Resource #V152172

Précis

This is a geography resource which engages students with the farming and working environment of Tapnell Farm Park. It includes pre-visit, on-site, and post-visit activities. This resource focuses mainly on the human geography of the farm, specifically focusing on farm diversification from dairy farming into leisure and tourism activities. Students will be investigating the range of facilities, attractions, and amenities that the farm has to offer during their visit. They will also consider some of the issues associated with the tourist and leisure developments, and how these are being managed, including Tapnell?s approach to sustainability and ?eco?/ethical tourism practices. The resource introduces the relevant geographical terms, and leads students through fully understanding what they mean. On their return to school, they then use guidance in the resource to produce a newspaper report to creatively summarise all that they have learnt.

Contextual Summary

This is a geography resource which engages students with the farming and working environment of Tapnell Farm Park. It includes pre-visit, on-site, and post-visit activities. This resource focuses mainly on the human geography of the farm, specifically focusing on farm diversification from dairy farming into leisure and tourism activities. Students will be investigating the range of facilities, attractions, and amenities that the farm has to offer during their visit. They will also consider some of the issues associated with the tourist and leisure developments, and how these are being managed, including Tapnell?s approach to sustainability and ?eco?/ethical tourism practices. The resource introduces the relevant geographical terms, and leads students through fully understanding what they mean. On their return to school, they then use guidance in the resource to produce a newspaper report to creatively summarise all that they have learnt.

Curriculum Relevance

Geography → Human and Physical Geography → Human Geography

Implementation

Before their visit to the Tapnell Farm Park, students will learn a little bit of background to the farm. There is an introduction on the worksheet that should be read carefully. Then, students will get to know the farm through using a range of different resources, including an OS map extract, GIS, photographs, and specific Isle of Wight tourism sites. They will find out where Tapnell Farm is located, what it was like before and during ?diversification, and what it is like now. Using all of these resources, students are required to complete the flow diagram in as much detail as they can. Targeted teacher assistance will help less able students with this. It may also be a good opportunity to outline and discuss all relevant geographical terminology so that students have a good understanding of these before their trip. All of this will prepare them fully for the activities that they will complete during their visit. Then, whilst on-site, students will carry out a range of varied and stimulating activities; their fieldwork and investigative skills will all be put to the test to really get ?under the skin? of the ?geography? around them. They will look at the tourism and leisure attractions and facilities and they will also consider the ?wider? geographical concepts of: potential conflicts and issues, the management strategies in place, and how Tapnell Farm Park is attempting to be sustainable and encourage eco-tourism. The differentiated worksheets offer more support to less able students by providing additional guidance and detail to get them started, while the higher ability worksheet allows more able students to be stretched and challenged through extension activities. It would be beneficial for the teacher(s) to have gone through these activities and, where possible, worked out the ?answers? so that students can be helped on the day if needed. Through the activities, there are also ?cross-over? opportunities with both a literacy and a numeracy focus to develop these vital skills alongside their geographical learning. On their return to school, there is guidance on the worksheet which guides them through creating a newspaper article based on what they have learnt about the farm. This can be delivered according to the wishes of the teacher(s).

Key Skills Practised

• Understanding key processes in human geography (farming and farm diversification into leisure and tourism, conflict/issues and management, and sustainability)
• Conducting fieldwork by making observations and applying their observations to specific tasks
• Carrying out both collaborative work with their peers and also working independently.

Learning Opportunities

Pre-Visit

Students will learn what diversification is, and some background detail as to how Tapnell Farm Park has diversified from dairy farming into leisure and tourism. They will learn a little bit of background about the farm, as it was before and during construction, and what it is like now.

On Site

Students will investigate first-hand the range of activities at the farm, consider the ?attraction? of these, potential conflicts and issues and how these are addressed/managed both for the enjoyment and safety of visitors and also for sustainability.

Post-Visit

Students use the guidance on the worksheet to produce a newspaper report based on all that they have learnt.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to define what the following key geographical terms mean: farm diversification, leisure and tourism, honeypot site, ethical tourism, ecotourism and sustainability. Students will know what facilities and attractions are located at Tapnell Farm Park, as an example of a farm that has diversified to generate new income streams. They will draw graphs using data supplied, and be able to describe how visitor/tourist numbers have grown since the farm diversified. Students will be able to discuss the ways in which these attractions create advantages, and potential disadvantages, for both visitors / leisure users. Students will be able to discuss the various ways in which Tapnell Farm Park is managing issues and attempting to be sustainable through energy/waste/environmental management, and eco (ethical) tourism. Students will produce a newspaper report based on all that they have learnt.