Gordon and Woburn Squares Primary Schools Pack

This resource, published by the Nuffield Foundation in 2007, was created to encourage use for learning of the Squares in Bloomsbury, central London. These Squares offer a range of opportunities for children's learning, and are spaces where children can investigate, observe, wonder, record and create. This pack, written for teachers in primary schools in the area, provides ideas for using the squares and their gardens with their students.

Visits to the squares are built into the pack, for observation, recording and information-gathering and as a stimulus for activities back in the classroom. The pack focuses mainly on Science, History, English and Art/Design, though there are cross-curricular elements throughout, emphasising the creative linking of subjects to encourage more rounded learning.

Approach
There are four main sections to the pack: Science, History, English/Literacy, Art and Design. The science section is divided into suggestions for students aged 5-7, 8-9 and 10-11 years. In each case there are questions suggested to initiate children’s observations and investigations when visiting the Squares. The activities relate to living things for the most part. Resources deemed useful during a visit and in following it up in the classroom are provided in the pack.

Contents:
* Science
* History
* English/Literacy
* Art and Design
* Resources

Science section:
* KS1 Plants and animals in Gordon and Woburn Squares
* KS1 Gordon and Woburn Squares as habitats
* KS1 Flowers in the Squares
* KS1 Grouping plants in the Squares
* KS2 Yr3/4 The growth of plants
* KS2 Yr 3/4 Habitats and food chains in the Squares
* KS2 Yrs 5/6 Living in the gardens in Gordon and Woburn Squares
* Plants to look out for in the gardens
* Health & safety advice

Resources:
* R 1 Plane trees: pictures
* R 2 Grouping animals and plants chart for pupils to fill in their findings
* R 3 Habitats chart for pupils to fill in their findings
* FSC keys to identifying plants