Topics on mountains provide great opportunities to get pupils learning outside the classroom. But a trip to the Andes is costly so why not bring the mountain to them?
Use two 50-metre climbing ropes and lay them across the school field. Set up a series of physical team activities - these can be anything that involves working together - leave signs with base camp, second base camp and so on, giving the idea of climbing a mountain. Split pupils into teams and talk about working as a team.
Make sure that when they are walking along the rope they always hold it in two hands. Get them to form a circle each time they get to a base. Along the way, stop and talk about what the weather conditions and climate may be like.
This lesson stimulated questions about mountains and provided a good level of physical activity without the cost or long plane journey.
Martin Van Hecke is a Year 6 teacher at Higher Lane Primary School in Bury, Manchester.
