Our GCSE courses offer students the opportunity to contextualise specification content and develop practical skills in new and inspiring environments.
Tailored to awarding body Biology and Science GCSE specifications this course will cover key ecology subject content, as well as use of apparatus and techniques and mathematical requirements through enquiry-based activities. Students will develop their understanding of the natural world by working scientifically, developing their experimental and analytical skills. Alternative activities can be selected, allowing you to focus on areas of most relevance to your students.
Alternative activities: If you wish to substitute any alternative activities into the course, there may be the opportunity (centre dependent) of the following:
- Conservation study – visit a local area of conservation to explore and investigate.
- Team building activities, bushcraft or orienteering
- Adventurous activities e.g. climbing (additional costs apply)
Example Timetable
Day 1
Arrival from 12.30pm
Arrival and welcome: Introduction to the Centre and health and safety procedures.
Shown into rooms and unpack and eat lunch (bought from home).
Afternoon
Ecology workshop: Students are introduced to the different types of sampling and quadrats relevant to their investigations and how and why people study the outside world. Centre grounds.
Freshwater ecosystems: Investigating the biotic and abiotic factors effecting freshwater habitats, using kick sampling or sweep netting. Could be used to investigate food webs, interdependence, adaptations and or trophic levels in an ecosystem.
Dinner
Evening meal in dining room.
Evening
Field surveying. Students experience Longworth small mammal trapping, bat detecting or moth trapping to survey the nocturnal activities of animal populations. Activities will be chosen that are weather and seasonally appropriate.
Day 2
Breakfast
Breakfast in the dining room, make packed lunch for the day.
Morning
Collect and check mammal traps, think about the adaptations of different species.
Choose habitat (*centre dependant)
Factors affecting biodiversity of a habitat: random sampling in woodlands or rocky shores* to determine the variety of life in contrasting habitats and the factors which determine distribution.
*Rocky shore habitats are mostly offsite so would incur transport costs.
Follow up
Students will create poster presentations to show case their findings, using graphs, data analysis and drawing conclusions. These findings will be evaluated throughout.
Dinner
Evening meal in dining room
Evening
Chance to explore the centre grounds during down time
Day 3
Breakfast
Breakfast in the dining room, make packed lunch for the day.
Choose habitat (*centre dependant)
Students will Investigate the distribution and abundance of plant species in a relation to changing environmental variables, for example a grassland trampling investigation, away from a path using systematic sampling along an interrupted belt transect. Graphical and analytical techniques will be introduced.
Midday
Pack up ready to depart centre.
How this course fulfills the specification
AQA - Required Practical activity 9: measure the population size of a common species in a habitat. Use sampling techniques to investigate the effect of a factor on the distribution of this species.
EDEXCEL - Core practical 9.5: Investigate the relationship between organisms and their environment using field-work techniques, including quadrats and belt transect
OCR - PAG 3: Investigation the differences in habitats using ecological sampling techniques
WJEC/EDUQAS - SP6.3 Investigation into factors affecting the abundance and distribution of a species
Added value of this course
- Improve exam outcomes
- Make learning stick by connecting practical skills with real places
- Develop teamworking and communication skills (and resilience if it rains!)
- Inspire a love and passion for ecology
- Connect students to nature
- An amazing opportunity they may remember forever
Why Choose Field Studies Council?
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Expert tuition by fully trained staff
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Stunning locations across the UK
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Outstanding curriculum knowledge
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Rigorous health and safety procedures
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Support before and after your visit
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Free places for visiting staff