Seashore Science

Animals, Biodiversity & Habitats, Climate Science, Energy, Evolution & Inheritance, Forces, Light, Plants, Properties & Uses of Materials, Rocks, Fossils and Soils, Seasonal Change, Sound, States of Matter

Enrichment, Outdoor Learning, Practical Science, Science Enquiry, SEN(D) / Additional Support needs, STEM, Topical Science

3-5, 5-7, 7-9, 9-12

Seashore Science is a ‘pick up and go’ set of 15 lessons to carry out at the beach, all with minimal requirements for equipment and preparation. The lessons cover substantive concepts relating to the biological, chemical and physical sciences, and they all offer opportunities to develop disciplinary knowledge and to learn and apply skills of working scientifically. The lessons are highly adaptable so they can be used with any primary age, and in a variety of coastal locations and types of shoreline.

Each Seashore Science lesson contains:

Expected learning outcomes for children’s conceptual development as well as skills of working scientifically that the children might learn and apply
Key vocabulary
Pre-visit checklist – what to do before you go to the beach
At the beach – a step-by-step list of suggestions about what to do
Key questions to support children’s thinking and explaining
Ideas for extending learning back in the classroom
Suggestions for further resources related to the lesson
Background science explanations to support teachers
Links to UK science curricula

Why use Seashore Science?

Outdoor learning offers numerous benefits for children’s physical health and mental well-being. A sensory-rich outdoor environment can stimulate cognitive development and foster creativity, as well as encourage curiosity and develop problem-solving skills. Learning science at the beach offers all these benefits of outdoor learning as well as specific opportunities to encourage awareness of environmental issues such as plastic pollution and global warming. Exploring the impact that these have on marine and seashore ecosystems will help to cultivate a greater environmental awareness and a sense of stewardship, giving children a lifelong appreciation for the world around us.

Take a closer look at some sample pages.