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Aim: Over the past four days, our goal has been contributing to the Big Butterfly Count. This nationwide survey aims to ‘assess the health of our environment simply by counting the amount and type of butterflies’. Equipment: The only two pieces of equipment we required were a method of telling time and the Big Butterfly … Read more
Last December, I wrote a story called The Rhyming Heroes of Antarctica (click here to see). Today, I have rewritten it as a narrative poem: a poem that tells a story. Enjoy! Fangs of stone across the desert,Ghosts of majestic towers of ice,Skeletons of mysterious beasts,Song of fear riding harsh winds: ‘Antarctica is shrinking,Ice is … Read more
‘Rats with brains. Rats who can think. Rats who don’t turn and run. Rats who aren’t afraid of dark or fire or noises or traps or poison.’ A Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents takes the idea of the Pied Piper of Hamelin and flips it on its head. … Read more
Five Limbs, Five Facts: Red howler monkeys live across South America in rainforests, deciduous woodlands and mangrove swamps. These New World monkeys (monkeys that live in North and South America) live for around 18 years. Unlike humans, red howlers frown when happy and smile when upset. Like some other monkeys, red howlers have a prehensile … Read more
The only children’s book by Robert Browning, The Pied Piper of Hamelin is illustrated by Kate Greenaway. Compared to the tale’s original recording, Browning’s narrative poem was written fairly recently: the legend first appeared in a church window around 1300 AD and this version of the story was written in 1842. The Pied Piper of … Read more
General Facts: Red kites, Milvus milvus, can be found in woodland, grassland and heathland. Despite being apex predators and being at the top of the food chain, red kites feed on scavenged carrion, invertebrates and small mammals. While buzzards have a wingspan of 109-140cm, red kites have a wingspan of around 185cm. They also weigh … Read more
‘The next moment the big motor cruiser was round the bend, bearing down on them, towering above them…’ The fifth in the Swallows and Amazons series, Coot Club is by Arthur Ransome. This book includes sailing terms but provides definitions. Coot Club also includes two maps: one for the Northern rivers of the Norfolk Broads … Read more
Are you looking for a new hobby? You should try fictional reading. If you want a good way to relax, reading is perfect. A story can transport your mind to a different world, where your worries vanish. You don’t have to, but I find reading even more relaxing with classical music on in the background. … Read more
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is easily my favourite film. This if the fourth film based on the seven-book series by J.K. Rowling. One feature of this film I enjoyed was the powerful character of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, two schools for witches and wizards. Beauxbatons have a graceful personality, arriving at Hogwarts in … Read more
Yesterday, we went on a walk that guided us through southern Clumber. Our starting point was the grand clocktower that was equipped with golden hands and Roman numerals. This tower was directly above an archway, adding to its majesty. From here, we followed the lake towards Clumber Bridge, passing the stone Clumber Grotto and brick … Read more