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KS3 Sessions

Here are our current KS3 programme sessions at our Education Centre in Hyde Park. You can book either a half or full day depending on which sessions you choose from the list below. Once you’ve selected your sessions, just fill in our enquiry form and we can arrange your visit.

Geography:

Land Use and Local Conservation

KS3 programme at the Royal Parks Foundation Education Centre Investigate the impact of human activity on our Royal Parks. Students will visit contrasting locations in Hyde Park to create their own land use maps, identifying user impact and assessing biodiversity. The session includes a problem solving task in which students decide how Hyde Park could be managed as a recreational facility as well as to maintain habitats for wildlife.

Population, Climate and Sustainability

Find out how the growing population of London impacts Hyde Park. We look at the impact of humans on park ecosystems and how climate change poses challenges for park management. Students will undertake fieldwork in two contrasting locations in the park to collect data on biodiversity, human presence, noise pollution and weather data. Students will then compare the two sites and consider how urban parks might be managed in a sustainable way for the future.

Science:

Variation - Focus on Classification

KS3 programme at the Royal Parks Foundation Education Centre Investigate the differences between species by developing skills in classification. Students will explore our pond or meadow sites to identify organisms belonging to the five Kingdoms and use fieldwork equipment to collect invertebrate samples. With microscopes and classification keys they will identify these samples and have a go at designing their own ID guides based on their observations. Variation between individuals within a species will be observed, through which students will consider what leads to natural selection.

Variation - Focus on Adaptation

Investigate the differences between species by identifying their adaptations for moving, feeding, breathing and avoiding predation. Students will use fieldwork techniques to collect organisms from a habitat and will study their adaptations closely using microscopes. Students will produce a scientific drawing for one of their organisms. Students will then consider how variation between species and between individuals of the same species can give them a competitive advantage.

Food Chains and Webs

KS3 programme at the Royal Parks Foundation Education Centre Find out about relationships in an ecosystem by investigating food chains and webs. Students will explore the grounds of our Education Centre and conduct a habitat survey to identify organisms from different feeding groups. This data will then be used to create food chains and webs. Some of the organisms will be studied in more detail using microscopes to identify their feeding adaptations. Students will consider the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem and the impact of changes within the environment.

Science Project Skills

Gain practical skills in how to plan and conduct a scientific investigation. Students will practice using fieldwork equipment and appropriate techniques to collect abiotic and biotic data. They will then be presented with a fictional situation for which they have to plan an investigation to prove the biological importance of a pond or meadow site. Students will have the opportunity to evaluate the reliability of methods used and suggest possible improvements.