1. SPRINGWATCH 2008 COMMENIUS SCIENCE PROJECT YEAR 8 SCIENCE

2. INVESTIGATING NATURE’S CALENDAR PHENOLOGY is the study of the timing of natural events. Scientists have been collecting data about different key species to help understand how nature is responding to climate change. This is the theme of the Science project with our Commenius partner schools in Europe

3. CHOOSING KEY SPECIES: For our SPRINGWATCH survey we chose 4 key species which are common in the area and easy to identify. Staff and students recorded when they first appeared in a database.

4. The snowdrop: first flowering Still common as a wild woodland plant and often planted in gardens; it is regarded as one of the earliest signs of spring as it traditionally is the first flowering plant to appear in the new year.

5. FROGSPAWN: first appearance Frogs are the UK’s most common amphibian and many people have garden ponds where frogs and newts are one of the early signs of spring.

6. TADPOLES: first appearance

7. SWALLOWS: one of the first migrating birds to return to the UK in spring. William Shakespeare Daffodils, That come before the swallow dares, and take The winds of March with beauty. William Shakespeare 1564- 1616: The Winter's Tale (1610- 11)

8. Survey results: these are the results for our local school’s survey in the UK Species name eventFirst record 2008 SnowdropFirst flower19/01/2008 frogspawnFirst recorded 27/02/2008 Frog tadpoles First recorded 27/03/2008 SwallowFirst recorded 22/04/2008

9. NATIONAL UK DATA Data collected over many years is need to show any changes in the timing of natural events. We are lucky to have extensive records on many key species collected across the UK by the Woodland Trust www.naturedetectives.org.uk

10. Species name 20042005200620072008 Snow- drop 02/0222/0102/0223/0122/01 Frog spawn 15/0307/0316/0326/02 Frog Tadpoles 04/0430/0310/0426/0330/03 swallow22/0420/0417/0419/04

11. COMMENIUS PROJECT TASK Is our climate changing across Europe? A3 poster based on: Signs of spring in the UK – pictures & information about the key species used in our survey use of data showing timings of first signs of spring – graphs & tables showing the results of the Springwatch survey

12. All your efforts will be shared with our partner schools across Europe. GOOD LUCK!