Lesson plan
Animal-friendly school grounds
COUNTRY: England
CURRICULUM SUBJECT
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KEY STAGE: 1 and 2
AREA OF FOCUS
Citizenship
Habitats
Science
School grounds
Geography
This exercise helps pupils to think about what wildlife needs and how they can make their
school grounds more wildlife-friendly. Follow this lesson with [Priorities for improvement].
Starter activity
What does wildlife need?
 What do pupils think that wildlife needs (e.g. water, food, spaces to live)? This could be a review
of other lessons such as Investigating animals and their needs and What is a habitat?
 Discuss how these needs might be met in the school grounds and how wildlife can benefit this
environment. More information is available in the RSPCA's wildlife advice centre (see Useful
websites tab). Here is one example: Hedgehogs are useful because they eat slugs, beetles,
caterpillars and a variety of other insects, which damage plants by feeding on them. Hedgehogs
like natural shelter so you could create wild plant areas for them in your school grounds or build
a shelter using a piece of board against a pile of bricks.
Learning styles: auditory.
Main activity
Animal-friendly areas in our grounds
 Hand out copies of the worksheet Wildlife-friendly places? and ask pupils to sort the different
areas using the three headings given. There are two versions of the worksheet for
differentiation.
 Distribute a simple plan of the school and agree a method of labelling or colour-coding, for
example red = never animal-friendly, orange = sometimes animal-friendly, green = always
animal-friendly.
 Revise the ground rules that the class devised in the session Animals in our school grounds then
let the pupils explore the grounds and label or colour code their plan.
 Back in the classroom, create one generic plan from pupils' work.
 In the event of bad weather, try displaying photographs alongside the school site plan on an
interactive whiteboard and use them to help label/colour code the plan.
Learning styles: visual, kinaesthetic.
RSPCA LESSON PLAN created December 2013
We have created this document for use by teachers in England and Wales for the purpose of incorporating animal
welfare into their curriculum. All details are correct at the time of creation. The RSPCA accepts no responsibility
for any changes made to the content, appearance, or layout of the original document by third parties and any such
changes made at the risk of affecting the validity of the document. If you choose to circulate or promote all or part
of this document please credit the RSPCA accordingly.
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Plenary activity
What did we find?
 Compare the pupils' plans and discuss what they have found.
1. Which areas are wildlife-friendly? Why are these wildlife-friendly?
2. Which areas are not very wildlife-friendly?
3. Which wildlife needs are not being met?
4. What types of wildlife could we attract if these areas were more wildlife-friendly?
 Did any of the areas of the school grounds surprise us?
 Are there any areas that we could improve to make them more animal-friendly? If so, how?
Learning styles: auditory.
Extension activities
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Plan an 'animal-friendly places' game in the hall. Put up four signs at different locations around
the room, for example 'compost bin', 'pond', 'flower bed', 'bird table'. The teacher calls out the
name of an animal and the children run to where they would expect to find that animal. After
each turn, the teacher asks individuals to explain their choices. Did everyone go to the same
picture? Would the animal visit during the day or night? What does the animal do there?
Work in small groups. Ask the pupils to identify who else they could ask for opinions about the
school grounds (e.g. teachers, staff and parents) and to suggest ways of getting those opinions.
Their ideas might include a suggestions box, setting up a school grounds committee, a graffiti
wall (large sheets of paper in the hall for everyone to write their opinions on) and video
interviews.
Curriculum objectives
Pupils should learn:
 that there are different kinds of animals in the immediate environment
 to treat animals and the environment with care and sensitivity
 to observe the conditions in a local habitat and make a record of the animals found
 that animals are suited to the environment in which they are found.
Animal welfare objectives
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explore how attractive the school grounds are to animals.
understand that we can help wildlife by leaving animals alone.
recognise that we can help wildlife by recycling and disposing of litter safely.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this lesson:
 most pupils will recognise that different animals live in the local environment and name some of
them
 some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: recognise that different plants and
animals live in the local environment
 some pupils will have progressed further and will also: suggest reasons why different animals
are found in the different environments.
RSPCA LESSON PLAN created December 2013
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Display
Create a display of pupils' surveys of the school grounds.
Did you know?
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More than 500 species of wild birds are known to visit the British Isles and 200 of these breed
regularly. Nevertheless, some bird populations, such as house sparrows and starlings are
declining in urban areas. This is partly due to the loss of nest sites. You can help by making your
garden bird-friendly and by providing nesting boxes, food and water.
There are around 70 species of butterfly and more than 2,500 species of moth in the British Isles.
There are around 64 species of mammal in the UK, ¼ of which are bats.
Every day, RSPCA inspectors rescue wild animals trapped or hurt by litter. Hedgehogs trapped
in sharp cans and pigeons choked by plastic can holders are just some of the victims helped by
the RSPCA each year.
There are lots of ways that you can make litter more animal-friendly. For example, cut the loops
holding plastic can holders together and tie a knot in plastic bags - or better still, re-use them!
Vocabulary
biodiversity
food chain
habitat
survey
wildlife
Useful websites
RSPCA resource - Habitats ground rules
RSPCA - All about animals - Wildlife
RSPCA resource - Where do woodlice like to live?
RSPCA resource - What do birds prefer to eat?
Froglife
RSPB - The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Eco-Schools
Butterfly Conservation
Countryside Council for Wales
Learning through Landscapes
Natural England
Wildlife Trusts: A-Z of British Wildlife
ARKive Education
The Mammal Society - Mammal factsheets
The Royal Horticultural Society
Video - How can we help wild animals?
RSPCA LESSON PLAN created December 2013
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Teachers’ Notes – Friendly or unfriendly?
Wildlife-friendly
Woodland trees - a variety of wild animals will live, shelter or find food here. Native species attract a
wider variety of animals.
Pond - a great habitat for many species. Shallow, sloping sides ensure that animals coming to drink
don’t fall in.
Bushes and hedges - a good hiding and nesting place for wild animals. Fruiting bushes provide valuable
food.
Compost bin - rotting garden, fruit and vegetable waste provides food for minibeasts, which in turn are
eaten by birds and small mammals. A compost heap provides warm shelter in winter and a nest for
reptiles (snakes).
Dead wood/log pile - minibeasts feed on rotting wood and the pile provides hiding places for small
animals.
Nest box - whether for birds, bats, hedgehogs or minibeasts, these are great places for wild animals to
shelter and rear their young.
Flower garden - plants provide food for many species of wild animal.
Field - minibeasts will live in the soil and are eaten by other wild animals. A meadow is attractive to
more species.
Vegetable garden - as well as providing food for people the garden will feed animals too. Some
minibeasts lay their eggs on vegetable plants.
Bird table - a good place for birds to find food, as long as it is filled regularly and kept clean to prevent
disease.
Weeds - gardeners may not like them but many animals do, as a source of food.
Wildlife-unfriendly
Car park - not very safe or animal-friendly, either with or without cars.
Classroom - not a good place for wild animals, too busy, noisy and not a natural environment.
Minibeasts are not usually welcome.
Rubbish bins - left-over food may attract wild animals, but it is unsafe. Animals can be trapped and
injured by rubbish.
Buildings - such as sheds and school buildings.
Friendly or unfriendly?
Some areas of the school grounds can be both wildlife-friendly and unfriendly, for example:
Football pitch - not animal-friendly during football matches, but animals may live or find food in the
grass at quiet times. Goal nets are a hazard, birds or hedgehogs may get tangled in them if they are left
out.
Playground - some animals may visit to find food, especially after break times. A large open area is a
hazard for small animals if predators are around.
RSPCA LESSON PLAN created December 2013
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Worksheet – Wildlife-friendly places? (1)
Decide if these places are good for wild animals to go to. Group them under the following headings:
RSPCA LESSON PLAN created December 2013
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Worksheet – Wildlife-friendly places? (2)
Decide if these places are good for wild animals to go to. Group them under the following headings:
RSPCA LESSON PLAN created December 2013
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