INTRODUCTION
Being situated only two miles from Sheffield city centre and in an area with a large population and a number of schools, the woodlands of the Gleadless Valley are ideally placed to be a valuable environmental education resource for both primary and secondary pupils.

Although much of it is relatively steeply sloping and relatively lacking in diversity, Hang Bank Wood can nevertheless be a useful site for education work. More detailed information to support education work in the wood can be found in the Fuelling a Revolution education pack covering the Gleadless Valley's woodlands and open spaces. Details on how to obtain this can be found in the Schools section of this website.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES FROM THE SCHOOLS SECTION OF THIS WEBSITE
The Schools section of this website provides units of work covering a wide range of subject areas and Key Stages. Although all or most of these units would be suitable for use in Hang Bank Wood, some are particularly appropriate, and for this reason, direct links to these downloadable materials are provided below.

Education work in progress in the Gleadless Valley's woodlands

Key Stage 1 Geography- 'Our Local Wood'
The proximity of the Gleadless Valley's woodlands to local schools makes them particularly suitable for this unit which incorporates the wood into a walk around the locality of the school looking at different land uses.

Key Stage 2 Science -'Life Cycles'
The woodlands of the Gleadless Valley clearly demonstrate a range of tree life-stages, from germinating seeds to over-mature trees.

Key Stage 2 Geography- 'Pictures and Plans'
Because of its relatively recent development, the Gleadless Valley offers much potential for examining changes to an area over time. Access to an archive of old photographs of the area can be made available by contacting the Gleadless Valley Wildlife Group.

Key Stage 2 Geography - 'Do you come here often?'
Because of their urban setting, the woodlands, meadows and parks of the Gleadless Valley are extensively used for recreation (e.g. walking, motorcycling, dog walking and wildlife study) and so are particularly good for studying recreational use of urban open spaces. The effect of the woodlands and other open spaces on the character of the local area could be considered.

Key Stage 3 Science - 'Tree of Life'
The existence of areas dominated by one species (e.g. Oak, Beech or Sycamore) makes Hang Bank Wood a suitable resource for this unit considering one tree species and its associated flora and fauna.

Key Stage 3 Geography -'Woodlands in the World'
The extent to which the woodlands and other open spaces of the Gleadless Valley are under pressure from the large surrounding urban population could form a focus for study. The effect on the sites of undesirable uses such as tipping, motorbike riding, vandalism and the dumping of stolen cars could be considered as could the varying pressures on different woods and open spaces in the valley.

In addition, other useful resources from 'get, set … Grow', the South Yorkshire Forest schools' pack, can be downloaded from Downloadable Pupil and Teacher Resources for Key Stage 2 in the Schools section of this site.

The 'Tree File' CD ROM that accompanies the 'get, set … Grow' pack contains identification details and background information for all of the major tree and shrub species found in the wood including Birch, Elder, Hazel and Oak. For further information, go to the section on printed education materials in the Schools section of this website.