GCSE Biology Fieldwork – 3 Days

The following is an example of how a 3-day course might look. Our courses are as flexible as possible to meet your requirements, with other sessions able to be substituted into this timetable. There will be some variation between what is offered at specific centres due to habitat availability.

Day 1

Arrive Midday

Welcome by Field Stidies Council staff, centre tour and introduction, pre-course meeting of FSC staff and teachers, allocation of wellies and waterproofs as appropriate.

Afternoon:

Team Challenge

A series of fun activities and games to focus on the skills required for teambuilding including effective communication, self-confidence and problem-solving.

Evening:

Night walk

Building nature connection through a nocturnal exploration of woodland wildlife including wellbeing and sensory activities.

Day 2

Morning:

Sampling techniques

Students will use a variety of fieldwork techniques to measure abiotic and biotic factors within a habitat.
They will use random sampling to measure the population of a common species within a habitat and use systematic sampling to investigate how environmental factors affect the distribution and abundance of organisms within a habitat.

Afternoon:

Freshwater ecology

Students will sample invertebrate communities in a freshwater habitat. They will identify the organisms found and learn about their feeding relationships and other adaptations. Abiotic factors such as flow rate and temperature may by measured, exploring the impact these environmental factors have on invertebrate distribution and abundance.
Using their own data, students will be able to construct pyramids of number and biomass and calculate the efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels.

Evening:

Campfire

An opportunity to reflect on activities to embed skills and learning and toast a marshmallow or two!

Day 3

Morning:

Practical conservation

Students will learn about the management of an area of conservation interest and take part in practical habitat management or wildlife monitoring tasks.

Depart at 12:30.

AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy and GCSE Biology
4.7.1 Adaptations, interdependence and competition
4.7.2 Organisation of an ecosystem
4.7.3 Biodiversity and the effect of human interaction on ecosystems
4.7.4 Trophic levels in an ecosystem
10.2.7 Required practical activity 7 / 8.2.9 Required Practical 9

AQA GCSE Combined Science: Synergy
4.4.2 Ecosystems and biodiversity
8.2.12 Required practical activity 12

Edexcel GCSE Combined Science and GCSE Biology
Topic 9 Ecosystems and material cycles
Core Practical 9.5

Edexcel iGCSE Biology and Double Award Science
4 Ecology and the environment
4.2 investigate the population size of an organism in two different areas using quadrats
4.4B investigate the distribution of organisms in their habitats and measure biodiversity using quadrats

OCR Gateway Combined Science A and Biology A
B4.1 Ecosystems
B6.1 Monitoring and maintaining the environment
Biology PAG 3: Sampling techniques

OCR 21st Century Science B and Biology B
B3.3 How are organisms in an ecosystem interdependent?
B3.4 How are populations affected by conditions in an ecosystem interdependent?
B6.3/ 6.4 How is biodiversity threatened and how can we protect it?
Biology PAG 3: Sampling techniques

WJEC GCSE Combined Science and GCSE Biology
1.6 Ecosystems, nutrient cycles and the human impact on the environment
4.1 / 2.1 Classification and Biodiversity
Specified Practical Work: Investigation into factors affecting the distribution and abundance of a species.

Cambridge iGCSE Biology and iGCSE Science
1 Characteristics of Living Organisms
18 Variation and selection
19 / B18 Organisms and their environment
20 / B19 Human influences on ecosystems

• 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