Science Trail

St Clare’s

Science Trail

Format :
The trail is set in the grounds of our school. There are 10 stations where you must stop to complete a task and fill the answers into an answer book.

Resources : Pooters, magnifying glasses, insect viewers, mini- beast guide, science trail worksheets and clipboards.

START

Stand at the compass painted on the yard and face north.

What direction is your back facing now?
South

Outstretch your right arm- what direction is it facing?
East

Outstretch left arm - what direction is it facing?
West

If it was a sunny day which part of your body would be the warmest?
Back

Take one step north - what way are you facing?
North

Touch and describe the bark of the tree. It was rough and it had long straight ridges.

What shapes are the leaves
Pointy

Are there any mini-beasts living on the tree? Yes

What types of living things are growing on the tree? Ants and woodlice

Are the trees deciduous or evergreen? How do you know? The evergreen trees keep their leaves all year e.g. Holly. The deciduous trees loose their leaves in winter e.g. Beech

Lebanese Cedar - What colour are the leaves?
Blue and green hues

Why do you think it is called the Lebanese cedar?
The tree originates in the Lebanon.

Do a bark rubbing.

How many flagpoles are there? 3 poles

What material are they made of?
steal

Name their uses? To display the Irish flag our Green Flag and the European flag

Estimate their height 10m

At our sensory plant bed
Name the five senses:
to view sensory bed

Touch, taste, feel, see and smell.

What are nests made of?

Sticks and twigs

From where would the birds collect the materials?

Trees, gardens and parks

Name the birds you think live here?

Magpies or crows

Name the birds you can see on the trees?

Robins, crows, magpies, pigeons, blackbirds.

At the pond
What living creatures can you see?

Frogspawn, flies, tadpoles

What do they eat? flies, plants

Can you see any plant life in the pond?

Algae

Look at the shrubs.
What are the colours you see?

Green, Light blue, yellow

Are there any butterflies or insects? Yes

Can you name any of them?
Ants, woodlice, spiders

Here are the insects we examined using our Intel play microscope that is connected to the computer

A wood louse collected using a pooter and examined using a microscope.

Compost heap
Where is the compost collected?
It is gathered from all the classrooms in a bucket and dumped onto the compost heap.

What is it used for? To feed plants and make soil.

Why do we make compost? Our school makes compost because we want to recycle our organic waste. This helps the environment.

What do we put into it?
Apple cores, orange and pear skins, vegetable skins, cut grass, weeds , dead flowers and shredded paper

Count the rings on the trunk of the tree tree stump.

There are 40 rings

What do the rings tell us? The age of the tree

How old is the tree? 40 years old

Next Page

Home

Format :	The trail is set in the grounds of our school. There are 10 stations where you must stop to complete a task and fill the answers into an answer book.
Resources :	Pooters, magnifying glasses, insect viewers, mini- beast guide, science trail worksheets and clipboards.

START
Stand at the compass painted on the yard and face north.
What direction is your back facing now?		South
Outstretch your right arm- what direction is it facing?		East
Outstretch left arm - what direction is it facing?		West
If it was a sunny day which part of your body would be the warmest?		Back
Take one step north - what way are you facing?		North
Touch and describe the bark of the tree.		It was rough and it had long straight ridges.
What shapes are the leaves		Pointy
Are there any mini-beasts living on the tree?		Yes
What types of living things are growing on the tree?		Ants and woodlice
Are the trees deciduous or evergreen? How do you know?		The evergreen trees keep their leaves all year e.g. Holly. The deciduous trees loose their leaves in winter e.g. Beech
Lebanese Cedar - What colour are the leaves?		Blue and green hues
Why do you think it is called the Lebanese cedar?		The tree originates in the Lebanon.
Do a bark rubbing.
How many flagpoles are there?		3 poles
What material are they made of?		steal
Name their uses?		To display the Irish flag our Green Flag and the European flag
Estimate their height		10m
At our sensory plant bed Name the five senses: to view sensory bed		Touch, taste, feel, see and smell.
What are nests made of?		Sticks and twigs
From where would the birds collect the materials?		Trees, gardens and parks
Name the birds you think live here?		Magpies or crows
Name the birds you can see on the trees?		Robins, crows, magpies, pigeons, blackbirds.
At the pond What living creatures can you see?		Frogspawn, flies, tadpoles
What do they eat?		flies, plants
Can you see any plant life in the pond?		Algae
Look at the shrubs. What are the colours you see?		Green, Light blue, yellow
Are there any butterflies or insects?		Yes
Can you name any of them?		Ants, woodlice, spiders
Here are the insects we examined using our Intel play microscope that is connected to the computer
		A wood louse collected using a pooter and examined using a microscope.
Compost heap Where is the compost collected?		It is gathered from all the classrooms in a bucket and dumped onto the compost heap.
What is it used for?		To feed plants and make soil.
Why do we make compost?		Our school makes compost because we want to recycle our organic waste. This helps the environment.
What do we put into it?		Apple cores, orange and pear skins, vegetable skins, cut grass, weeds , dead flowers and shredded paper
Count the rings on the trunk of the tree tree stump.		There are 40 rings
What do the rings tell us?		The age of the tree
How old is the tree?		40 years old