Teaching Resources

The peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland are an amazing resource for learning opportunities. There are some very good generic peatland resources available on line and we have listed some of the links below. 

From life cycles and food chains to sensory exploration to understanding a key landscape in Scotland you can find lots of inspiration for the curriculum in the Flow Country. 

For an excellent introduction to The Flow Country you could start with the video. There is also a virtual tour of the Flow Country where your students are introduced to the the different flora and fauna in the classroom before having a real experience out in the peatlands. 

If you enrol in the RSPB's Wild Challenge you will find lots of resources and lesson ideas for outdoor learning, which you could do in your school grounds with support from RSPB Forsinard or book a visit to our reserve! The challenge is aimed at 4 - 12 year olds. 

Our website pages are a good source of background information for example, our 'Flows Facts' pages are an excellent introduction to the flora and fauna of the peatlands. 

If you wanted to do a global topic using map skills you could investigate peatlands around the world 

Flows Resources:

This section is currently being updates with tailored resources for each level of learning. 

Flow country Colour Match Cards These cards feature colours of the Flow Country and  can be cut out and laminated to provide a long lasting resource

Flow Country Animal Pairs Game Use this game to put children into pairs. They act like the Flow Country animal in the picture. It would be a good plan to go through each animal before the game so children know how they might act! 

Hen Harrier Flapper This is a quick and easy resource that you can use to make hen harriers. 

Flow Country Scavenger hunt Use your sensory powers to find all the different colours, textures and smells in the the Flow Country 

Flow Country Bingo Summer A super spotter sheet for the Dubh-lochain Trail

Flow Country wordsearch Test your knowledge of the Flow Country by searching for all the different plants and animals

Flow Country Dragonfly - Instructions on how to make one. 

Colouring sheet Full of different plants and animals

Golden Plover Colouring Sheet

Sundew Colouring sheet

Common Lizard Colouring sheet

Educational Links and Resources

Why not try out some of the suggestions for peatland projects in this excellent teacher resource from Scottish Natural Heritage called Wet, Wild and Wonderful -  resources for teachers and students to discover the wonders of peat bogs. It contains fact sheets and activity sheets to use in class.

RSPB's Wild challenge  - It's FREE and there's no paperwork, all you have to do is register and start earning awards! Our activities can be easily linked to the Wild Challenge

RSPB's Big Schools Birdwatch - Takes place throughout January and February - sign up  and receive your free pack 

There are also lots of RSPB resources on the TES website 

If you are planning an excursion to the peatlands of the Flow Country, you can take a look at the Schools out - Peatlands - Fieldwork made easy resource and find the best place for your field trip with the Schools out - Site guide for Caithness! We have some hard copies of these available if you would like one (LIMITED TIME ONLY!) 

Scottish Natural Heritage has an useful resource for peatlands education with further links (see Section 4 - Resource Guide):

Peatlands: A Guide to Educational Activities for Schools (2014) 

For secondary school students, the UK’s National Parks have created a learning programme called More than Just a Bog

 The Irish Peatland Conservation Council publish Bogs in the Classroom, a collection of activity ideas and other resources

Further Links and Resources

Moors for the Future, based in the Peak District and South Pennines, have excellent UK uplands learning materials

An excellent resource for developing an awareness of our place on this planet and learn about the life of John Muir:

https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/learning-and-resources/john-muir-earth-planet-universe

Develop your mapping skills with this resource from Ordnance Survey:

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/