About Tirlun

Introduction

Tirlun is a portal to a wide range of learning experiences that aim to embed outdoor learning and learning about the outdoors, in a variety of forms. All have elements of working outside and bringing the outdoors back into the classroom.

 

 

How to get the best from this resource 

The learning experiences, co-produced with teachers, are designed to be used flexibly and should be adapted to enhance your learners’ journeys to fulfil the four purposes. They can give opportunities to: 

  • support designing, planning and implementing your inclusive pedagogically appropriate curriculum 
  • support effective teaching and learning  
  • focus on why learning matters and support meaningful progression 
  • provide engaging experiences in effective environments 
  • develop learners’ cross-curricular skills (literacy, numeracy, digital competence) in authentic and purposeful contexts 
  • hone learners’ integral skills (creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem-solving, personal effectiveness, planning and organising)  
  • support mental health and well-being. 

 

In line with Curriculum for Wales this resource offers you the agency to choose specific experiences that support your learners needs, and recognises that with different learners those needs will change.

 

All the learning experiences are cross-curricular in nature, involving multiple Areas. They have been developed for learners working within progression steps 3 and 4.  

 

The experiences have been sub-divided into two areas. Firstly, there are those that are designed to be used in school and the local area – the Key Activities. Then, there are activities designed to take learners from their school and local area into the Designated landscapes of Wales. 

 

The activities should be used according to your learners’ needs. Although developed as progressive, from Task 1 to Task 2, etc., teachers should make decisions as to where to begin. For example, your learners may already understand the concept of pollution (as in What is pollution?) and need a better understanding of waste and light pollution. Therefore, you could start from Task 4 - How can we solve global pollution problems?. This resource provides you with the agency to decide your approach to best meet your learners’ needs. 

 

In addition, your learners might need to develop specific skills, e.g. using scales on maps because they have been learning about their locality. You might want to extend the use of this skill by developing supplementary materials, as in the Case study What is pollution?, where learners made their own scaled plans of the school and evaluated others’ plans. 

 

Activities can be adapted to ensure a better focus on your local area and cynefin. For example, the Case study, What trail can we develop?, exemplifies one school’s approach to adapting a Key Activity to use within the local area with a focus on electric scooters, which have become a key part of the school’s ambition for more Active Travel. The school developed trails around St. David’s, produced leaflets and posters, all of which were housed in a local library. People were asked to try the trails and give feedback, which was implemented to improve the leaflets and trails themselves.  

 

The Case study, How do we use energy?, shows how a school embarked on an exploration of energy and forces. They followed the outline of the activity, using the suggested focus questions but then extended them to align with local interests and developments. Learners engaged in a thought-provoking debate on a local solar farm proposal, which provided valuable opportunity to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of such a development locally.   

 

Each activity has Useful links, giving a range of websites and links, and Support materials, giving approaches that could be used to enhance the learning experience. 

 

 

How best to use the Coverage charts  

Prior to selection, viewing the coverage chart for each activity should enable a better understanding of the range of opportunities learners may have to access the Statements of what matters (SoWMs). However, your learners could have opportunities to access other Areas and SoWMs, especially when elements of each activity are used flexibly or adapted for their particular needs and interests.

 

The Coverage charts for each set of activities can be accessed from: 

 

 

Collaborative pedagogy

The activities aim to stimulate learners’ curiosity, so that they will be more engaged and therefore better motivated to succeed. The experiences are centred around suggested tasks with optional focus questions, which, if used, provide a basis for you to adapt and extend to more Socratic questioning, depending on learners’ needs and interests. 

 

As effective collaboration is key to developing higher-order thinking, the activities give opportunities for pairs or small groups of learners to work together to discuss questions, develop their own ideas and personalise their learning.  

 

The Case study, Explorers and Expeditions, shows how learners worked collaboratively, adding their own tasks depending on their interests to create a whole-term theme inspired by the resource. For example, considering Sir Henry Morton Stanley’s expedition in Africa, and the barriers he faced crossing rivers in the Congo learners decided to design and build their own bridges. Bringing in local explorers and a personal trainer made the activity bespoke to the learners and gave them further opportunities to develop quality questions. 

 

 

Acknowledgments 

We would like to thank the following for their valuable contribution and time: 

 

Designated landscapes: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Anglesey National Landscape, Bannau Brycheiniog National Landscape, Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape, Eryri National Park, Gower National Landscape, Llŷn National Landscape, Wye Valley National Landscape. 

 

Schools: Bishopston Primary School, Brecon High School, Coastlands Community Primary School, Durand Primary School, Gowerton Comprehensive School, Johnston Community Primary School, Kymin View Primary School, Lamphey Primary School, Llanfoist Primary School, Llanrhidian Primary School, Maes y Cwmmer Primary School, Maes y Dderwen Primary School, Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School, Milford Haven School, Neyland Community Primary School, Penllegaer Primary School, Reynoldston Primary School, Rogiet Primary School, St David’s Comprehensive School, St Mary's Catholic Primary School, St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School, Ysgol Bethel, Ysgol Bro Famau, Ysgol Bro Ingli, Ysgol Brynsiencyn, Ysgol Caer Drewyn, Ysgol Caer Elen, Ysgol Carrog, Ysgol Glannau Gwaun, Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni, Ysgol Harri Tudur, Ysgol Llanbedrog, Ysgol Llanllechid, Ysgol Llangybi, Ysgol Llanystumdwy, Ysgol Penrhys Dewi, Ysgol Pont y Gof, Ysgol Rhoscolyn, Ysgol Santes Gwenfaen, Ysgol Tryfan, Ysgol y Deri, Ysgol Yr Eifl, Ysgol Y Ffridd.