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The Living Landscape of Wakehurst Place Teacher's Pack
This teachers' pack, "The Living Landscape of Wakehurst Place", has been designed to enable teachers and students to make the most of a day in the garden. Its 10 modules not only cover the landscape and the plants that grow there, but also introduce the concept of human influence, focusing on examples such as plant collecting, habitat management, and conservation.
Using "hands-on" activities, students are encouraged to investigate their surroundings and to record their observations in different ways. The pack contains assignments suitable for use by students at all key stages. "The Living Landscape of Wakehurst Place" provides a broad range of study programmes for students, in the form of 10 individual modules. These comprise background information for the topic under investigation, focused assignments and recording sheets. Each module is designed so that teachers can select and prepare work matched to their own requirements. Many of the activities can be adapted for use in conjunction with a visit to another botanic garden and for comparative studies in the school grounds. The modules have been extensively tried and tested by primary and secondary schools.
Supplementary information for teachers includes advice on planning visits and guidance on the equipment available in the Seeboard Study Centre. This enables schools to make the best educational use of the landscape, plant collections and staff expertise during their visit.
The pack contains:
teacher's introduction;
field studies guide, giving descriptions of all the practical activities;
A1 map of Wakehurst Place;
a copy of the pack on CD-ROM.
The 10 study modules are:
1. Around the World in 80 Minutes
A comprehensive overview which can also serve as a foundation for other modules.
2. A Place to Grow
Uses field study techniques for a scientific investigation of climate, microclimate, soil and site factors and their combined effect on growing conditions.
3. A Place to Live
Explores a wetland habitat using techniques such as pond-dipping, map-reading, observation and recording.
4. Trees Please
An introduction to the observation, identification and classification of trees, based on a trail of 15 native and exotic species.
5. The Glory of the Garden
Offers an opportunity for a close look at the gardeners at work, together with some "hands-on" experience.
6. Down in the Meadow
Uses field study techniques, including quadrat sampling, to explore a grassland ecosystem.
7. The Plant Hunters
Involves a role-play activity which highlights the important part played by plant collectors in increasing human knowledge of the plant world and the diversity of plants in our gardens.
8. Woodland Safari
Explores a woodland ecosystem using field study techniques, including taking light readings, soil-sampling and bird-watching.
9. Designing for Nature
Uses various visual recording strategies to enhance observation of the living environment in terms of its shapes, colours and patterns. Students use these observations as a course of design ideas.
10. Leisure and Pleasure
An exercise where students interact with the visiting public, both in the role of guides and market researchers.
The pack is available at the Victoria Gate Visitor Centre at Kew, Wakehurst Place Shop or by mail order from:
Mail Order Section
RBG Kew Enterprises Ltd
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 3AB
UKTel: +44 (0) 20 8332 5170
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8332 5161
Cheques should be made payable to RBG Kew Enterprises Ltd.
Visa, Mastercard and Amex credit cards are accepted for telephone orders only.
The cost of the pack is £15.00 plus £7.00 postage and packing for orders within the UK.