Strangford Lough is a unique and wonderful place of immense international importance for nature conservation. It is the largest sea lough in the British Isles, covering an area from Angus Rock at its mouth on the Irish Sea, to the vast sand-flats at its northern end 20 miles (33 kilometres) away. It is one of only three designated Marine Nature Reserves in the United Kingdom.
Science
Science
The teaching and learning of science can take many forms due to the large number of branches of the discipline, but all of them involve a large element of doing things, of experimenting, of making and breaking, of trying out new ideas, whether at primary or secondary level. This has been appreciated by museums and visitors centres, so that we now have a plethora of possibilities.
The Association for Science Education is the lead body helping schools to develop their teaching and learning. It offers support for primary and secondary science subject leaders, teachers and schools, and keeps schools abreast of curriculum and assessment changes and reforms. The Association aims to enrich science teaching and learning with free resources, which can be found at: www.schoolscience.co.uk
Some venues are obviously specifically suitable for science groups, but others, which are more cross-curricular, are less obvious. Below we give staff a pointer to these as well as making it easy to access the websites of the well known attractions.
CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, has long been popular with British school groups. It is celebrating 60 years this year and is encouraging teachers to look at its Cern Education website.
CAT, the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth, is also celebrating a major birthday this year – its 40th. It is a very different experience from CERN, but fascinating nonetheless.
The announcement in April 2015 that the new SKA radiotelescope is to be built in the UK will also be a huge boost for scientists looking for projects to follow and then visit as the telescope is built in readiness for full operational capability in 2025.
We should draw your attention to the fact that farm visits are popular with primary schools and there is a growing number of farms offering excellent opportunities – from feeding animals to driving tanks. But there are some stringent health and safety rules to be observed. For advice and guidance please contact Handsam by calling 03332 070737 or emailing trips@handsam.co.uk.
Main organisations:
Association for Science Education
Membership through Handsam
Radiation Protection Officer services through Handsam
Inclusion: NASEN
Thought of visiting?
Centre for Alternative Technology
Michael Faraday Museum, London
National Conservation Centre, Liverpool
Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
Techniquest (various locations in Wales including Cardiff, Wrexham and Pembrokeshire)
Venues for this Curriculum
A monumental day out
A normally sedate trip made grand with their free children's activity packs, full of ideas to discover wildlife and nature in the gardens.
Stowe Landscape Gardens offer great children's activity packs, full of ideas to discover wildlife and nature in the gardens and help keep their interest going.
Medieval yeoman's house and garden
15th-century half-timbered yeoman's house, featuring a great hall and surrounded by glorious garden, orchard and meadows.
A perfect example of a Wealden Hall-House, it is full of beautiful collections of furniture, wood and metal work.
Wonderful woodland walks over the Otham Valley can begin from here.
We are located in a superb rural setting in the attractive village of Everdon, near Daventry. The surrounding countryside provides a wide variety of contrasting landscapes and habitats which make the area ideal for the study of Geography, Science and Environmental Studies.
The centre:
An adventure playground of rugged slopes, craggy summits and a cracking pint
Forged by fire and ice, the Langdales are dramatic to say the least. Home to the majestic Langdale Pikes, world class rock climbing and stunning mountain tarns, this is a natural playground, with walks and activities to suit all abilities. The ambitious can tackle the major peaks but it’s not all about high level scrambling.
The last remaining thatched windmill in England
Built in 1822, this is the last remaining thatched windmill in England - the last survivor of five in the area.
To view the original workings of this fascinating mill come and visit the interior on special Sunday's from 1pm until 5pm.
Windmill interior opening dates for 2015 are 12 April, 10 May, 14 June, 12 July, 9 August and 13 September.
Rebuilt Victorian steam-powered yacht on Coniston Water
Steam Yacht Gondola is the unrivalled sailing experience of the Lakes.
Enjoy the charm of luxury travel once experienced by wealthy Victorians, riding in style in Gondola’s opulent saloons or relaxing on her open-air decks as she glides across Coniston Water.
Arts and Crafts family home with Morris & Co. interiors, set in a beautiful hillside garden
James and Margaret Beale chose an idyllic location with views across the Sussex countryside for their rural retreat. Designed by Philip Webb, the house is one of the finest examples of Arts and Crafts workmanship, with Morris & Co. interiors creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The house is dressed for a weekend stay in 1925, so you can imagine you are a guest of the family.
Beautiful stretch of coastline with sandy beaches, wooded valleys and lily ponds
Stackpole is both a listed designed landscape and an internationally important nature reserve. Footpaths radiate from the site of Stackpole Court, a grand mansion demolished before the National Trust owned this area. Exotic plantings in Lodge Park give way to mixed woodland further upstream.
Tranquil garden and 13th-century chapel
Set in the Darenth Valley, the rare surviving chapel is the only remaining structure of the Preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem formed in 1113.
Startlingly beautiful coastline where rugged cliffs rise above a glittering Atlantic
The 14-mile stretch of coast that runs westwards from the holiday resort of St Ives to the mining village of Pendeen, can lay proud claim to being the most startlingly beautiful in south-west England.
Sand dunes with a royal history and great coastal views
St Helens Duver is a lovely place to relax or gently wander. There are sandy beaches, rock pools, sand dunes and coastal woods all within a small area. There is easy access from the car park onto the Duver with its short turf and gently undulating ground and views over Bembridge Harbour.
Rugged coastline and heather moorland steeped in Celtic history
St David's Head is a dramatic headland northwest of St David's and Whitesands beach dominated by the peak of Carn Llidi. Super for sea views and circular coastal walks.
Dramatic and historic stretch of Cornish coast
The Lizard peninsula, the most southerly part of the British mainland, is a place apart.
A combination of the mild maritime climate and complex and unique geology has produced an area with a distinctive character, well known for its rare and unusual flora and where the famous call of the Cornish chough is never far away.
A wild rocky coast with jutting cliffs, a windswept down and sheltered wooded valley
This is possibly one of the most wild and beautiful parts of the Isle of Wight with a wonderfully varied landscape in a relatively small area.
Discover secluded bays, magical creeks - a quieter pace of life
Interweaved with creeks and valleys, this remote peninsula on the south coast of Cornwall is a hidden treasure. Walking, kayaking and sailing are all fantastic ways to explore the Roseland landscape.
Tucked away at the bottom of the Roseland there's lots to discover for everyone
This remote peninsula on the south coast of Cornwall is a hidden treasure. The combination of cliffs, creeks, headlands, woods and lovely beaches, linked by many miles of footpaths, gives a fantastic variety of walking routes. Pick your route to suit your mood, or the weather that day.
Near Roseland.
Breathtaking coast, rich in heritage and wildlife
A vast low tide beach and a sea of glowing heather make it hard to believe this area was once an industrial landscape. The enigmatic buildings perched on the cliffs provide a reminder of St Agnes’ tin and copper mining past.
Beyond the black & white is a Tudor house with a Victorian personality
Speke Hall is a rare Tudor timber-framed manor house in a most unusual setting on the banks of the River Mersey. Restored and brought back to life in the 19th century, it is a unique and beautiful mixture of Tudor simplicity and Victorian Arts and Crafts' aesthetics.
Scenic backdrop to Newgale beach, with charming valleys and a history of wealth
For many, one of the iconic views of Pembrokeshire is the open expanse of St Bride’s Bay greeting you as you approach Newgale.
In 2003, we were left the Southwood Estate as a generous legacy by Mrs Maurer. She loved this part of the world and hoped that we would look after its special qualities for the benefit of the nation.
Remote unspoilt mountains steeped in history, deep wooded valleys and spectacular estuaries
Bordered by the beautiful Dwyryd and Dyfi estuaries, the mountains of south Snowdonia include some of Wales' most fascinating National Trust places It is here that the roots of the Trust took hold, with the acquisition in 1895 of Dinas Oleu.
Long sandy beach, rockpools and dunes with beautiful sunsets
One of the most popular beaches in the South Hams, the golden sands looks out over a bay of crystal clear waters framed by craggy rock formations including the iconic Thurlestone Rock.
The first lighthouse to use an electric light
A landmark of the White Cliffs, the Victorian lighthouse was built to warn mariners of shifting sands and guide them through the Strait of Dover. A place of innovation and science, the lighthouse was the first to display an electric light anywhere in the world.
A marvel of its age
Opened in 1871 Souter remains an iconic beacon. Hooped in red and white and standing proud on the coastline midway between the Tyne and the Wear. Souter is a special place all year round and was the first lighthouse in the world designed and built to be powered by electricity.
A rugged stretch of coastline interrupted by gentle valleys
Solva Harbour is the perfect starting point for exploration of the village or to take a walk up onto the Gribin headland (for the magnificent views) and down to Gwadn beach.
Nine Wells Valley is a steep valley down to the sea, with the coastal fort of Porth-y-Rhaw at the bottom. From here fine walks lead in both directions along the coast.
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