About:

BIFoR Education is a free online learning platform for schools that contains everything you need to bring the Birmingham Institute for Forest Research (BIFoR) to a classroom near you! An expanding set of engaging, curriculum linked activities have been developed to support pupils in KS3, 4 and 5. Your pupils will join a growing community of citizen scientists who are exploring a wide range of topics linked to the impact of climate change on the structure and function of forest ecosystems.

Discover:

Curriculum Linked Resources for Classroom Teachers

Follow the link to discover all our activities covering core concepts across KS3, 4 and 5. Your learners can now take a walk among time-travelling trees, explore links between carbon and water cycles, monitor fungal pathogens and engineer their own flux towers (using spaghetti and marshmallows!) without leaving their classrooms. By placing a spotlight on the people behind BIFoR, careers profiles also help to raise aspirations.

Virtual BIFoR

BIFoR is home to the BIFoR FACE facility, one of the world's largest climate change experiments. We offer a virtual visit to a woodland where we are adding 150pm extra CO2 to areas of the oak forest to predict the impact on the ecosystem 50 years in the future. Students can take a virtual walk around the woodland, clicking on arrows to move forward, and on the numbers for information about forest ecosystems, the range of measurements we are taking in this woodland and the role of forests in climate change mitigation. Follow the Virtual BIFoR link to take a trip to the woodland without leaving your classroom!

BIFoR in a Box

BIFoR in a box is a free STEM kit for schools that contains everything you need to bring BIFoR to life! Pupils can take part in our cutting-edge research by creating and installing a DIY Dendrometer, collecting data and discovering more about the BIFoR FACE experiment. An accompanying set of fully resourced activities mean pupils will gain a better understanding of core Biology and Geography concepts. These include: abiotic and biotic factors, carbon flows and nutrient cycles; as well as biomass and carbon sequestration, to name but a few! Follow the BIFoR in a Box link to register your interest and join our experiment today!

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You can also find BIFoR education resources on:

AQA
STEM Learning
Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS)
FENE Resource Hub
Ecological Continuity Trust (ECT)