Educational Topics

Educational visits are only open to to Primary and Secondary schools.  

 TREES AND HEDGEROWS

HABITATS AND THE CULM

RIVERS AND WATERWAYS

HISTORY AND THE NEOLITHIC LONGBARROW

FARMING AND FOOD PRODUCTION

These are the following areas of the farm which can be used for study purposes. Teachers must inform us upon booking your visit if you wish to have Jenni lead the sessions or if you require the facilities which we offer to undertake your own planned activities, or a combination of both.

TREES AND HEDGEROWS

KEY WORDS FOR THIS TOPIC:

1.  CARBON DIOXIDE

2.  WILDLIFE CORRIDORS

3.  DISEASES

AIMS:

1.  TO EXPLAIN HOW VITAL TREES ARE TO OUR COUNTRYSIDE AND LIFE, AS THEY TAKE IN CARBON DIOXIDE

2.  TO SHOW A VARIETY OF TREES 

3.  TO SHOW HOW MANY DIFFERENT PRODUCTS ARE MADE FROM TREES AND WHAT WE DO WITH OUR WOOD.

4.  TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT AND IMPORTANCE OF “WILDLIFE CORRIDORS” IN HEDGEROWS AND WOODLAND.

5.  TO TALK ABOUT TREE DISEASES, LIKE ASH DIEBACK, DUTCH ELM DISEASE AND CANKER.

6.  TO FIND OUT WHAT LIVES IN OUR HEDGEROWS.

ACTIVITIES:

1.  TREE IDENTIFICATION - BOTH LEAVES AND BUDS

2.  PLANTING NEW TREES INTO OUR NEW AREA OF WOODLAND

3.  TO FIND THE “FRUIT” OF DIFFERENT TREES AND HEDGEROW SHRUBS

4.  TO MAKE AN SEASONAL COLLAGE USING ITEMS GATHERED DURING A WALK

5.  TO BRAINSTORM IDEAS ON WHAT WOOD CAN BE USED FOR

6.  TO COLLECT AND PLANT “SEEDS” 

7.  TO COUNT THE RINGS IN WOOD TO ESTABLISH AGE

8.  BARK RUBBINGS

PRE VISIT TASKS:

1.  TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES

2.  TO LOOK AT HISTORICAL AND RECENT MAPS OF HEDGEROWS TO ESTABLISH ANY CHANGES

3.  DISCUSS WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND IN A HEDGEROW

HISTORY OF THE FARM AND THE NEOLITHIC LONGBARROW

KEY WORDS FOR THIS TOPIC:

1.  DOOMSDAY BOOK OF 1086AD

2.  NEOLITHIC LONGBARROW

3.  RUINOUS

AIMS:

1.  TO UNDERSTAND THE DEPTH OF HISTORY THAT RELATES TO THE FARM AND SURROUNDING AREA.

2.  TO VISIT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT A NEOLITHIC LONGBARROW IS.

3.  TO SHOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUILDING MATERIALS USED AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN HISTORY.

4. TO SHOW HOW THE NAME OF THE FARM HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.

ACTIVITIES:

1.  TO VISIT THE NEOLITHIC LONGBARROW AND DISCUSS WHAT IT IS AND WHAT HAS BEEN FOUND IN IT.

2.  TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUILDING MATERIALS USED AROUND THE FARM.

3.  TO LOCATE DATING PLAQUES

4.  TO DISCUSS OLD NAMES OF THE FARM

5.  TO WALK DOWN TO “LOVELAKE”, A RUINOUS FARMSTEAD AND TO DISCUSS HOW THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED THERE LIVED.

PRE VISIT TASKS:

1.  TO RESEARCH A NEOLITHIC LONGBARROW

2.  TO LOOK AT THE DOOMSDAY BOOK OF 1086AD AND FIND THE FARM MENTIONED IN IT (OR THE BLACK TORRINGTON 100’S).

FARMING AND FOOD PRODUCTION 

KEY WORDS FOR THIS TOPIC:

1.  DIVERSIFICATION

2.  COUNTRYSIDE CODE

3.  FARMING

AIMS:

1.  TO EXPLORE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FARMING

2.  TO MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FARMING AND THE FOOD ON YOUR PLATE.

3.  HOW, DURING THE WORLD WARS, IT WAS THE WOMEN WHO DID A LOT OF THE FARMING.

4.  TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE COUNTRYSIDE LOOKS THE WAY IT DOES DUE TO FARMING.

5.  TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSIFICATION.

6.  TO TALK ABOUT WHAT CHEMICALS/FERTILISERS WE USE ON THE FARM, THE REASONS AND BENEFITS OF USING THEM AND WHY WE CANNOT USE THEM ON CERTAIN AREAS.

ACTIVITIES:

1.  THE CREATE A BRAINSTORM MAP, LINKING FARMING TO FOOD PRODUCTION FOR BOTH ANIMALS AND HUMANS

2.  TO SEE, TOUCH AND SMELL THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GRASS, HAY, BALED SILAGE AND CLAMP SILAGE.

3.  THE LOOK AT THE FARMING CALENDAR

4.  TO SEE ANY CALVES WE MAY BE REARING (DEPENDS ON TIME OF YEAR).

5.  TO LIST DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH FARMERS CAN DIVERSIFY.

6.  TO LOOK AND DISCUSS THE COUNTRYSIDE CODE.

PRE VISIT TASKS:

1.  TO RESEARCH “LAND GIRLS ARMY”

2.  TO RESEARCH DIFFERENT TYPES OF FARMING

3.  DRAW A PICTURE OF WHAT THEY THINK THEY WILL SEE HERE

HABITATS AND THE CULM 

KEY WORDS FOR THIS TOPIC:

1.  WILDLIFE HAVENS

2.  THE CULM

3.  BEE’S AND POLLINATION

AIMS:

1.  TO SHOW THE HUGE VARIETY OF HABITATS WE HAVE ON THE FARM.

2.  FOR THE CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF CULM GRASSLAND AS A WILDLIFE HAVEN, TOGETHER WITH OUR RARE SPECIES.

3.  TO LINK DIFFERENT HABITATS TO DIFFERENT FARMING PRACTICES AND MANAGEMENT.

4.  TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEE’S.

ACTIVITIES:

1.  WILDLIFE IDENTIFICATION

2.  WILDLIFE BINGO

3.  MAKE BIRD AND MAMMAL BOXES

4.  CHECK ON BIRD AND MAMMAL BOXES

5.  CREATE “JOURNEY STICKS” OR SIMILAR FOR DIFFERENT HABITATS FOR COMPARISON

6.  PLANT HERITAGE APPLE TREES

7.  SEE A VIRTUAL BEE HIVE

8.  QUADRANT ANALYSIS

9.  LOOK AT DIFFERENT SOIL TYPES AND HABITATS

10.  USE NETS TO SWEEP GRASS/HEDGES/CULM

11.  CREATIVE WRITING/POEMS/ART/PAINTING

PRE VISIT TASKS:

1.  RESEARCH MAP OF FARM TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT HABITATS

2.  TO RESEARCH IMPORTANCE OF BEE’S

3.  WHAT IS QUADRANT ANALYSIS?

RIVERS AND WATERCOURSES

KEY WORDS FOR THIS TOPIC:

1.  OXBOW LAKE

2.  POLLUTION

3.  TRIBUTARIES

AIMS:

1.  TO UNDERSTAND WHERE POLLUTION CAN COME FROM AND ITS EFFECTS ON RIVERS AND WILDLIFE

2.  TO UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF WATER, TO SEE EROSION AND HOW AN OXBOW LAKE IS FORMED.

3.  TO FOCUS ON WILDLIFE ONLY FOUND IN OR AROUND WATER.

4.  TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE NATURAL CYCLE OF WATER AND TO VISIT A NATURAL SPRING, WHICH CAN BE FOLLOWED TO THE RIVER.

ACTIVITIES:

1.  KICK SAMPLING

2.  RIVER PROFILING

3.  WATER FLOW, SPEED AND DIRECTION

4.  TO LOCATE ON A MAP OUR STRETCH OF THE RIVER TORRIDGE

5.  TO FOLLOW THE WTER FROM SPRING, THROUGH WATERFALL, TO RIVER, AS A TRIBUTARY

6.  WATER FILTRATION

7.  TO DRAW/PAINT A PICTURE OF THE RIVER

8.  WILDLIFE IDENTIFICATION

9.  LOOK AT HOW THE RIVER HAS CHANGED COURSE OVER THE YEARS

10.  CREATIVE WRITING/POEMS

PRE VISIT TAKS:

1.  TO FIND A MAP OF THE FARM, SHOWING THE RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES

2.  TO RESEARCH AN OXBOW LAKE

3.  TO RESEARCH NATURAL SPRINGS AND WHY THEY OCCUR