Eco in VR
Fragile ecosystems, visited rather than described.
- Key stages
- KS1 - KS2
- Session length
- 45 - 60 minutes
- Group size
- One class at a time
- Formats
- Up to 6 sessions a day
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 in the 45 minutes
- 01
Your Planet
The journey travels through space to Earth, looking at habitats with high biodiversity such as rainforests and coral reefs, and at the fact that around 70% of Earth is covered by water. Afterwards the class recaps climate change as long-term changes in global temperatures and weather patterns, and looks at coral bleaching - what happens when high ocean temperatures cause corals to lose their colourful algae. Reefs can recover, but severe or repeated bleaching can cause lasting damage. Continued warming melts land-based ice, raising sea levels and threatening coastal areas.
- 02
Climate Change
The main causes of climate change are introduced, including greenhouse gases, fossil fuels and deforestation, and gases such as carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat in the atmosphere. The class recaps the key causes explored in the film - energy production, fashion and shopping, transport and holidays, plastic, and agriculture. Coal, oil and natural gas are fossil fuels formed over millions of years that release carbon dioxide when burned, transporting products and packaging creates emissions and waste, and plastic can remain in the environment for a long time, breaking down into microplastics and entering food webs.
- 03
Solutions
The focus turns to practical ways pupils can reduce their environmental impact. The class discusses everyday energy use, including heating, lighting and electronic devices, and switching equipment off when it is not needed. Renewable sources such as wind, solar and tidal power can reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and walking, cycling and public transport lower the cost of travel. Pupils look at reducing plastic waste with reusable bags and less packaging, buying second-hand or higher-quality clothes that last longer, and how reducing meat consumption reduces the land needed for livestock and helps ease pressure on forests.
- 04
Virtual museum
The session closes in the museum, where pupils consolidate what they have learned and explore environmental issues in greater detail.
What pupils will learn
The science they take away
Every session is built backwards from the curriculum objectives your teachers are already working to.
- 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 / Environmental science
- Understand that Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old and has the conditions necessary to support life.
- Recognise that Earth contains a wide variety of habitats, plants and animals, with most life found in the oceans.
- Explain what is meant by climate change and understand that human activities are contributing to a warming planet.
- Identify some of the main causes of climate change, including greenhouse gases, burning fossil fuels, transport, energy production, agriculture and deforestation.
- Explain what greenhouse gases are and how they contribute to warming the atmosphere.
- Identify the main fossil fuels, including coal, oil and gas.
- Understand how climate change can affect habitats and ecosystems, including coral reefs and coastal environments.
- Explain what coral bleaching is and understand that coral reefs may recover when environmental conditions improve.
- Understand how rising sea levels can affect low-lying islands and coastal communities.
- Recognise some of the environmental problems associated with plastic, including pollution, microplastics and harm to animals.
- Identify renewable sources of energy and understand how they can reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
- Suggest practical ways that individuals can reduce their use of energy and plastic.
- Understand how choices around transport, clothing, shopping and food can affect the environment.
- Understand how reducing meat consumption can help reduce pressure on forests and contribute to reducing deforestation.
- Understand the importance of biodiversity and recognise the role of trees and keystone species within ecosystems.
- Use information from the virtual museum to investigate climate change, environmental solutions and ways of protecting nature.
- Develop scientific questioning, observation and recall skills by predicting answers before viewing each film and reviewing them afterwards.
Key vocabulary
The words pupils will use
These are the scientific terms our facilitator uses during the session, so you can introduce them beforehand or pick them up again in follow-up lessons.
- Climate change
- global warming
- greenhouse gas
- carbon dioxide
- methane
- fossil fuel
- coal
- oil
- natural gas
- renewable energy
- solar energy
- wind energy
- tidal energy
- pollution
- plastic
- microplastics
- deforestation
- biodiversity
- ecosystem
- habitat
- coral reef
- coral bleaching
- sea level
- conservation
- sustainability
- keystone species
- environment
- agriculture
- carbon emissions
- renewable
- recycling
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.
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