Today Year 4 from Sedgeberrow C of E First School had their fourteenth day on the farm, as they have been three times a year since Reception class. The topic of the day was ‘Maps and View from the Air’. It was the first visit in the new classroom with thirty children and it worked really well. The children were delighted to see that the compost toilets of their previous visits are now a thing of the past. Their excitement over the new flushing toilets was almost as great as mine. 

After our ‘Staying Safe on the Farm’ talk, we discussed why farmers find maps very useful within their business.

I gave various examples of how farmers use mapping. The children were most engaged in the discussion of drones. I explained that there are opportunities to work within agriculture, developing technology which farmers can use. Those that enjoy IT and don’t necessarily want to wear wellies for a job can still be part of this highly developed industry. 

The children then moved on to an activity looking at sketch maps of Sandfield Farm and how to find North on a compass. We then went out on to the farm, using the sketch maps to determine our location. At one point the children identified that they were stood next to the field called the ‘Bomb Ground’. A lot of discussion was had as to exactly where in the field the bomb landed in the Second World War. 

The children then ran through the Signal Field. At the corner of the field one boy didn’t choose the most sensible route through the muddy gateway, this was an ideal time to explain the difference between the sandy soil and the clay soil at Sandfield Farm. We then went into Hinton Field and used copies of an OS Map to determine which villages we could see, which were Hinton-on-the-Green, Sedgeberrow and Ashton Underhill. 

After a well earned lunch, the children had a great time in the Play Wood. Several boys climbed into the music drums and rolled down the slope, with alot of giggling. Whilst another group took great delight in showing me the remains of the buzzards lunch….

 

Tags: Maps