How to use this resource...

Our Forest, Our Future helps teachers and pupils to explore the interdependence of people and forests and the vital role forests play in sustaining our environment – in the past, the present and hopefully the future.

The Scots Pine forests in Scotland and the Congo Basin rainforest in Africa provide case studies through which pupils will begin to understand why our forests are under threat and the implications for our planet. Further information about these forests is provided in the following documents.

In making connections between consumerism, people and the environment, pupils will be encouraged to see how they and their actions have an impact on the lives of others globally. It encourages reflection on the possible futures of the world's forests and ways of taking positive actions for a future where people and forests co-exist in a sustainable way.

The resource is structured around a global citizenship framework devised by Oxfam.

The reflection and evaluation sections in each activity support formative assessment and ongoing monitoring of pupils learning.

Additional assessment opportunities are indicated by...

Outdoor learning opportunities are indicated by...

Homework activities are indicated by...

Taking Action for Change

Education for Global Citizenship is committed to enabling pupils to bring about positive actions for change either locally or globally. This process should support pupils to make their own informed choices through a critical evaluation of the options open to them and the possible implications of those choices.

Throughout the resource there are ideas for possible actions, such as reflecting on our power as consumers, peer education and tree planting. Your pupils themselves should be encouraged to think creatively about the many actions they could take, critically evaluate the impact these actions might have and then evaluate what they have done.

The materials below support your pupils through this process.

> Making connections

5. Animals and plants in a Scots Pine forest

What you need:

Prepared sets of Scotland cards [pdf] – 1 per group
Prepared sets of Scotland role cards [pdf] – 1 per group

Aims

To investigate the animals and plants in a Scots Pine forest

To find out about the different roles of the insects, birds, plants and animals

To prepare a group presentation on their investigations to the class

What to do

Discuss with the class what animals, plants, birds and insects they might see in a Scots Pine forest.

Give each group a set of Scotland cards and ask them to sort them into these four categories:

mammals
birds
plants
insects

This can be repeated for groups of omnivores, carnivores and herbivores.

Share answers among the group and encourage them to reflect on the ways the animals, birds, plants and insects are interconnected in the forest.

They are now going to look at the different roles some of these species play within the 'web of life'. Give each group a set of 'role' cards. Ask each group to create a chain or cycle which illustrates the connections between a group of species, the roles they play and their relationships with each other. (Interdependence)

Share pupils' findings and discuss the roles in relation to the web of life.

Using the internet / library or other sources of information, groups can now carry out investigations into other aspects of Scots Pine forest and present their information to the rest of the class. Ideas for investigations:

Find out about other animals, plants and trees you would find in a Scots Pine forest.
Explore and map out 'mini-habitats' of particular animals and plants within the forest e.g. dragonflies, ants or crested tits.
Find out which species are rare, which are most common and why. Are there any birds or animals that used to live in the Scots Pine forest but have now become extinct?
Find out about the changes to the Scots Pine forests in Scotland and the reasons for some of these changes. Have there been any recent changes to Scots Pine forests?

Teacher prompts

What kinds of roles do animals / birds / plants / insects play in the forest?
What role have people played in changing the Scots Pine forest?
Why do some people think it is now important that that we restore more of the Scots Pine forest?
What do you think about the importance of restoring and maintaining Scotland’s forests?

Reflection and evaluation

Within a forest, groups of animals, plants, birds and insects rely on each other and all have a role to play in the wider eco-system of the forest.

Loss of habitat (Scots Pine forest) means loss of plant species which leads to the decline or extinction of animals, birds and insect species.

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4