Fieldwork projects for Key stage 3 and 4

Below are teaching resources for research studies that have previously been used at Bawdsey. They can easily be adapted for different age groups or just used for inspiration for your own studies. Also look at the activities for KS2 as you may be able to adapt some of the ideas for older students e.g. pond dipping or invertebrate surveys.

Beach Survey Project: studying longshore drift

There is access to the north end of the beach from a gate on the Bawdsey site. This will take you to a section of the beach with natural cliffs. This provides an opportunity to look at cliff vegetation and erosion. This section has some very old groynes which are no longer functioning. Further south the beach is much wider and it ends in a spit at the mouth of the River Deben. In this section the groynes are buried but there is no natural cliff. It is up to you which section you would prefer to survey, you could do both south and north sections to look at how the beach shape changes, this will reveal long shore drift operating from north to south.

Coastal defences project

Felixstowe is a short ferry trip or mini-bus ride away from Bawdsey Manor and it is an ideal location for studying a variety of coastal defence schemes. (check that the ferry is running and prices before planning this activity by calling Deben ferry on 01394 282173 or 07709 411511).

Maths trail in the Italian garden

The geometric design of this garden (linked to the secret garden) offer lots of opportunity to measure and to plan scale diagrams back in the classroom. (maths trail KS3 - PDF )

Tree survey

Bawdsey is such a large site that students can practice their mapping techniques and survey skills. This is a simple exercise where student groups are given a plot on the Bawdsey site to survey the trees (Tree survey KS4 - PDF)