#660: Field Guides

The Linnean Society has shared a good collection of field guides to help you identify species.

These are going to be useful for those beginning to upskill themselves in such skills ahead of potentially teaching some of the proposed habitats in the subject content which is out for consultation until early September 2026

#548: Remote and face to face - the support we'll need

When the specification is (finally) released, along with SAMs and other support materials and guidance there will be a year or so to prepare teachers to teach the new specification. 

This will require them to upskill themselves (and I include myself in that).

Official and 'unofficial' support and textbooks and other material will start to appear, and the various organisations who have been involved so far will no doubt have their own idea.

There are already some organisations offering free online training - here are a few examples from November 2023 for example, from different organisations... they will of course be offering many more in the years to come...

On 16th Nov at 1:45pm, tune into our next STEM Live lesson, 'How to Classify a Sea Monster', brought to you by @LinneanSociety.

Here you'll learn how to study life in the wild, name living organisms and even draw imaginary creatures!

Sign up here: https://t.co/QgnSkAKaDv pic.twitter.com/5wqw1qw48q

— STEMLiveLessons (@STEMLiveLessons) October 24, 2023

Ever wondered what life is like on a historic estate? Join us @unisouthampton to hear from the team at Beaulieu Estate.

📍Southampton, 8 November 👉 https://t.co/W5TjyAusuK pic.twitter.com/GV4iIph7tI

— Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) (@RGS_IBG) October 26, 2023

What do you think will be the most useful types of support that teachers and schools that decide to offer the new specification will need to be provided with - whether by the awarding body or external bodies including publishers, subject associations, charities etc.

#232: What makes a good bird name?

An interesting piece on bird-naming (and the field of ethno-ornithology.

This was written by Andrew Gosler, a Professor at the University of Oxford.

It explores the decision by the American Ornithological Society, which recently announced it would replace all bird species named after people in North America. This is part of the idea of decolonising nature. The article talks about the process by which birds gain their name, and some of the other local vernacular variations which they also acquire. 

Very few British bird species are actually named after people.

#69: Linnean Learning

Linnean Learning is a website and Twitter account which shares resources created by the Linnean Society.

Their three Linnaeus-inspired values are:

1. Going outside and exploring in nature makes us happy and healthy
2. Our understanding of the natural world requires recording and sharing
3. Learning about life on Earth is vital to sustaining its future

They have both Primary and Secondary sections.

There is a selection of animated videos which some will find helpful when putting together a library of YouTube clips, particularly useful for homework tasks, or prior viewing ahead of a lesson where a new idea is going to be introduced.

This resource is listed in a directory of resources which are being prepared as part of the suite of unofficial resources that I am currently working on in anticipation of the release of the specification at some point.

What other websites do you think might form part of such a resource?

#57: Fabulous Fungi Learning

A resource shared on the Linnean Society website.

Fabulous Fungi explores the hidden strands that connect fungi together beneath the ground. 

Fungi play a vital role in nutrient cycling in woodlands and would certainly form part of the investigations which students would be asked to complete when exploring UK woodlands, which are likely to be used for fieldwork by many schools. 

Identifying some fungi might also form part of the specification as well.

Check out the full set of activities and notes for teachers on the Great Science Share for Schools website.

There are separate activities for:Key Stage 1 (age 5-7)
Key stage 2 (age 7-11)
Key stage 3 (age 11-14)

Each enquiry provides teachers notes, teaching slides, a supporting video and links to resources guiding pupils to work scientifically and find out more about Carl Linnaeus.

Here is one of the videos:

Image: Mushroom, Litcham Common, shared under CC license

The main organisation here is the British Mycological Society.

They have a Mycokids section, which is perhaps aimed at slightly younger children than GCSE age.

#53: Natural History Reading List #2: A Natural History of Selborne

Updated November 15th 2023

"Gilbert White’s book, more than any other, has shaped our everyday view of the relations between humans and nature."

Richard Mabey, Naturalist & biographer of Gilbert White

Gilbert White's book is a landmark text which students of the GCSE in Natural History are likely to be introduced to in some way. It was a great inspiration for other writers who are at the heart of natural history as well, including Charles Darwin.

His house is open as a museum.

Gilbert White was the curate of the Parish of Selborne in Hampshire and lived there for 40 years. He started his work with his Garden Kalendar in 1751. He and his brother cut a path, called the Zigzag, into the hill behind the house where Gilbert lived, leading up onto the Common.

White is widely regarded as the father of ecology, and is a globally significant natural scientist. He was responsible for a number of major discoveries in the world of natural history

White is famous because of his method. 

In an age without cameras and tape recorders he correctly identified the willow wrens as separate species by their songs and by minute differences in their plumage. He did this through observation, what he called ‘observing narrowly’, and then carefully recording what he saw. 

Whereas other natural historians of the 18th century received information from all over the country, White closely observed nature in one patch of country, as modern natural historians do. He would receive specimens from local boys, or from his brother John, which he would examine. His scientific fame rests on his minute observation of all nature in his garden, on his walks and his rides in the countryside.

Some text amended from the museum website.

Simon Barnes, in The Times 1st June 2013 wrote: 

‘The book is about taking small things and understanding their place across the immensities of space and time. He was able to take a small localised matter and see its eternal significance. He saw his little chunk of Hampshire as a single living entity".

The book takes the form of a seriesof letters to Thomas Pennant and Daines Barrington, and was published in 1789 near the end of his life. 

Gilbert White also referred to the "rude magnificence" of nature.

Updated July 28th 2023

A nice piece in 'The Guardian' explored more of Gilbert White's legacy and how some the 'rude magnificence' has been restored.

It also gave me an idea to put together a GCSE Natural History Quiz as part of the resources that we will be creating around the specification.

One question would be to name Gilbert White's pet tortoise.

The article also goes into the skill of "watching narrowly" and the conservation work being carried out on the estate.

The book has never been out of print since publication.

The Linnean Society offered a session in November 2023, and a link to watch the YouTube recording was provided...

#36: Maria Sybilla Merian

Today, we know that insects have different stages of life. 

For instance, caterpillars turn into butterflies. 

In Maria Merian's time, people thought these two creatures were actually different insect species. 

Here's a video on her life and achievements made by the Royal Society. 

One would hope that there is appropriate representation of women and people from minority groups amongst the names of people that are included and named in the specification - we don't want it to be just old white men such as Darwin, von Humboldt and Linnaeus.

Maria was the first person to work out that these were actually the same insect in different stages of its life.

She was the subject of a Google Doodle which was shown in April 2013 on the occasion of her 366th birthday.

This is a rather lovely design. See the separate post on other Google Doodles on the blog, with a suggested activity linked to the proposed curriculum which is a creative task.

The Google Doodle archive can be viewed here. There is some wonderful work here.

Here's a Linnean Society video as well:

#34: Linnean Society and Carl Linnaeus

There will be a list of people whose work students should be introduced to during their studies in Natural History. The specification will no doubt include a list of these prominent people and we will also suggest one here on the blog and in the resources that emerge for teachers using the new specification.

Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) is one of the people who will appear on the list.

He is the father of modern taxonomy: a system for classifying organisms.

This New Scientist profile is a useful summary of his life and work, and the importance of taxonomy for biologists.

The Systema Naturae is another name for this.

The Linnean Society is based at Burlington House - to the left as you head towards the Royal Academy through the arch off Picadilly.

I last visited in 2019, just ahead of the lockdowns.

The Linnean Society of London is the world’s oldest active society devoted to natural history. Founded in 1788 by Sir James Edward Smith (1759–1828), who was its first President, the Society takes its name from the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) whose botanical, zoological and library collections have been in their keeping since 1829. 

As the Society's website says:

These unique collections are of continuing fundamental importance as a primary reference for naming of plants and animals. They are enhanced by the Society's own rich library which provides key resources for scientific and cultural research.

Our vision is a world where nature is understood, valued and protected. To do this we aim to inform, involve and inspire people about nature and its significance through our collections, events and publications. Thanks to the wide ranging expertise of our Fellowship and our unique collections, we are a hub for science communication through interdisciplinary learning and engagement.

The Society encourages the debate and discussion of natural history including taxonomy, evolutionary biology and ecology. We strongly support all efforts to address some of the most urgent issues facing the natural world, such as climate change and biodiversity loss. We also support the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We aspire to inspire by bringing together diverse communities and increasing engagement with scientists, historians, artists and all those interested in nature.

#12: GCSE Natural History Supporters

GCSE Natural History Supporters are shown here, taken from the original list. 

An image is also shown below. This is taken from the OCR Hub.

This list may well change as time passes and the specification goes through development with additional organisations being added to the list as they get involved. One would expect some to get involved in the creation of learning resources, whether through their own Education team or by sponsoring the creation of branded material. 

Some of this work may go out to tender and be available for teachers and other organisations to get involved with.

This image is taken from the OCR Hub and the original documentation that was released when the specification was given the approval.

Since then of course, we have cycled through quite a few more Education Secretaries and there has been additional pressure placed on the UK's natural resources.

These are the organisations that could see some benefit of being involved in the new qualification, and who will perhaps be involved in supporting its development in various ways, or think that there would be advantages to young people gaining the knowledge and skills that the new qualification could potentially provide for young people. This could mean a pool of people to draw from to recruit for their future work, and also be advocates for the causes they are leading on.

Representatives have also provided some thoughts in essays here.

They include the Linnean Society - an organisation I will blog about separately - along with many of the names on the list - and also one of the Geographical Association's Strategic Partners: the Field Studies Council.

Some other key names on the list are shown below.

Each of these will be returned to in separate posts.

LEAF Education

RHS: Royal Horticultural Society - they have been involved in a number of education projects

Ocean Conservation Trust - includes some serious work on seagrass meadows which are an important habitat and carbon sink - students are likely to explore the oceans as well as the land

Whole Education

Natural History Museum - there will be a separate post on this location - a perfect field visit for those who can get there

Eden Project - another excellent place to visit, but very remote from most locations in the UK

NBN: National Biodiversity Network

This is a useful website which has some detailed biodiversity data for the UK.

BBC - clearly a large collection of resources.

The Urban Birder - David Lindo

A useful person to follow.

Cambridge Zero

Oxford Museum of Natural History

A splendid place to visit.

Country Trust

NAEE

Ashomolean Museum, Oxford

British Society of Soil Science

Marine Conservation Trust

#10: The Special Species game

The Special Species game is on the Linnean Society website.

It is a fun introduction to the idea of taxonomy and the different elements of the latin names of species and what they mean. 

Mix up some elements of species' names to create your own strange new species of animal and then design what you think it might look like. A useful little activity to introduce the idea of taxonomy, and how plants and animals get their 'proper' names. Knowing these proper names for key species was part of the original idea behind the new specification, with a feeling that young people no longer had that knowledge, and its acquisition was missing from the curriculum.

Combine the various stems and segments of words to produce new animals which match that taxonomic description.

Taxonomy is the science of naming, describing and classifying organisms and includes all plants, animals and microorganisms of the world. Using morphological, behavioural, genetic and biochemical observations, taxonomists identify, describe and arrange species into classifications, including those that are new to science.

The "father of taxonomy" was Carl (Carolus) Linnaeus. His will be a name which will emerge at numerous times during the development of materials.

#9: Natural History Podcasts #1 - The Linnean Society

Podcasts are a good way to increase your knowledge, and also pass the time when commuting to or from work or school.

The Linnean Society has created a number of podcasts, some of which are on a Natural History theme which would make them potentially useful resources.

There are now over 50 podcasts at the time of writing.

Check their Soundcloud account for more of the podcasts.

I shall be flagging up podcasts on the blog as they are an excellent additional source of up to date information and research on a range of topics.

#8: Alfred Russel Wallace - born 200 years ago today

It is likely that the new qualification will reference particular people who are significant in the field of Natural History... these could be biologists or from related sciences. It remains to be seen which people are referenced in the final draft specification and what students might be expected to know about them and their work. One imagines that Alfred Russel Wallace may get a mention.

"...there is no more admirable character in the history of science." 

Sir David Attenborough, 2013

2023 is the bicentenary of the birth of Alfred Russel Wallace.

He was born 200 years ago today.

He is described as a naturalist, explorer, geographer and anthropologist, but also drew maps and carried out biological investigations and species gathering on a range of expeditions. He was also an ornithologist.

He developed similar ideas to those of Charles Darwin at the same time in the area of evolution (known back then as transmutation).

The main website linked to above provides a wealth of information on him.

He was especially known for his studies of its zoogeography, including his discovery and description of the faunal discontinuity that now bears his name. The "Wallace Line," extends between the islands of Bali and Lombok and Borneo and Sulawesi, and marks the limits of eastern extent of many Asian animal species and, conversely, the limits of western extent of many Australasian animals.

He received the RGS-IBG's Founder's Medal.

The theory of evolution by natural selection was first proposed by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in the scientific paper below (the part Wallace authored is known as his 'Ternate Essay'). It is probably the most important scientific paper in the history of biology and it was read at a meeting of the Linnean Society of London on July 1st 1858, before being published on the 20th August of that year in the Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society: Zoology.

Source: https://wallacefund.myspecies.info/content/1858-darwin-wallace-paper