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

8. Comparing the Scots pine forest and the Congo Basin rainforest

This activity is on-going through the topic and pupils' can add to it as they find out more. Or it could be used at the end for assessment purposes. It can be done as a group activity or individually.

What you need:

Large sheets of paper if done as group activity
Double mind map template [pdf]

Aims

To compare the Scots pine forest with the African rainforest

To reflect on the important role all forests play in sustaining our world

What to do

Pupils are going to mind map similarities and differences between the Scottish forest and the African Rainforest. They will create a mind map of each and add to them as they progress through the topic. There is a double mind map template which can be used for this activity. This helps pupils to compare visually the similarities and differences.

Alternatively you may use the activity at the end of the topic for assessment purposes.

Individually or in groups, pupils need to map out all the similarities they can find between the forests. This should be repeated with differences. You can use the teacher prompts to help if necessary.

When the mind maps are completed, the pupils should review them and reflect upon the main similarities they have found between the forests. They could then think about whether these similarities could be applied to all forests.

Teacher prompts

Think about animals and plants?
While the forests have different animals and plants, are their similarities in the roles they play?
How do people use the forest, in Scotland and in the Congo Basin in Africa?
How does the forest support and sustain us?

Reflection and evaluation

By the end of the topic you would expect to see an increased awareness of the similarities between the forests, and that the roles the animals and plants in each forest play is similar and supports an eco-system or web of life. There should also be an increased understanding of the role all forests play in providing clean air, mitigating against climate change, supporting biodiversity, preventing floods and soil erosion and supporting livelihoods.

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4