My wish is that children who live in the city will be encouraged to visit the forest more often, develop a closer connection to the natural world and appreciate the benefits that woodland environments bring to their well-being. I hope that they will be inspired to learn more about forests and their inhabitants and what they can do to look after them and share their knowledge and ideas with their families and friends.
TThis project is related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focussing on Global Goal 15 (Life on Land). The participating students and teachers (Fantastic Forest Explorers!) will be supporting the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation charity, helping to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment. It is a cross-curricular CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) project that aims to teach subject content and skills as well as the English language to children of 3rd/4th Primary level (8-9 years old) and is adaptable for all levels of Primary education. It incorporates science, mathematics, drama, music, arts and crafts, cookery and outdoor learning. Students will explore their local forest, discover flora and fauna and the negative impacts that humans can have on woodland environments and seek solutions. We will invite an expert speaker from the Jane Goodall Institute to introduce them to a different type of forest in another part of the world and learn about the plight of the chimpanzees. By the end of the project, the students will understand the importance of the forest and the reasons why we need to look after it for current and future generations. They will be able to demonstrate this, sharing their knowledge and ideas with the local community by performing a theatre sketch of The Gruffalo (by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler).
