Year One explored Warren Pond for minibeasts and to observe seasonal changes. Our Science topic is looking at the seasons and discussing differences between them. We compared the forest area with when we visited exactly the same place in the Autumn. The children noticed how bare the trees were and the leaf litter on the forest floor. It was very different to the vibrantly coloured leaves in October and the crunchy piles of leaves we walked through back then. We also noticed how quiet the forest was and we only saw one robin and two squirrels.
The children decided on two habitats to look for minibeasts. Firstly, we looked under some log piles for signs of life. The children spotted several worms, wood ants, a wood louse and slug. We saw a spider’s web on a tree and an empty snail shell. We were surprised with how few minibeasts we found, even though we were quiet and looked under some large logs that had been left undisturbed for a long while. The children took care to return the logs to where they originally were.
Secondly, we choose the habitat of a large tree. We were planning to compare the minibeasts found in the tree with the minibeasts on the ground. We discussed what the minibeasts eat and were going to find out whether the minibeasts in the tree were plant eaters (herbivores) or predators (carnivores). We talked about the minibeasts in the leaf litter being dead leaf eaters. However, despite vigorously shaking the tree we didn’t spot any minibeasts. We also spent time examining the bark and still didn’t spot minibeasts. One child found an old spider’s web.
We decided to come back in the Spring and observe seasonal changes and go on another minibeast hunt then.
