'Schools Out'

K E N T O R C H A R D S F O R E V E R Y O N E

P R E S E N T S

A M E D L E Y O F A C T I V I T I E S F O R K S 1 A N D K S 2  

T H E W E B O F L I F E

C O N T A C T U S A T   M A I L @ K E N T D O W N S . O R G . U K 0 1 3 0 3 8 1 5 1 7 0

Congelow Trust

Kent Orchards

for Everyone

Traditional Orchards Learn about traditional orchards and why they are such important habitats

Teaching Notes: Round, shiny red apples,

deep purple plums, sweet

cherries, crunchy cobnuts

and juicy pears are just some

of the fruits and nuts

produced in our traditional

orchards in Kent. Traditional

orchards are now being

recognised as vital refuges for

wildlife. They often contain a

mosaic of habitats, including

scrub, hedgerows and

grasslands, as well as fruit

trees of varying ages and an

abundance of dead and decaying wood, all of which can support a wide range of plants and

animals.

Traditional Orchards are

becoming more and more

extinct. They are defined

as an orchard with more

than five trees spaced

between 8 – 10 metres

apart. They are managed

so that there is little or no

use of chemicals and

inorganic fertilisers; these

old trees are allowed to

reach the veteran stage;

and grassland is seasonally

grazed with sheep or cut for hay. These traditional orchards are good for both fruit and wildlife

Congelow Trust

and will have a huge diversity of insects. Ladybirds and

hoverflies will be attracted to the area and pollinators

like bees and wasps will benefit from the orchard floor

covered with nectar-rich flowers, while many species of

invertebrates, from the common woodlice to the rare

noble chafer beetles, depend on the dead wood left

standing or fallen in orchards.

Autumn is a great time to visit an orchard. In

preparation for the cold months ahead, mammals,

insects, bats and birds feast on fallen fruit. Fungi

like field mushrooms and bracket fungus emerge

on the orchard floor or on tree trunks. Mistletoe,

is often found on apple trees – spread by mistle

thrushes and other birds that feast on its berries.

Wildlife Found in the Traditional Orchard

Hedgehog, badger, fox, field vole, bat, dormouse,

robin, wren, blue tit, bullfinch, chaffinch, great

spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, fieldfare,

redwing, mistle thrush, noble chafer beetle, orange

tip butterfly, red admiral butterfly, bumblebee,

ladybird, mistletoe, ivy, holly, mistletoe, yellow rattle,

oxeye daisy, cowslip and orchids, birds and butterflies, dragonflies, snails, squirrels and much,

much more. Notice the squirrel’s tail hanging out of a

woodpecker hole, did he move in?

Your Community Orchard

Meet up with your local orchard warden who will take you

on a walk round your community orchard and they will

answer all of your questions. If they are unavailable speak

with a member of the countryside Management

Partnership’s below and they will be able to support you.

http://www.kentorchards.org.uk/

http://www.midkentdowns.org.uk/

http://www.medwayvalley.org/

http://www.nwkcp.org/

http://msep.org.uk/

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Kent Orchards for Everyone

School Activity: The Web of Life Discover the miniature workforce in the orchards

‘Mini Beast Safari, Habitats and Food Chains’

Resources

Magnifying pots, pots and pooters

Pens and pencils

Sweep nets and white sheets

Camera, smart phone, video camera, all optional Nature Journals and Worksheets

Risk assessment, First aid kit and mobile phone

Clipboards

Insect guides optional or downloadable from the internet

Teachers resources guidelines

Mini Beast Safari

Pre-visit (15 mins)

Activity 1

• Introduce the class to the miniature workforce

with participation from pupils

• Introduce the class to pollinators with

participation from the pupils however,

remember that not all pollinators are insects

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• Introduce the class to the miniature workforce in the orchard

• Give the pupils the worksheet ‘An Insect has…’

• Ask the pupils to think about insects and then fill in the worksheet, colouring the

images in the correct colours.

• Discuss mini beasts and their habitats

During the visit (40 mins)

Activity 1

• Visit your closest community orchard.

• Divide the class into groups and each group will be given a copy of the worksheet

‘Finding Minibeasts ‘ and ‘Minibeast Observations’

• Give each group the equipment and ask them to record their findings on the

‘Findings Minibeasts’ worksheet within the different habitats.

(See guidelines under teachers resources)

• Ask the pupils in their groups to swap to another habitat area.

• Each group must find five different insects by using

any of the equipment they like and within

any of the habitats they choose.

• Ask the pupils to complete

the ‘Minibeast

Observation’ worksheet.

• Each pupil should be allowed to have a turn at using the

equipment to catch a minibeast of their choosing before

drawing the minibeast, describing its features and colouration

• This should encourage the pupils to start developing their ability to

identify minibeasts.

After the visit (30mins)

Activity 1

• The pupils should be encouraged to explain and discuss why the numbers of

minibeasts differ in the different habitats.

Digital Resources

https://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/spotting-sheets

https://www.theschoolrun.com/homework-help/minibeasts

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Activities:

Minibeast Safari

Time: 45 minutes

Materials: ‘Finding Minibeasts ‘ and ‘Minibeast Observations’ Worksheets, Sweep

Nets, Pooters, Magnifying Pots/Glasses, Cotton Sheets

Hazards: Tripping hazards, irritant/thorny plants, heavy lifting (logs, stones)

equipment misuse

Organisation: The class should be split into four or eight groups depending on

numbers in the class.

o The class should be divided evenly into groups and each group given a copy of

the worksheets: ‘Finding Minibeasts’ and ‘Minibeast Observations’ to

complete.

o Give each group a sweep net, linen

sheet, pooters and an area to first

start counting the number of

insects.

o Give each group a different habitat

as seen on the sheet and after a

few minutes get them to swap to

another until each group has been

to all the

different habitats.

o Each pupil in the group should take

a turn at using all the equipment

and filling in a section on the sheet.

o Ensure that the pupils don’t all rush to

the same area and trample the habitat this minimises damage.

o Ask the pupils to remain in their groups for ‘Minibeast Observations’ activity.

o Each group must find 5 different insects by using any of the equipment they

like and in any of the habitats they choose.

o Each pupil should be allowed to have a turn at using the equipment to catch a

minibeast of their choosing before drawing the minibeast, describing its

features and colouration.

o As they count the numbers of the different minibeasts in the habitats they

should also complete the ‘Minibeast Observation’ sheet by writing down the

different features they have. This should encourage the pupils to begin

developing the ability to identifying and differentiate the minibeasts from

each other.

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Minibeast Habitats

Pre-visit (20mins)

Activity 2

• Discuss the local landscape, orchards and meadows

and whether the pupils think there will be different

species of minibeasts in an orchard or grassland

habitat and ask them to provide examples.

• The pupils at this point should be encouraged to

fill out their predictions for the two habitats and

then to offer up an explanation for this choice.

During the visit (40 mins)

Activity 2

• Visit the community orchard.

• Split the class into two groups

• As the pupils to go to the first habitat of your choosing

using the sweep nets, pooters and tree shaking

methods they count the number of each minibeast that

is present on the sheet following the tree shaking.

• Allow half the class to count for one habitat and the

other half to count for the other.

• Record the findings.

• Swap the groups round and repeat for each habitat

• Fill in the ‘Comparing Two habitats’ worksheet

After the visit (10mins)

Activity 2 • The children should be encourage to discuss the reasons why they received the result

they did and what are the differences between the two habitats and what could have

affected this result.

Digital Resources

https://www.puzzlewood.net/downloads/Minibeasts_Puzzlewood.pdf

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Activities:

Minibeast Habitats

Time: 45 minutes

Materials: ‘Comparing Two habitats’ Worksheet, Sweep Nets, Pooters, Magnifying

Pots/Glasses, Cotton Sheets

Hazards: Tripping hazards, irritant/thorny plants, heavy lifting (logs, stones),

equipment misuse, dead falling branches, weather

Organisation: The exercise should be undertaken as a whole class

o Each pupil should be handed a copy of the ‘Comparing Two Habitats’ worksheet

to complete.

o Ask the class whether they think there will be different species of minibeasts in

an orchard and grassland habitat and you can even ask them to provide

examples.

o Encourage the pupils to fill out their predictions for the two habitats and then ask

them to explain their choice.

o Go to the first habitat of your choosing and use the sweep nets, pooters and tree

shaking methods to count the number of each minibeast present on the sheet.

o Ask half the class to count for one habitat and the other half to count for the

other.

o Get the pupils to keep a record of the result.

o Once all the numbers have been tallied on the sheet, then the process should be

repeated for the other habitat.

o After both habitats have been counted, then the results should be announced to

the class. The class should then fill out the bottom of the worksheet where it asks

whether their prediction was true or false and the results discussed.

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Minibeast Food Chains

Pre-visit (20mins)

Activity 3

• Discuss the local landscape, orchards and meadows and whether the pupils think

there will be different species of minibeasts in an orchard or grassland habitat and

ask them to provide examples.

• Ask the pupils to consider what food may be available in the orchard.

• Discuss food chains with the pupils and give examples

During the visit (40 mins)

Activity 3

• Visit your local community orchard.

• The children can work either in their groups or pairs depending on the knowledge of

the class but should each be handed a copy of the worksheet ‘Minibeast Food

Chains’ to complete at the end of the activity.

• The worksheet’s columns should then be explained and the children should be asked

to complete two food chains using a different starting producer and primary and

secondary consumers.

• Hand out the segmented and labelled paper plates to groups or pairs off pupils. Then

ask them to search for and collect non-living evidence of sun munchers, plant

munchers and animal munchers in nature. For example, a sun muncher could be a

piece of leaf; a chewed leaf could be a plant muncher and a bird feather as an animal

muncher. Allow about 20 minutes for the group to gather as many examples as

possible and sort them in the segments of their plates. When done, gather and share

what has been found.

• Fill in the ‘Minibeast Food Chains’ worksheet.

After the visit (10mins)

Activity 3 • The children should be encouraged to discuss why it might be important to know about

food chains in a habitat e.g. to help with habitat conservation by providing the right food

sources for the different minibeasts.

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Activites

Minibeast Food Chains

Time: 15 minutes

Materials: ‘Minibeast Food Chains’ worksheet, A Sun picture, plant and animal

pictures and enough paper plates coloured in three segments and each segment

labelled - sun munchers, plant munchers, animal munchers for the group and three

lengths of yellow rope of different thicknesses.

Hazards: Tripping hazards, irritant/thorny plants, equipment misuse, weather

Organisation: The exercise should be undertaken as a whole class

Demonstration: For this activity you will need four volunteers to help demonstrate

the way energy flows through the food chain.

1. One pupil will be the sun, ask them to hold the banner/sun picture.

2. One pupil will be a sun muncher which represents photosynthesis they will

hold the picture of a plant.

3. Another pupil will be a plant muncher and they will hold a picture of a rabbit

or squirrel.

4. Finally the last pupil will be an animal muncher and hold a picture of an owl

or hawk.

Using the yellow ropes, which represent the sun’s energy, give the thickest to the

sun muncher, the next thickest to the plant muncher and the thinnest to the

animal muncher. The decreasing diameters represent the decrease in sun’s

energy as you go up the food chain while allowing the participants to see how the

sun’s energy connects us to all living things.

Below is an example of a food chain which could be found in an orchard:

o When the demonstration is over, hand out the segmented and labelled paper

plates to paired off participants.

o Ask them to search for and collect non-living evidence of sun munchers, plant

munchers and animal munchers in nature. For example, a sun muncher could be

a piece of leaf; a chewed leaf could be a plant muncher and a bird feather as an

animal muncher.

o Allow about 20 minutes for the group to gather as many examples as possible

and sort them in the segments on their plates.

o When done gather and share what they have found. Once completed have them

put the evidence back into the forest near where they were found.

o This activity can be done in an orchard setting, but can be equally well done in

ENERGY ENERGY ENERGY

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more modified environments such as school grounds or gardens and public parks.

The movement of the sun’s energy is happening in all environments.

o Before completing the ‘Minibeast Food Chains’ worksheet, it is suggested that an

example of a food chain be given to help the children understand the concept; it

does not need to be an example of a minibeast one and could even be printed

out on a sheet of paper for the children to see.

o With all the activities the welfare of the minibeasts must always be considered

and the handling of them closely supervised to prevent harm.

o It is advised that minibeasts captured should spend no longer than 5 minutes in

either a pooter or magnifying pot to reduce stress caused to the animal and

whenever possible always released back where they were found.

o The guidelines given for each piece of equipment should be followed for any of

the activities that require their use, this should be demonstrated to the class

beforehand and the pupils using them should be supervised.

Thank you to our funders

Congelow Trust