Target Audience
Key Stage 1/ 2

Link to the National Curriculum

NC Science Key Stage 2 states:

• “There is no surer way to enthuse children than to let them explore for themselves using their own immediate environment around the school grrounds”

Objective

• To enable children to identify mini-beasts with simple apparatus made by themselves

Download worksheet

What you need

• Stiff card
• Prepared mini- beast identification wheels
• Pritt sticks glue
• Laminating sheets( all schools have laminating machines)
• Brass butterfly fasteners (from any stationers)
• Schoolscissors/hammer /nails

What you do

• See the video clip on the website: www.practicalprimaryscience.co.uk
• Cut out the inner and outer circles from the tem-plates on the downloads
• Stick both wheels to stiff card
• Place the cutouts into a laminating folder and laminate. This will ensure longevity and usage in adverse weather conditions.
• Using a scissor cut out the circles including the triangular portion on the smaller circle
• Punch holes in the designated positionsand using the butterfly fasteners join them together

How it works

• The practice sheets( see download) will give the children a very clear understanding of how the apparatus works. Please note that the arrow on the small wheel points to the mini -beast in question and the triangular cutout refers to its attributes.

Group/Class Organisation

• It is vital that all children are given ample opportunity to practise using the mini-beast investigation wheels prior to any field trip.

Preliminary Activities

• This will take the form of discussion about the likely mini-beasts the children are likely to encounter. The use of coloured pictures would be useful for this purpose.

Follow up work

• Most schools have within close proximity Nature Field Centres to visit with experienced staff.
• Not to be forgotten is the rice resource of the school environment itself.