Eco in VR
Fragile ecosystems, visited rather than described.
About this workshop
Bring the wonders of the planet directly into your classroom and make global issues feel personal. A school trip to the Great Barrier Reef or the Amazon rainforest is hardly feasible - Virtual Reality is the next best thing.
The class travels together to ecosystems under pressure, sees what is changing and works out why it matters here as well as there. Our developers built the content specifically for primary pupils, so the message lands without frightening them.
A natural fit for Earth Day, World Environment Day and any school working towards an eco award.
How the session runs
What happens
- 01
Your Planet
The journey travels through space to Earth and drops into its richest habitats - rainforest and coral reef - on a planet that is seventy per cent water. The class then sees coral bleaching first hand, and what rising temperatures do to a reef.
- 02
Climate Change
Pupils meet the causes: greenhouse gases, fossil fuels and deforestation, and the carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat. They trace it back to everyday things - energy, transport, fashion, food and plastic.
- 03
Solutions
The focus turns to what a child can actually change. The class looks at switching things off, renewable power, walking and cycling, reusable bags, clothes that last, and eating less meat.
- 04
Virtual museum
The session closes in the museum, where pupils go back over what they have seen and dig further into the issues that caught them.
What pupils will learn
The science they take away
Every session has been built around your curriculum objectives.
- 01What an ecosystem is and how its parts depend on each other
- 02How habitats differ between rainforest, reef and their own locality
- 03What biodiversity means, seen rather than defined
- 04How human activity changes a habitat, for better and worse
- 05Why coral bleaches and what that indicates
- 06That local action connects to global outcomes
Curriculum links
What this covers in the National Curriculum
Science - Living things and their habitats
- Explain what is meant by climate change and understand that human activities are contributing to a warming planet.
- Identify the main causes of climate change, including greenhouse gases, burning fossil fuels, transport, agriculture and deforestation.
- Explain what greenhouse gases are and how they contribute to warming the atmosphere.
- Understand how climate change affects habitats and ecosystems, including coral reefs and coastal environments.
- Identify renewable sources of energy and understand how they reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
- Suggest practical ways that individuals can reduce their impact through energy, transport, plastic and food choices.
In your school
You cannot take a class to the reef, so we bring the reef to the class.
Logistics
What we bring, what you need
We bring
- A fully networked class set of VR headsets
- Our own eco content, written for the primary curriculum
- A DBS-checked facilitator to lead every session
- Cleaning and hygiene kit used between every class
You provide
- A school hall or a large, clear indoor space
- A parking space close by to unload equipment
- A member of school staff present in each session
Questions schools ask
Before you book
- Is it upsetting for younger pupils?
- No. The content is honest but ends on what can be done, which is where we spend the last part of every session.
- Can it support our eco award evidence?
- Yes - schools regularly use the session and the follow-up activities as evidence.
- Do we need wifi?
- No. The headsets run on our own network.
- Can it be combined with another workshop?
- Yes. Many schools pair it with Ocean Life in VR across a whole-school day.
Feedback from schools
What schools said
Five-star Google reviews of Education Group, who deliver our workshops. Reviews naming this workshop come first.
Our school loved their habitats VR experience. The instructor was lovely and kept children engaged and calm. Would 100% book again!
Fantastic! Our Year 5 children absolutely loved this. The VR headsets were amazing and the instructor was very well informed and engaging. We will definitely book for next year!
Amazing science experience for all ages! Nursery loved this, all the way to year 6 (and the teachers viewing too!). Really memorable and fun for science week!
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