Habitats: making change

This session helps learners recognise there are actions, we all can take, to help habitats thrive. Activities encourage learners to consider and suggest ideas which could be implemented at your school's outdoor site in the future. 

This is recommended as session four of the Lower Key Stage Two Habitats Unit, exploring how we can make changes to support local habitats. 

< 30 minutes
KS2

Preparation

Green skills

  • environmental stewardship
  • creative decision making
  • communication  

Step by step

Quick starter activity  

Whose Planet?

 Use these short PowerPoint slides to explore perspectives of other living things.

Whose planet.pptx 39.8 MB

Encourage learners to share their thoughts and respect the perspectives of their peers. Next, ask learners to list things that they know people around them are doing to protect animals and their habitats.

Main activity suggestion

Suggestion 1 (indoor) 

Nature Park activity: Write a vision statement This activity asks learners to create a vision statement. They are invited to imagine what they’d like the future of their outdoor site to look like.

Suggestion 2 (outdoor/indoor) 

Nature Park activity: Ideas for improvements This activity introduces habitat enhancements which could take place on a school site. Learners consider which enhancement may be the most effective, suitable and feasible for improving biodiversity at their setting. 

Suggestion 3 (indoor) 

Association for Science Education: Help the hedgehog Hundreds of wildlife experts spent time working out which species need the most protection. In this activity children identify the features within a typical garden that both encourage and deter hedgehogs. 

Top tips

Use local examples of conservation, for example a wild meadow project, tree planting or a family member who plants flowers for bees. Support representation by using examples and people that learners can relate to, so learners can see the relevance to them. 

Curriculum links