– Do Red Squirrels Need Our Help?
Education at Escot
Primary Teachers Red Alert
Introduce red squirrel conservation to your classes with the Red Squirrel Education Pack
Most schoolchildren in the UK will not have seen a red squirrel. Fewer still will have seen one in the wild. The Red Squirrel Education Pack was created to raise awareness of the plight of the native British squirrel and of the conservation efforts to help them regenerate. Suitable for KS2 classes, the Red Squirrel Education Pack is a cross-curricular resource designed to last a teacher a half-term with exciting and stimulating activities in Science, Mathematics, Geography, Home Economics, English, Music, Art, Public Speaking and Drama. Students will enjoy the varied exercises which will gradually add to their understanding of the issues involved and ultimately enable them to answer the question “Do red squirrels need our help?” However, the pack can also be used for young Guides and Scouts, Forest Schools, home schooling, junior Wildlife Trust groups, etc. with a video to get things started and the individual items being selected depending on the age and ability of the children and the time available.
The work is made easy for the teachers/leaders as the stunning photocopiable slides are supplemented by a CD of audio material and detailed Teachers’ Notes which provide both a comprehensive method and the answers to the activities as well as suggesting engaging extension tasks. Students are required to work individually, in pairs and in small groups. The Red Squirrel Education Pack aims to develop the students’ confidence in speaking, in listening, in reading, in discussing and in forming and expressing opinions.
The Red Squirrel Education Pack was written by Olivia Kennaway who grew up at Escot Park in Devon where there is a Red Squirrel Enclosure for conservation purposes with a visitor walkthrough. Olivia created the Red Squirrel Education Pack initially for her final major project in her Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Degree; the striking photography of red squirrels in the pack is all her own work.
Her passion for the conservation cause led to her developing the Red Squirrel Education Pack further for actual use in KS2 classrooms. With input from experienced teachers, the Red Squirrel Education Pack has evolved to become the ideal way to educate the young of Britain about some very important natural world issues, key to the wildlife heritage of our island nation. Students are consistently captivated and inspired by Olivia’s beautiful still images of the squirrels. The thought-provoking varied activities then inspire them to learn more about their own role in preserving the native British red squirrel.
If the Education Pack is to be used in KS2 classrooms, care should be taken that it complies with the current National Curriculum. There have been no updates to the Pack since it was originally created; users are welcome to make changes but should agree not to share these changes with others. The Pack is offered by Red Squirrel South West for no charge but considerable personal investment went into its production so a donation to the group would be very much appreciated.
To find out more please email: contact@britishredsquirrel.org.
The Red Squirrel Education Pack
The pack features Olivia’s stunning photography of red squirrels