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Learning beyond the classroom
Learning about the environment takes place both inside and outside the school. An important aspect of learning in environmental studies is the use of the environment in its widest sense, to enrich learning. The world beyond the classroom has many rich contexts for learning and teaching that allow teachers and pupils to draw upon a wide range of evidence and a variety of first-hand experiences. The development of informed attitudes to contemporary and future environmental issues can be enhanced when pupils gain direct access to the world outside school. Learning beyond the classroom offers pupils the opportunity to confront the real world and gather real evidence, allowing them to enjoy, sample and interact with their environment in a controlled way. Providing pupils with genuine personal experiences of natural habitats as well as opportunities to engage in activities or pursuits in an outdoor environment results in highly motivating and often memorable learning experiences. These experiences should form the basis of best practice in the science component of environmental studies.
Main areas for developing learning beyond the classroom
Within the school or school grounds	Within the vicinity of the school	Within a day's reach	A residential experience
Within the school /school grounds This is relatively easy to organise and might avoid some of the organisational and safety issues associated with travelling further afield. Some examples of studies that can be pursued within the schools and its grounds include characteristics of site and location; materials used in construction; walls, fences and gates; weather observations; studies of birds and other animals; habitats. There may also be opportunities to extend these studies into projects such as the improvement of school grounds through tree and bulb planting, setting up a bird table or laying out a school garden. See TES article - Barren grey to living green.
Within the vicinity of the school This will require more careful planning and might include activities such as walking a neighbourhood trail, carrying out a survey in the community, investigations of land and building use, gap sites, shops and houses, industries, occupations, street furniture, essential services, traffic patterns, problems of litter and vandalism and examples of community use or aid.
Within a day's reach This will require transport but will provide a wider range of opportunities such as visiting a museum, an interactive science centre, a historical site, a farm, a river, loch, stream, beach or coastline, a hill, a woodland, a zoo, a village for urban pupils; a town or city for country or village pupils.
A residential experience This allows pupils to take part in more extensive explorations of the environment. However the use of residential facilities should be regarded as a supplement and not as an alternative to other opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. The selection of the location should be planned to complement studies in the classroom. Most residential centres offer courses that are well equipped and staffed, thus reducing preparation time for teachers while also giving them valuable support. The kinds of learning activities that pupils may undertake have often been planned with an emphasis on the development of social skills and on promoting growth in self-esteem and confidence. Pupils are encouraged to work cooperatively but to also increase their capacity to work independently. A range of organisations, agencies, museums, galleries, heritage and conservation centres is also helpful in providing learning experiences outside the classroom.

Health & safety
When working with equipment and materials in practical activities and investigations either indoors or outdoors, or during a visit to an unfamiliar environment, pupils should be taught something of the basic principles of risk management. In planning activities, teachers should watch out for any opportunities for health and safety education. From the outset, pupils should begin to learn how to :-
recognise & identify specific hazards	assess risks	take steps to control the risks to themselves and others
Useful Health and Safety definitions for teachers (not necessarily the language to be used with pupils):
hazards - potential sources of harm	risks - the likelihood of harm occurring in specific circumstances together with the nature of the consequences.	control of risks - achieved by preventive measures that remove, isolate or reduce the risk and, or, by protective measures that minimise any harmful consequences. Prevention is preferable, always.
Any likely safety issues should be approached in a positive way by giving reasons for the need to be safe and discussing the implications with pupils. Health and safety considerations should be tackled with an integrated approach, being faced and dealt with in context as they arise. Special or separate treatment may prove counterproductive. Pupils should be actively encouraged to consider safety when they plan and carry out their investigations. They should also consider the needs and safety of others. See the Health Education guidelines. In the early years, pupils should be able to answer questions about simple rules for keeping themselves safe and how to ensure they are working hygienically. As they progress they should be able to check their plans for an investigation using a given set of safety rules. These should be displayed somewhere in the classroom or a check-list should be available. As they become more independent and progress to the upper stages, pupils should be able to suggest their own procedures for keeping themselves and others safe and for working hygienically.
Further advice on health and safety can be found in the Scottish edition of an ASE publication Be safe!, which is available from either ASE Booksales or from: SSERC Online 2 Pitreavie Court South Pitreavie Business Park Dunfermline KY11 8UB Tel: 01383 626070, fax: 01383 842793, STS at SSERC for sales Schools must also make reference to any relevant health and safety guidelines produced by their local authority.

ICT and science education
Information and communications technology (ICT) provides access to a wealth of science resources. It is also a powerful potential tools for learning. Learning activities and investigative work can be supported and enhanced through the use of such technology. Within the context of science, there is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to apply and develop skills through the use of ICT to support their learning. The following examples indicate ways in which ICT may be applied to enhance work within science. The examples also indicate the major relevant ICT strands.
ICT strand
Collecting and analysing	Data-handling programs can be used to record and analyse information gathered, for example using or constructing databases, using a graphing program or spreadsheet to construct a bar chart. The use of sensors linked to computers can extend the range, speed and sensitivity of measurement. Sensors that detect temperature, light, sound, position, humidity or pressure allow pupils to gather information on variables that they may not normally be able to quantify. This information can then be quickly displayed and evaluated. For example, the use of sensors in small-scale fermenters allows pupils to simulate industrial processes.
Creating and presenting	Word-processing and drawing programs provide pupils with an alternative means of communicating and presenting their findings. This allows pupils to produce drafts, edit and correct their work and support those pupils who may have difficulties with conventional written work, for example using a desktop publishing program to produce a poster.
Controlling and modelling	The use of interactive computer programs allows pupils to simulate investigations. These may involve them in formulating hypotheses, deciding on how to plan a fair test, controlling variables, and gathering and evaluating results. These kinds of programs should provide support rather than substitutes for real practical investigations. They are most likely to be used where there are serious difficulties associated with carrying out scientific investigations, for example experiments that involve extreme heat or explore the internal organs of the body. Where sensors are used to measure variables, the data so gathered may not only be displayed but can also be processed by control devices with appropriate software. A computer or other ICT-based control device may then be used to send signals to the outside world and so control events or mechanisms. By such means pupils may model ICT-based control systems in domestic devices or in industrial processes.
Searching and researching, (controlling and modelling)	The internet provides pupils with access to a range of sources of scientific information. Pupils can visit the websites of a wide range of organisations such as science centres or museums, environmental agencies, industrial bodies, government departments, etc. Many CD-ROMs enable pupils to access vast amounts of information and to extend their range of experiences through the use of video and interactive simulations.
Communicating and collaborating	The internet can also be used to communicate with other schools and pupils both nationally and internationally. Some schools may have their own websites; others may have the facility to communicate using electronic mail. Pupils can be encouraged to work collaboratively on investigations or projects. They can then share and discuss their findings or debate national and international issues: for example collect, compare and share information on weather, discuss different approaches to recycling, compare information on ways of travelling to school. The internet also has the potential for pupils and teachers to access 'scientists' or other experts online. Some sites offer opportunities for 'mentoring' and for pupils to pose questions to experts.
Information and Communications Technology: 5-14 National Guidelines provides further advice on ICT skills progression and advice on learning and teaching using ICT.