Sefari learning resources
A slightly different set of resources from our colleagues at SEFARI (the Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes) who are sharing educational activities and resources for teachers, parents and learners to use during the coronavirus pandemic.
SEFARI is committed to the use of research and knowledge to help us better understand the world around us. Science education underpins all our work – on the premise that learning is for everyone, and certainly not confined to the classroom.
The newly available resources are aimed at those who are homeschooling and the free online educational activities have been collated by a group of experts from across the six organisations which make up SEFARI. We are incredibly fortunate to have access to hundreds of experts (from across SEFARI and the wider Scottish Government Portfolio) on a variety of topics (e.g. agriculture, food, land, communities and the environment) who are passionate about education and enjoy creating fun resources that aid learning.
The activities and resources are suitable from primary school age up to seniors in secondary school and children can learn how to manage a forest, become diet detectives or try being a farmer!
Among the activities is the forest health game Caledon which enables players to discover the challenges of managing a forest and dealing with issues such as invasive diseases, grazing animals and illegal loggers. This was developed by colleagues from seven research institutes, including three SEFARI organisations – the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and the James Hutton Institute.
For those interested in what we eat and how mathematical modelling can aid better choices when shopping, the Number Muncher Diets activity – created by colleagues at Biomathematics Statistics Scotland (BioSS) and the Rowett Institute – helps users experiment with different (mathematically calculated) diets by varying nutritional, economic and environmental constraints.
Infectious diseases and how pathogens are transmitted is a very topical issue, and the Moredun Research Institute has developed a series of short animated films to highlight aspects of disease prevention and control.
We’ve made as many resources readily available as we can now and more will be coming shortly. We’d like to ensure ease of access to our resources in collaboration with users, so please do get in touch if with your feedback and suggestions.
For more information and the table of resources, visit: https://sefari.scot/document/online-education-resources-table @SEFARIscot or email: info@sefari.scot
