natural causes.

Suitable for: Grades 2 - 5 (it could be used with younger students, depending on the make-up of your class. The themes may be a little too deep for some).

Download a free sample activity from PLT's new e-unit for grades 3-5: Energy in Ecosystems

Download now

7. Watering Plants with "Acid Rain"

Acid rain is a significant threat to the environment and is caused by pollutants in the atmosphere mixing with rain as it falls. The topic of acid rain is something students may learn about in both science and geography. This activity allows students to create their own "acid rain" and to asses its effects.

You can find detailed instructions here. In this experiment, students water three separate plants with either water, a little bit of acid, and a lot of acid. Use either vinegar or lemon juice as the acid. After leaving the plants in the sun to grow for a few days, watering them as they go, students will assess the effects of the acid on the plants. (You will need to be prepared to lose two plants. All for the sake of science of course!)

Suitable for: Grades 5 - 8 (depending on how in depth you go with the theory).

NOTE - You may like to have the children wear lab glasses when handling the lemon juice or vinegar. This can help avoid some stinging eyes, and of course, will make them feel like real little scientists!

8. Water Pollution Detection Experiment

This activity gives students an opportunity to get up close and personal with water "pollution" and explores some of the simple ways we can tell if pollution is present. This activity is excellent because it engages many senses.

The activity involves giving each student/group in your class a cup of clean water. You will then go around the class, adding a few drops of food coloring to each cup of water. The kids then stir the solution, making note of the fact that they can see the "pollution." The same process is repeated, this time adding vinegar to the fresh water. This illustrates how sometimes we can smell "pollution". The third time around, add salt and the students' mix. This highlights that not all pollutants can be seen or smelled (once the salt has dissolved).

You can find detailed instructions for this activity here. There are also some additional questions, activities and suggested teaching strategies.

Suitable for: Grades 2 - 5

For more ideas, see Activity # 44 Water Wonders in PLT's PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide.

9. Modeling the Movement of Pollution Through Ecosystems

After completing this activity, students will be able to describe the environmental impact of pollution on all living things and how pollution is transferred through ecosystems. The instructions for this activity suggest watching the accompanying video first. After which, students engage in a role-play acting game.

For the role play, you will need to create five groups of students: 1) humans; 2) plants; 3) fish; 4) plant-eating animals; and 5) fish-eating animals. The game takes place in a large circle which has been divided into two halves. The two halves represent land and sea. Finally, you will use colored pasta to represent pollutants such as exhaust, garbage, oil, and pesticides. The game proceeds with a series of interactions that demonstrate how pollution can be passed through the food chain and affect many species. There are also several accompanying activities to consolidate the learning.

Suitable for: Grades K - 5

For more ideas, see Activity # 44 Water Wonders and Activity # 27 Every Tree for Itself in PLT's PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide.

10. Climate Change Sensory Play

In lessons about pollution, teachers often discuss how it contributes to climate change, and this is a great activity to explore this concept using their sense of touch. You can find instructions here.

Essentially the activity involves using frozen shaving cream (as snow/glaciers), blocks of ice, beads, and plastic animals to simulate a polar environment. Allow students to spend time playing on their own with everything in the environment. After some time, everything begins to melt. The activity dramatically demonstrates the impact of melting ice caps and glaciers. A discussion of pollution and climate change can follow. Be warned: this activity will require a bit of clean up!

Suitable for: Grades K - 3

For more ideas, see Activity # 84 The Global Climate in PLT's PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide.

Are you planning on trying any of these activities? What are some other ways you teach your students about pollution? Let us know in the comments!

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10 Hands-On Science Projects to Teach About Pollution - Project Learning Tree

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Pollution, of various kinds, is having a significant impact on society and the environment. According to the World Health Organization, some 4.2 million deaths every year are a result of exposure to outdoor air pollution. Ninety-one percent of the world's population lives in places where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits.

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Video clip introduction - What is sound?

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In their House of Sound, Fran Scott and Greg Foot investigate how sound is made and how we hear it.
They explain that sound is caused by vibration. If an object vibrates the air particles called molecules close to it vibrate.

This makes the molecules next to them vibrate and so on, forming a sound wave.

If the sound wave reaches our ears and our brains then we hear the sound.

They also explain that sound needs something called a medium to travel through and Fran repeats a famous experiment by a scientist called Robert Boyle who demonstrated that air is a medium through which sounds travel.

She puts a bell in a jar, taking out all the air from the jar to create a vacuum, after which the bell falls silent.

Using 3D animation, Greg takes us on a guided tour of the human ear, pointing out the key components: the eardrum, hammer, anvil, stirrup, cochlea and auditory nerve.

Finally, Fran makes a giant human ear out of everyday things to show how these components work.

This clip is from the series House of Sound.

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In their House of Sound, Fran Scott and Greg Foot investigate how sound is made and how we hear it. They explain that sound is caused by vibration. If an object vibrates the air particles called molecules close to it vibrate. This makes the molecules next to them vibrate and so on, forming a sound wave.

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Link to BBC website - How to measure the speed of sound.

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Lower-secondary (11-14) science-guide - measuring the speed of sound which will contain video & more

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Animation of a voice box and description of how vocal cords work and speech formation.

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Video about the transfer of sound to the brain and inside the ear.

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Why Do I Get Dizzy When I Spin? | Little 101 | PBS Parents

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Why do you get dizzy when you spin? The answer is all in your head! Watch and learn the science of dizziness, simplified, in this episode of Little 101. Sometimes the littlest minds pose the biggest questions-questions with complicated answers that often leave adults scratching their heads.

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Year 5 Spring Living things and their habitats

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Year 5 Spring Living things and their habitats

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A site linking to a cuckoo tracking project with live map updates.

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Since our last update, AJ has flown 1,100km (685 miles) south-west from his location deep in the Democratic Republic of Congo to his current location in north western Angola. He is now in the Quiçama National Park, approximately 70 km (40 miles) south of the capital Luanda. AJ is now our most southerly Cuckoo, but it isn't unprecedented for our tagged Cuckoos to visit Angola. Those of you who have been following the project for a while will know that PJ has also been a regular visitor to this very same part of Angola, though interestingly, he is staying further north this year.

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Since our last update, AJ has flown 1,100km (685 miles) south-west from his location deep in the Democratic Republic of Congo to his current location in north western Angola. He is now in the Quiçama National Park, approximately 70 km (40 miles) south of the capital Luanda.

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Year 5 Spring Living things and their habitats

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Year 5 Spring Living things and their habitats

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Lifecycle of trees from a link in the woodland trust website.

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How do trees develop from seeds and when do their lives end? Discover their lifecycles.

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Year 5 Spring Living things and their habitats

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Year 5 Spring Living things and their habitats

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Reproduction of flowering plants.

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Sexual reproduction in flowering plants - Asexual and sexual reproduction - National 4 Biology Revision - BBC Bitesize

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In National 4 Biology learn how bacteria and plants reproduce asexually and how sexual reproduction in plants and animals introduces variation.

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Year 5 Spring Living things and their habitats

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Year 5 Spring Living things and their habitats

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Reproduction of plants and animals. Link to a video on the bbc website.

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The giant Amazonian water lilly is the first example of reproduction with the fascinating way it traps insects.

We see the reproductive parts of a flower, both male and female, accompanied by a brief description of the function of each.

Moving on to the animal kingdom, an elephant is used as an example of internal fertilisation, followed by some more unusual examples such as a seahorse.

This clip is from the series Life Lessons.

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Science KS2 / KS3: How plants and animals reproduce

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The giant Amazonian water lilly is the first example of reproduction with the fascinating way it traps insects. We see the reproductive parts of a flower, both male and female, accompanied by a brief description of the function of each.

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Year 5 Spring Living things and their habitats

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Year 5 Spring Living things and their habitats

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Interview with Jane Goodall by CBC Kids News.

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Jane Goodall on spending her life with chimpanzees I CBC Kids News

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A video animation about what a force and what friction is.

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Exploring friction.

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Friction

Friction is a force between two surfaces that are sliding, or trying to slide, across each other. For example, when you try to push a book along the floor, friction makes this difficult.

Friction always works in the direction opposite to the direction in which the object is moving, or trying to move. Friction always slows a moving object down.

The amount of friction depends on the materials from which the two surfaces are made. The rougher the surface, the more friction is produced. Friction also produces heat. If you rub your hands together quickly, you will feel them get warmer.

Friction can be a useful force because it prevents our shoes slipping on the pavement when we walk and stops car tyres skidding on the road. When you walk, friction is caused between the tread on shoes and the ground. This friction acts to grip the ground and prevent sliding.

Sometimes we want to reduce friction. For example, we use oil to reduce the friction between the moving parts inside a car engine. The oil holds the surfaces apart and can flow between them. The reduced friction means there is less wear on the car's moving parts and less heat produced.

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What is friction and how does it work? - BBC Bitesize

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Is friction a force? Yes, friction is a force between two surfaces that are sliding, or trying to slide, across each other. Find out more with this Bitesize KS2 Science guide.

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Air and Water resistance explained in a video.

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Investigating air and water resistance | Physics  – The Bloodhound Adventure

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Slider crank animation.

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Cam follower animation

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How levers work.

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How do levers work? - KS2 Science - BBC Bitesize

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Children investigate how levers work, using tug of war equipment. When the girls are unevenly matched with the boys, they discover that moving the rope gives them more pulling power with less effort. A giant syringe has a dropping ball, which forces air through its tube to move a tennis ball upwards.

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EYFS Knowledge and Understanding of the World.

This is a link to Tim Peake's website.

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Tim Peake CMG

Tim Peake is a former Apache pilot, flight instructor, test pilot and current European Space Agency astronaut. A veteran of 18 years military service, Tim has flown over 3,000 hours on operations worldwide.

In December 2015, Tim became the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station and conduct a spacewalk during his six month mission. He also ran the London marathon from space.

Tim's mission engaged more than two million students in outreach activities. He is an ambassador for STEM Education, The Prince's Trust and the Scout Association. He is a best-selling author, with proceeds from his books donated to The Prince's Trust.

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Tim Peake is a former Apache pilot, flight instructor, test pilot and current European Space Agency astronaut. A veteran of 18 years military service, Tim has flown over 3,000 hours on operations worldwide. In December 2015, Tim became the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station and conduct a spacewalk during his six month mission.

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A link to Poonam Mistry's website to enable the illustrations to be seen on a large screen for discussion.

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How The Stars Came To Be

Illustrated by Poonam Mistry

Published by Tate Publishing

Have you ever wondered how the stars came to be?

The fisherman's daughter loved to dance in the sunlight, and bathe in the glow of the moon, but when the moon would disappear for a few nights each month, she would worry about her father and how he would find his way home from sea in the deep darkness. When the sun finds her sobbing one night, he takes one of his rays and smashes it onto the ground, creating the stars and giving the girl the task of putting them into the dark night sky.

Click the image if you wish to purchase a copy of the book from Tate Publishing

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How The Stars Came To Be | poonam-mistry

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How The Stars Came To Be Have you ever wondered how the stars came to be? The fisherman's daughter loved to dance in the sunlight, and bathe in the glow of the moon, but when the moon would disappear for a few nights each month, she would worry about her father and how he would find his way home from sea in the deep darkness.

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A telling of How to catch a star by Oliver Jeffers. Story is read with pictures from the book.

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How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers I Read Aloud - Bing video

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Top suggestions for how to catch a star by oliver jeffersOliver JeffersBooksHow to Catch a StarRead AloudHow to Catch a StarBook Read AloudTop suggestions for how to catch a star by oliver jeffersHow to Catch a StarRead Aloud Oliver JeffersCatch aChristmas Star MovieHow to Catch a Starthe StoryHow t…

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CBeebies version of 'Whatever Next' by Jill Murphy.

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CBeebies Bedtime Stories.s01e458.Adil Ray - Whatever Next

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Animation of tractors for young viewers ploughing fields.

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farming machinery videos for nursery - Bing video

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World's Most Powerful Farm Tractors | Nursery Rhyme | Wheels On The Bus

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Video for younger viewers with tractors and the jobs they do.

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farming machinery videos for nursery - Bing video

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Tractor Car Garage | Learning Video For Toddlers | Kids Shows | Cartoon Videos by K...

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A reading of The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

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The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle - Bing video

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Top suggestions for the tiny seed animation ukThe Tiny SeedThe Tiny Seedby Eric CarleEric Carle Readingthe Tiny SeedTop suggestions for the tiny seed animation ukThe Tiny SeedVideo for KidsWhite Dog Eric CarleA Tiny SeedStoryThe Tiny SeedSpanishThe Little SeedBookTiny SeedQuestionsThe Tiny SeedFree…

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A short animation showing the change of a tadpole into a frog.

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A radio version of The Enormous Turnip for younger listeners.

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This makes a good marching song. Give children instruments to play (e.g. drums, shakers) and go outdoors to march, sing and play.

Story time: The Enormous Turnip
Once upon a harvest time... Appoint children to take the parts in the story, holding each other around the middle to pull. Help children innovate the story by retelling it with a different vegetable and different characters - use people the children know.
Small group discussion:

the lesson of the story (cooperation works - everyone pulling together)

vegetables that grow underground (e.g. potato, carrot, onion, parsnip) and how/ where other vegetables grow.

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EYFS: Listen and Play - The Enormous Turnip

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This makes a good marching song. Give children instruments to play (e.g. drums, shakers) and go outdoors to march, sing and play. Story time: The Enormous Turnip Once upon a harvest time... Appoint children to take the parts in the story, holding each other around the middle to pull.

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Year 6 exploration page about circuits and electricity.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Electrical conductors and insulators.

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Some materials let electricity pass through them easily. These materials are known as electrical conductors.

Many such as copper, iron and steel, are good electrical conductors. That is why the parts of electrical objects that need to let electricity pass through are always made of metal.

Metal is used in plugs to allow electricity to transfer from the wall socket, through the plug, and into a device such as a radio or TV.

In a light bulb, the metal filament conducts electricity and causes the light bulb to light up.

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Some materials let electricity pass through them easily. These materials are known as electrical conductors. Many such as copper, iron and steel, are good electrical conductors. That is why the parts of electrical objects that need to let electricity pass through are always made of metal.

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A fun way to practice circuit making - making a paper circuit with instructions included.

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Cupcake Paper Circuit Card with LED Light

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A fun way to practice circuit making - instructions included for how to make circuit bugs.

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Want a new craft that really brings the wow factor with some super easy circuit work for kids? Check out these adorable Circuit Bugs!

THE ORIGINAL CIRCUIT BUGS
Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links
Jackson is really into circuits but after many years of using his Snap Circuits he was ready to move onto something different. I've been trying to find a way to get the boys more interested in crafts and after some research and inspiration from some fellow tinkers, I came up with this super cool little activity that got a resounding "WOW" from the boys!

These cute bugs incorporate great fine motor and creative crafting skills, but also circuit work that will keep your older kids enthralled and challenged.

Thank you for visiting STEAM Powered Family. We are the original creators of this Circuit Bug activity and we love that people all over the world are doing this activity with their children, however, we do ask that if you are sharing your projects or programs on the internet that you link back to this article. We also ask that you DO NOT copy this article and repost it on your site, please link to this original, copyrighted, article. Thank you for helping us as we innovate and create new projects that encourage kids to embrace STEAM.

This is not an activity for little kids. Working with the circuits and batteries is something that should only be done under adult supervision and only by older children that can understand not to put anything in their mouth! It is also quite complicated, so I would say this activity is for 8 and up with lots of parent supervision and guidance.

To make your own Circuit Bug you will need:

2 LED Lights
Insulated Copper Magnet Wire
Batteries - CR2032 3V
Electrical Tape
Clothespins
Pipecleaners
Popsicle Sticks (Optional depending on your design)

Start by setting out your LED lights. You will notice one leg is longer than the other. The longer one is the positive pin. Before going any further test your LEDs by inserting the battery between the legs. If it doesn't work, try turning the battery around. If it still doesn't work try a different LED or battery. You want to make sure you have working parts right from the beginning because the chance of circuits being interrupted is quite high as you work through this project.

Take your two sets of twisted wires and test them on the battery. Throughout the construction I recommend you keep testing the circuits. It is very easy to interrupt the circuit. At times I even secured the wires to the battery with a clothespin so I could ensure the work I was doing wasn't interrupting the circuit.

This project will require some patience and trial and error.

After building your Circuit Bugs, up the challenge by building a potato battery!

The next step can be done a few ways. You want to attach the LED's to the legs of the clothespin or onto popsicle sticks by having each leg on either side of the wood. This will help prevent the wires touching and causing a short. You can simply set the LED's there and snug them on but if you want them more secure I recommend wrapping the pins onto the wood with electrical tape. If you are going to get shorts in your circuit this is where they are most likely going to happen.

Start building your bug! You can do this however you wish. We simply wrapped the pipecleaners around the clothespin to create the look we wanted. By bending and twisting the pipecleaners we were able to secure them and make quite a stable design. We went with a Dragonfly, Beetle Bug and Bumblebee.

As you build keep testing that circuit! I intentionally left the leads really long on the dragonfly to show the wires, make the wiring a bit easier on that one, and it worked with the look of that bug. I can always go back and trim those up, but for the purposes of our project I wanted variety and a chance to show off the wiring to my six year old in a very obvious way. He found it much easier to insert the battery into the dragonfly design. In the beetlebug and bumblebee inserting the battery is quite snug and was hard for his little fingers to do.

On most of the bug designs you will probably want to trim the wires to get a more compact look. Trimming also gives you a more stable connection so you can play with your creation more.

When you are completely finished building your bug it is time to trim the excess wire. I recommend you do both the negative leads first: trim then strip, then twist them back together. Then do the same on the positive leads. I didn't do this one time and it was a pain trying to figure out which were my positives and negatives again!

Wrap the negative leads around one side of the clothespin end (the tight part that clamps shut), then wrap the other side with the positive leads. Make sure the stripped portion is on the inside. Then simply insert your battery to create life in your circuit bug!

If it doesn't work, turn the battery around. If it still doesn't work you will need to disassemble your bug to find the point where your circuit is being interrupted. Testing throughout the construction helps with trouble shooting.

They don't have an on/off switch, so to turn off your bug simply remove the battery.

We had so much fun with these little critters. I hope you enjoy your circuit bugs!

Want to really dive into learning circuits and programming? Check out Creation Crate

Try our newest circuit activity - Circuit Flowers!

Looking for more STEAM project ideas? Check out STEAM Kids, it's packed full of over 50 STEAM activities.

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Circuit Bugs - The original creator of Circuit Bugs!

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The Original Circuit Bugs - Circuit Bugs are a super fun craft and electric circuit project kids love. Simple circuit building teaches the basics of electrical currents using easily obtained materials. Originally created here at STEAM Powered Family, challenge your kids with the ultimate STEAM challenge - Circuit Bugs!

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Reflecting light - information.

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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How to make a propeller car. Video and instructions to make at home.

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Jul 20, 2016 - Full step-by-step picture tutorial for making this simple homemade propeller car using recycled parts and simple electronics components.

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Making a periscope instructions and diagram.

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Rebecca Whitaker : MSFC, Denise Miller : MSFC

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Students experiment with a simple periscope to see how it reflects light.

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Year 2 (Literacy Tree text & review of seasons from Yr1 Spring) 

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Year 2 (Literacy Tree text & review of seasons from Yr1 Spring) 

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Tadpole's Promise - re-told by Helen Mirren. This is a Literacy Tree text for Year 2 Spring (and a helpful review of seasons from yr1 PKC)

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Helen Mirren for Save with Stories reading Tadpole's Promise by Jeanne Willis

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animated gif showing light reflecting from a mirror