Introduction

Discover the 12 wonders of your area with local field trips or set as homework for pupils.

Download this resource as a PDF

Length of time

1 week to launch and then recurring as fits within the school year/topics.

Suitable locations

School grounds, local and wider community.

Activity description

• Pupils discuss within their classes ‘awe and wonder’. What makes something a wonder? What does wonder mean to the children? Can wonder change and develop as pupils get older and develop a deeper understanding of their place?
• After discussing and understanding what a wonder could be, pupils then collaborate to choose a place of interest within their local area, for younger children it could be within the school grounds, and older children slightly further afield.
• After deciding on a wonder per class, pupils then begin to pose questions on their wonder which they seek to find answers to over the coming week.
• This gives opportunity for children to engage with their community and learn about their local place and what makes it special to them.
• This approach also develops teachers’ knowledge and understanding, and pupils and staff learn together and find answers together.

Ways pupils can record and showcase their responses/findings

• pupils can show their findings in presenting any data collected
• through videos and photographs
• through writing up their work and what they have found out
• class displays can be created to showcase work and a central display to highlight progression across the school in terms of enquiry and fieldwork.

Follow up suggestions

• Opportunity to have a fieldwork week every year to build on the learning from the previous year and develop a deeper understanding of local place.
• Celebrating through displays and examples of work across the school.
• Allowing peer mentoring, for pupils to pass their knowledge and skillset to younger children to support their own learning and development.

Other suggestions

This can also be completed as a homework topic as pupils often live or visit a variety of locations.

This collection of Fieldwork activities were created by Paula Richardson and the Fieldwork and Outdoor Learning Special Interest Group (FOLSIG) for the National Festival of Fieldwork, the GA invites everyone to take part during the summer term.