Our KS3 Geography resources use case studies from Forestry England's sites and projects to bring topics to life. You'll find detailed teacher packs with lesson plans, presentations, and worksheets, as well as fieldwork activities.
Landscape change lesson plans
These three lesson plans, each with a presentation and student worksheet, use case studies from Thames Chase and Ennerdale in Cumbria to help you teach your students about:
- human and physical causes of landscape change.
- human reliance on functioning natural systems.
- change in climate from the ice age to the present.
There is also the opportunity to develop map skills, with the use of OS maps and satellite photos.
OS Map Skills
Use our Ordnance Survey map study of Ennerdale Forest to develop your students’ map skills. This activity will get your students interpreting a topographical map, using grid references and scale.
This can be used as a stand alone resource or as an activity following on from our Ennerdale case study in the landscape change lesson plans.
Sustainable forest management lesson plans
This set of three lesson plans, each with a presentation and student activities, focuses on how England's forests are managed as a natural sustainable resource. They cover:
- the use of natural resources.
- economic sectors.
- human and physical causes of landscape change.
- human reliance on functioning natural systems.
- change in climate from the ice age to the present.
Fieldwork
We have two KS3 Geography fieldwork units which take you through individual desk based research and planning, collaborative fieldwork activities, data presentation and analysis:
- Investigating soils asks students to take on the role of a Forester and identify the soil characteristics of their local woodland. They can then choose appropriate tree species, from the ‘species of the future’ list, which would be suitable for planting at that location.
- Investigating leisure and recreation puts students in the position of a Forestry England Visitor Experience Manager and investigates the interaction between people and a local woodland, so that they can effectively manage the forest for the benefit of both the forest and the visitors.
More fieldwork activities
Calculating tree growth
This fieldwork activity will enable students to record the growth of trees over time, encouraging them to consider all of the factors involved.
Analysing real data from our colleagues at Forest Research will enable students to see the application of this method for scientific purposes.
Calculating carbon
This fieldwork activity will enable students to calculate how much carbon is being stored in a tree and compare this with the carbon footprint of everyday activities.
