1. Seashore habitat
Look at children’s drawings of seashore plants and animals.
Compare the ‘before’ and ‘after’ drawings.
Junior activity: Grouping and sorting
Senior activity: Barrier games
In what way can you adapt this habitat study to one in your local environment?
Language: Sorting game – Free play first – often children sort imaginatively e.g. monsters, baddies, goodies – Teacher can build on this by asking children to describe their set, giving them the language to describe objects. Teachers questions will guide children’s observations – giving them the language to describe plants and animals in outdoor habitats. Science Teacher Guidelines: p. 57
Opportunities to visit and explore a range of habitats in the local environment are central to the development of children’s ideas about the diversity and life processes of living things. During the early years it is recommended that children study small areas, so that their attention is focused (Quadrat).
The extent of the habitats and environments that the child will study and explore will increase as the child grows older.
Junior classes: tree, grassy area, pond, create own habitat e.g. log and stones
Middle classes; habitat study based in areas where children live and play e.g. woodland, stream, waste ground
Senior classes: Study a habitat in locality – and compare and contrast with one in a more distant place, e.g. deciduous forest and coniferous forest. The progressive expansion of their habitats explored reflects the child’s developing ability to work in the environment and his/her understanding of a widening range of scientific concepts and methods of working.
During preparatory work (on habitat studies) in the classroom – use of secondary sources such as photos and pictures, can be used to identify a limited number of plants and animals they may observe in their local habitat. This gives the children the language to describe their findings when out in the habitat. Science Teacher guidelines p. 65 Teachers questions will guide children’s observations – giving them the language to describe plants and animals in outdoor habitats

2. Children’s ideas before fieldtrip
Finding out children’s ideas

3. Sort and classify
Children in infant and junior classes can sort plants and animals into groups using cards with pictures of plants and animals on them. The different categories into which they will sort the plants and animals can be agreed beforehand – e.g. groups of animals with two legs – four legs, shells and seaweeds etc
The important prerequisite for using identification keys, books and charts is for the child to be able to describe accurately the animals or plants observed. Exemplar 13 details the types of questions that will help children to focus on the shape, colour, body parts and behaviour of animals. Once the organismhas been described the teacher should develop the observational task by asking the children to compare two or more animals or plants – features such as colour, shape, size, structure – identify common features and identify differences.

4. How are they the same? How are they different?

5. Recording
Children should be provided with opportunities to make observational of different of different plants and animals.
After a visit to a habitat the children are asked to draw an annotated picture of the habitat, showing some of the plants and animals that live there.

6. Observational drawings

7. Identifying animals and plants

8. Other seashore ideas Scavenger hunt
Observe plants / animals adaptation
Identify high / low water mark
Floating and sinking-compare salty /fresh
Design and make a boat/fishing rod
Rock pool investigations
Placenames – local history