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This weeks activity before we headed outside to discover what area we would be using for 1 of our wild spaces was looking at the geographical landscape round about Fairlie and maps.
We looked at what a map is and what are different maps used for -
We discovered that maps have been around for millions of years and are very important?
o Maps tell you what is around you
o Maps were drawn by cave men drew on walls – they are a blueprint of our history
o The process of using our eyes and engaging our brains leaves us with memories and knowledge (something google maps and sat navs cant do!!)
o Maps show complicated information in an easy to see graphical form.
o Map skills help you learn spatial awareness skills – where things are in relation to other things.
o A map can save your life if out in the wilderness – your phone might not even get a signal

We looked at an Ordnance Survey Map (OS) of Fairlie and the surrounding area, it showed us 2 main types of features-

• Physical features – rivers, hills, beaches
• Human features– homes, shops, churches, roads

On the map we could see -
o Hilly landscapes. We can see steep hills, with narrow rivers, forests, villages and steep roads.
o Flat landscapes. We can see flat land, rivers, farms, towns and different roads.
o Coastal landscapes. We can see beaches, the sea and tourist towns.

We looked at different uses for land around Fairlie and identified lots of map symbols and played a game of 'Symbols Bingo'!!!

We then went outside with a clipboard and pen to take notes to draw a sketch map of the wildspace next to the school and mark things around it we might see on a map.

On our first week the group are working as a class and will go home with tasks and challenges set each week as families are not currently allowed into school.
The class chose the name 'The Fairlie Thistles' as this is what is on their school logo and lots of them can be found locally - better known as 'jaggies' here in Scotland.
We recapped on what we had been told about John Muir and the award and looked at our own personal responsibilities and then at the Scottish Outdoors Access Code - a set of rules to help keep us safe and protect the environment when we are outdoors.
We came up with some of our own rules in smaller groups - 'Don't scare animals, don't light fires in the forest and stay safe' .