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

4. 'Trees mean life' and other stories of tree regeneration

What you need:

Silent movie project Scotland Aspen tree project
Trees Mean Life short film on Tree Aid work in Mali
Short Film about tree project in Malawi
Teacher info on aspen tree project to support film clip

Aims

Explore how trees can be used to restore land and support livelihoods

Listen to people's stories in Scotland, Malawi and Mali about the significance trees have played in their communities

Reflect on tree regeneration through art or drama

What to do

Display the following quote to the class:

The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Discuss with the class what this means. Is it a positive message?

Explain that they will watch some film clips on ways that trees have had a positive impact on different communities. All the suggested case studies feature stories of how trees regeneration is having a positive impact on local communities, select as appropriate.

Discuss the film(s) with the class and highlight the positive impact tree planting can have on restoring land to productivity, bringing communities together to improve things for themselves and also, in some cases, support livelihoods and food security.

Using the case studies as a stimulus, the pupils will work in groups to illustrate through an expressive medium the power of trees to regenerate, and the positive effects it can have on the local communities. Below are some suggestions of how they might do this.

Create a short play which shows the before and after trees were planted. You can use 'freeze frame' and 'hot seating' techniques to explore their ideas further
Create a storyboard or comic strip which tells the story of how the community changes through the planting of trees
Creative writing, using fairy tale story techniques
Art work illustrating before and after
Create before and after collages using natural materials gathered from trees / woodlands
Musical interpretation
Acrostic poem using tree words

Reflection and evaluation

Groups can present or view each groups work. They can carry out a peer feedback exercise as 'art / theatre / music critics' using the following questions:

How did the story / picture / piece of music convey the message?
Was it successful in conveying the message?
What aspects did you particularly like?
Were there any things which you think the group could improve upon?

For homework, each pupil could write a short review on any of the expressive pieces.

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Section 4