Chapter 1 – Structuring your visit
In order to ensure that the visit runs as smoothly as possible, it is important to be aware of a few things before the group arrives:
- What is the age range of the group?
- How many will be in the group?
- What type of school is it?
- What time will the group arrive?
- What topics does the school want covering?
- Are there any specific limitations in the group (allergies, fear of animals, physical limitations)?
Once you have all of this information, you should be able to plan the visit and the associated activities accordingly. Any activities should be planned according to seasonality and what can and can't be done at the time of the year that the visit is planned. You may also consider theming the visit around the organic cycle by tasking children with investigating processes such as crop rotations and fertilisation. Other themes might include livestock management or nature on the farm. Once you have decided upon the theme for the day. Once you have decided upon the theme, you can develop your plan for the day further. Do this by considering the following things:
- What activities will you be running on the day?
- What time and where will each activity be run?
- What resources will you need for each activity?
- What will be learnt by doing the activity (these are known as learning outcomes)?
- What will happen if there is bad weather? You may consider having a back up indoor activity just in case.