P2 experience life on the wild side!
The P2 classrooms took on the look of a menagerie last week as the children came dressed up in their animal costumes ready for our P2 Animal Day with Donald Malone from Wildside Nature.
Our day started with a hunt for some animals hidden in the woods. Donald talked about the animals we had found and whether they were endangered or not. We measured the wing span of an albatross and became babies about to fledge their nest. Different stations were set up with several skulls, bones and other items related to the different vertebrate species such as birds and mammals. We went round each station examining the artefacts and identifying which species they came from and what were the common features that linked them. Some of the skulls were from native Scottish animals, some of which still exist, while other species are now extinct here in Scotland.
Having investigated a beaver pelt, low jaw and sticks that had been stripped of bark by beavers, we discovered more about this unique species that have been introduced to Scotland after they were hunted out. We had a go at building our own beaver lodge and at making mini beaver dams. We tested each one to see which one held back the water the longest.
We then played a game of squirrel tig. In this game we saw the impact the non-native grey squirrel has had on our native red squirrel populations after it was introduced to the UK from North America. We discussed how the red squirrel is now endangered here in Scotland.
In another activity we saw how bats hunt using sound. We became moths and were given some echolocator shakers to make a noise with. Individual children were chosen to be the bat and were blindfolded. We had to see if our ‘bat’ could locate its prey just through using sound or echolocation.
We then returned to the classroom and wrote letters to Donald thanking him for his visit. We told him what we had most enjoyed and the amazing animal facts we had learnt. We agreed that we wanted Donald to come again and share more of his wonderful animal knowledge!
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