Youth & School with Ranger
FOCUS ON DRAGONFLIES
Key Subjects: SCIENCE
Description: Follow the dragonfly’s life cycle, discover the habitat requirements and adaptations of these amazing minibeasts. Stream dip to find and identify dragonfly nymphs and other aquatic creatures. To see the part they play in the food chain. If you're booking in the summer you can also visit Lee Valley Park Dragonfly Sanctuary at Cornmill Meadows (SSSI) to get up close to adult dragonflies. A downloadable teacher's activity pack is available here.
Suitable for: KS2.
Venue(s): Abbey Farmhouse - Waltham Abbey, Dragonfly Sanctuary at Cornmill Meadow
Available: April - October
BITTERNS AND OTHER WATER BIRDS
Key Subjects: SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY
Description: Find out about the life of the Bittern, a rare water bird. What habitat does it need? How is it suited to its habitat, and what is Regional Park doing to help conserve it? Observe and record the behaviour of some of the water birds in the Lea Valley Regional Park. Will you survive the migration game? Includes work on adaptations and food chains. Binoculars provided.
Suitable for: KS2
Venue(s): River Lee Country Park - Fishers Green entrance
Available: October - March
WATERWORKS WATER BIRDS
Key Subjects: SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY
Description: Discover which waterbirds frequent this unique nature reserve. What habitats do they need? How are they suited to their habitats? Observe and record water bird behaviour. Will you survive the migration game? Includes work on adaptations and food chains. Binoculars provided.
Suitable for: KS2
Venue(s): The WaterWorks Nature Reserve and Golf Centre
Available: All Year
RIVERS WALK
Key Subjects: GEOGRAPHY
Description: Groups will compare and contrast the natural features of the meandering Old River Lea with the straight River Lee Navigation. This session also includes learning to recognize some common waterbirds, field sketching and use of a water flow meter.
Suitable for: KS2
Venue(s): River Lee Country Park - Fishers Green entrance
Available: All year
CUNNING RUNNING
Key Subjects: GEOGRAPHY, P.E, LITERACY
Description: This introduction to orienteering combines the fun and team challenge of our permanent orienteering course and a natural history quiz! The class will be split into smaller groups, each of which needs to be accompanied by an adult.
Suitable for: KS2
Venue(s): Abbey Farmhouse -Waltham Abbey
Available: –All year.
THE ‘GREAT STINK’
Key Subjects: HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY
Description: Students investigate the water cycle and learn how human actions in the Victorian era affected public health. Discover how Essex Filter Beds cleaned Victorian London’s water ending the ‘Great Stink’ of 1858. Visit the Filter Beds and find out how its conversion into an unusual nature reserve is helping Lee Valley wildlife.
Suitable for: KS2
Venue(s): The WaterWorks Nature Reserve and Golf Centre
Available: All year
AUTUMN, FRUITS, SEEDS AND LEAVES
Key Subjects: SCIENCE,GEOGRAPHY,ART
Description: This session considers how plants respond to seasonal changes, explores methods of seed dispersal and why leaves fall. Students will be invited to join in a game of ‘Seed Tig’, to create some leaf art and plant some seeds!
Suitable for: KS1 and KS2
Venue(s): Abbey Farmhouse and Gardens and WaterWorks Nature Reserve and Golf Centre
Available: September - November
LEE VALLEY PARK FARM TRAILS
Key Subjects: VARIOUS
Description: Take a self-led tour of the animals at the visitor farm (Hayes Hill Farm) following our “Whose Baby?” trail. The trail has an accompanying teacher’s activity pack for use on site and trail booklets for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils.
Access: Fully wheelchair accessible.
Suitable for: Foundation Stage, KS1, KS2
Venue(s): Lee Valley Park Farms
Available: During the farm opening period (March to October)
Cost: Free when booked with a guided Field to Fridge Farm Tour. If booked separately £2.80 per person for groups of 15+. For groups under 15 people normal farm entrance rates of £4.50 adult, £3.50 children and £4.00 concessions apply.
If you'd like to book a self led tour of Lee Valley Park Farms please contact the Information service on 01992 702 200 or by e-mail
info@leevalleypark.org.uk
FIELD TO FRIDGE - FARM TOUR
Key Subjects: SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY, CITIZENSHIP
Description: This guided tour of a working dairy farm encourages groups to consider the origin of products in their fridges and cupboards. How does milk get from the cow to the supermarket shelf? What’s the farm doing to help Lee Valley wildlife? (Students may be able to watch our cows being milked, please enquire at time of booking.)
Suitable for: KS1 and KS2
Venue(s): Lee Valley Park Farms
Available: All year
THE ABBEY TRAIL
Key Subjects: HISTORY
Description: Through role-play and their imagination pupils are introduced to historic Waltham Abbey. Travel back in time to the 16th century to discover who worked in the cloisters? What evidence still remains?
Suitable for: KS1, KS2, KS3.
Venue(s): Abbey Farmhouse - Waltham Abbey
Available: All Year
I SPY A DRAGON-FLY!
Key Subjects: SCIENCE
Description: Take part in a range of fun sensory activities and classification games to discover more about dragonflies and how they are adapted to their habitats. Download a Teacher's Pack here.
Suitable for: KS1
Venue(s): Abbey Farmhouse and Gardens -Waltham Abbey, Lee Valley Park Dragonfly Sanctuary at Cornmill Meadows
Available: Summer Term
FOCUS ON URBAN HABITATS
Key Subjects: SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY, CITIZENSHIP
Description: Collect and identify minibeasts, make a sound map and play the habitat game! Investigate why different numbers of minibeasts are found in different parts of the habitat and how this relates to their needs of life. This programme may vary according to the time of year.
Suitable for: KS1 and KS2
Venue(s): Abbey Farmhouseand Gardens- Waltham Abbey, The WaterWorks Nature Reserve and Golf Centre, River Lee Country Park – Cheshunt entrance, Gunpowder Park – Waltham Abbey.
Available: All year
D.I.Y MINIBEAST
Key subjects: SCIENCE, DESIGN, CITIZENSHIP
Description: Based around the design process, collect, identify and record minibeasts. Uncover how minibeasts are adapted to specific habitats before heading back to the classroom to design your own minibeast with unique adaptation. Complete the design process by making a model of your minibeast out of recycled material.
Suitable for: KS2
Venue(s): Gunpowder Park, WaterWorks Nature Reserve and Golf Centre.
Available: All year.
RYE MEADS, PAST AND PRESENT
Key Subjects: HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY
Description: An innovative course, run jointly with the education team at Rye Meads RSPB nature reserve, investigating the changing face of Rye Meads. Tour the reserve and explore changes in the landscape, human activity and wildlife that have occurred since humans first settled here in the Stone Age. Use role-play to uncover the Rye House Plot, an unsuccessful attempt to kill King Charles II. Then visit the superbly restored 15th Century Rye House Gatehouse to gather evidence and take part in a mock archaeological dig.
Suitable for: KS2
Venue(s): Rye Meads and Rye House Gate House
Duration: Full day (10 am – 3 pm including 1 hour lunch break)
Available: All year
Cost: £5.80 per pupil (10% reduction 1st September – 30th April, minimum charge £58.00)
CANALS AND RIVERSIDE HISTORY
Key Subjects: HISTORY
Description: Join us for a one-hour cruise through Victorian canal history along the River Lee Navigation at Broxbourne. Discover what life was like on board for a Bargeman, his wife and children. Then back on land, after a short walk, other aspects of canal life are explored including experimenting with canal art as everyone is given the opportunity to paint a terracotta pot!
Suitable for: KS2
Venue(s): Broxbourne, River Lee Country Park Old Mill and Meadows
Cost: £7.40 per pupil including boat hire (£148.00 minimum charge 20 participants)
Available: All year
POWER OF PLANTS
Key subjects: SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY
Description: Discover the plants hidden in products you eat and use everyday. Find out plants roles in food chains and as mini power stations using the energy of the sun. Use role play to understand plant transport and pollination. Discuss why plants make seeds, how do seeds disperse? Explore the Park to find examples of amazing plants in real life! (Topics covered will depend on the season and depend on whether a half or full day session is chosen. Please call the office for more details.)
Suitable for: KS2
Venue(s): Gunpowder Park, WaterWorks Nature Reserve and Golf Centre.
Available: September – November.
Each programme is a half day option (approximately 2 hours) unless otherwise stated. If desired schools may make up a full day programme by choosing two programmes or by drawing upon other local resources as appropriate.
Programmes have been designed to suit particular key stages but can be adapted to other age groups on request.
BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES:
For more information on how to book, charges or other enquiries, please contact the Youth and Schools Service at:
Lee Valley Park Youth and Schools Service,
Abbey Farmhouse, Abbey Gardens,
Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 1XQ
Tel: 01992 702227
Fax: 01992 702230
youthandschools@leevalleypark.org.uk