School Microclimate Fieldwork | Where Should We Put a Bench?

Turn a school-ground decision into a geographical enquiry. Pupils compare microclimates, map observations and recommend a bench location using evidence and a clear limitation. This Year 7 / KS3 pack includes both first-hand investigation materials and a separate simulated practice activity.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
• 20 PowerPoint teaching slides with native teacher notes, plus a PDF of the same slides
• Four-page fieldwork booklet with planning, blank observation records, point mapping and recommendation prompts
• Two-page simulated practice with nine matched-time records, calculations and reasoning
• One-page fictional school plan with north and graphic scale
• One-page support sheet and one-page extension sheet
• 27-page teacher guide and complete answer key with preparation, worked examples, assessment criteria and safety/access prompts
LEARNING AND PRACTICE
Pupils consider shade, shelter, surfaces and intended use. They plan fair comparisons, record measurements consistently, calculate means and ranges, map evidence and justify a recommendation. Questions distinguish observations from possible explanations and ask what further evidence would improve a decision.
The field investigation has a 15-point rubric; simulated practice has 22 marks. There is no single compulsory bench location: the criteria reward evidence, trade-offs and appropriate uncertainty.
CLASSROOM USE
Allow two lessons or a double lesson plus analysis time. Teachers select suitable sites, equipment and observation intervals. Simulated data are clearly labelled and support rehearsal or postponed fieldwork; they do not count as pupils’ own observations. Schools remain responsible for safety, access, supervision and permissions.
GREAT FOR
England KS3 microclimates; local fieldwork; data handling; evidence-based recommendations; guided group work; and adult-supervised home education with an adapted local setting.
FORMAT
PowerPoint and printable PDFs. Graphic slide and pupil-page text is not separately editable; speaker notes are native. The PDF deck repeats the PowerPoint content. Pupil PDFs use A4 landscape pages.