Sir David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday this month. His 70-year broadcasting career has undoubtedly changed our understanding of life on Earth. He is the world’s most celebrated naturalist, and it is his curiosity and storytelling that have shaped how many of us think about the planet and the natural world around us.
An inspiration to generations of zoologists, environmentalists and teachers, his legacy continues to influence learning today. Drawing on that same spirit of curiosity, Treloar's music teacher explored Attenborough’s technique of using a specialist microphone to listen to trees and capture the sounds of transpiration.
Transpiration is the movement of water through a plant and its evaporation from leaves, stems and flowers. While often taught in theory, this activity allowed students to experience it in a direct and sensory way.
The activity brought together learning across the curriculum, connecting science and music through hands-on exploration. It also shows how complex ideas can be made meaningful and accessible through practical and creative approaches.
Students described what they heard in their own words from a “babbling brook” to “a mountain stream flowing over pebbles” linking scientific understanding with creative expression.
Set in the Outdoor Learning Centre, this work reflects the same sense of curiosity about the natural world that has inspired so many through Sir David Attenborough’s storytelling, and shows how that influence continues to shape learning at Treloar’s.
Students develop life skills in the greenhouse
College students are learning various life skills through their mini enterprise project.
