Schools Education - Kew

Key Stage 3

A visit to Kew Gardens is an excellent opportunity to introduce students to a scientific establishment of international importance.   Through our programme of booked activities we are able to help you bring scientific and geographical concepts about plants, their importance, distribution and conservation to life, as well as enhancing understanding of themes such as sustainability and citizenship.

Our tours and activities at Key Stage 3 include:

Rainforests
Plant Adaptations to environment and climate
Local biodiversity
Habitats
Shipwreck Survival
Plant Adaptation topic day
Maths and the environment
Food
Evolution of Plants
Animal Biodiversity
The Art of Plant Cultures
A nice cup of tea and T shirt
Art in Nature: Form and Function

Rainforests

Available weekdays only, 50 minute tours at 10:40, 11:40 and 13:10. Maximum groups size 20 pupils, £40 per tour

Investigate the rainforest habitat with a tour through the Palm House. We will discover some of the plants that grow there and the everyday products that they give us. We will consider how we can use these plants and products in a sustainable way, investigate plant adaptations and find out about the importance of plant conservation.

Science, Geography, Citizenship

Plant Adaptations to Environment and Climate

Available weekdays only, 50 minute tours at 10:40, 11:40 and 13:10. Maximum groups size 20 pupils, £40 per tour

Explore the desert and rainforest habitats through a tour of the Princess of Wales Conservatory. We will discover the strategies and adaptations plants have to survive in these environments.   and will also meet Carnivorous plants, an extreme and gruesome form of plant adaptation!

Science, Geography, Citizenship

Local Biodiversity

Available weekdays only. Sessions last 90 minutes and can accommodate a maximum of 15 children at £60 per tour.

Around the Conservation Area of Kew, which is actively managed for biodiversity, we explore techniques for investigating the diversity of plants and insects that live at Kew. Through games and investigations , students will build on concepts about plants, animals and habitats. We will look at interdependence and adaptation, food chains and conservation

Science, Geography, Numeracy, Citizenship

Habitats

Available weekdays only. Sessions last 90 minutes and can accommodate a maximum of 15 children at £60 per tour.

Linked to our 'Local Biodiversity' topic we will explore a range of skills for sampling plant and animal biodiversity, focusing on a habitat of your choice from Woodland, Grassland or Ponds.

Science, Geography, Citizenship

Shipwreck Survival

Available weekdays only, 90 min workshop divided between the classroom Palm House. Maximum group size 15 pupils, £60 per workshop.

Through the scenario of being stranded on a tropical island, we introduce students to the concept that all life depends on plants as we consider plants provide everything we need to survive. Through a pictorial presentation and tropical fruit tasting we will look at how the rainforest provides an abundant supply of fruits as well as finding protein in the form of meat and fish. We will discover plants that can be used for shelter, clothing, medicine, dyes and colourings and talk about the importance of protecting and managing the rainforest habitat for a sustainable future. On a tour of the Palm House we will consider more about sustainable development, fair trade, plant adaptations and talk about the importance of conservation.   This session involves tasting

Science, Geography, Citizenship

Plant Adaptation Topic Day

Available weekdays only, 90 min workshop divided between the classroom Palm House. Maximum group size 15 pupils, £60 per workshop.

Using living plant material from our tropical nursery, students will be able to investigate plant adaptation to environment and climate. This activity will be combined with a tour around the 10 different climatic zones of the Princess of Wales Conservatory as we look in closer detail at the habitats of the dry and wet tropics and the plants that grow in them.

Science, Geography, Citizenship

Maths and the Environment

Available weekdays only. Sessions last 90 minutes and can accommodate a maximum of 15 children at £60 per tour.

Find and explore Maths in nature! A walk through the gardens will reveal how we can use maths to discover the age and height of a tree and we may also discover how maths plays a role in leaf and branch formation.

Science, Maths, Literacy, Numeracy

Food

Available weekdays only,   50 minute tours at 10:40, 11:40 and 13:10. Maximum groups size 20 pupils, £40 per tour

We will examine the wide variety of plants that provide us with food, examine carbohydrates and starch stores within plants. We will consider how our food is produced and examine the environmental impact of being able to purchase seasonal foods all year round.

Science, Geography, Citizenship

Evolution of plants

Available weekdays only. Sessions last 90 minutes and can accommodate a maximum of 15 children at £60 per tour.

Visiting the Evolution House is a fascinating walk through over 3,500 million years of plant evolution covering the Silurian, Carboniferous and Cretaceous periods. We investigate the evolution of the plant kingdom from coal swamps, primitive plant forms through to the evolution of cycads, conifers and flowering plants.

Exciting effects take visitors through the evolutionary process, with a fuming volcano and glowing red lava, even dinosaur footprints!

Animal Biodiversity

Available weekdays only. Sessions last 90 minutes and can accommodate a maximum of 15 children at £60 per tour.

Explore our rich Biodiversity by investigating the animal world and showing the key interactions with other living organisms. We will investigate the best type of sampling method to estimate animal biodiversity through methods such as pit traps, leaf litter analysis, sweet nets and beating trays. Through our findings we will construct simple food chains, food webs and pyramids of numbers as well as playing ecological games to further enhance our understanding of biodiversity.

Science, Citizenship

The Art of Plant Cultures

Available weekdays only. Sessions last 90 minutes and can accommodate a maximum of 15 children at £60 per tour.

We will take a journey around the Palm House at Kew, exploring some of the plants featured on 'Plant Cultures', as well as experiencing the rainforest habitat. The tour will be followed by an art activity inspired by plants and plant products from South Asia.

Science, Art, Geography, Citizenship

A nice cup of tea and a t shirt

Available weekdays only. Sessions last 90 minutes and can accommodate a maximum of 15 children at £60 per tour.

We will explore fair-trade products that come from plants (in particular tea and cotton) and discover how our choices can affect those in developing countries. This activity will be followed by a tour of the Palm House where we consider the rainforest habitat and issues of conservation and sustainability.

Science, Geography, Citizenship

Art in Nature: Form and Function

Available weekdays only. Sessions last 90 minutes and can accommodate a maximum of 15 students at £60 per tour.

We will observe and record plant form and function in the dry and wet tropics and consider how and why it is important to plants. Back in our activity space we will practice close observation skills, looking at the links between scientists and artists, as we prepare and draw microscopic structures from pollen grains to micro-organisms.

Science, Art

Comments from teachers:

" The students went away with a renewed sense of excitement about ecosystems and I am sure that the time spent at the Gardens will prove to be invaluable in their future developments as geographers"

Home | Visiting Kew |