Georgraphy and Sustainability

This week in Year 3 geography, we have been learning about sustainability and how environments are designed to support both people and wildlife.

We started by looking at local maps and identifying key geographical features in our area. During our work we noticed some unusual shapes and patterns in nearby fields. At first, these designs seemed quite strange, but after investigating further, we discovered they are called scrapes.

Scrapes are shallow areas of land that hold water for part of the year. They are designed with gently sloping edges and create small, muddy pools in fields. These features are often man-made and are carefully planned to support wildlife.

Scrapes play an important role in supporting the lapwing population. Lapwings are ground-nesting birds whose chicks need easy access to food. The shallow water and muddy edges of scrapes are rich in insects and small invertebrates, which provide an important food source.

These wet areas also remain damp for longer into the spring and early summer, even when surrounding land becomes dry. This helps lapwing chicks continue to find food during a very important stage of their development.

Today, we worked with a partner to carry out research and answer our questions about these special birds. It was a great opportunity to develop curiosity, teamwork and our understanding of how thoughtful design can help protect wildlife.

This learning has helped us to understand how geography, land use and sustainability are closely linked, and how people can make decisions that have a positive impact on the natural environment

Next Previous