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.

> Exploring viewpoints and values

5. Movements for Change: activist's stories

What you need:

Copies of info sheets for each activist OR access to the internet depending on how you want to run the activity.

Aims

To research and find out about activists from round the world who have recognised the importance of trees and forests

To reflect on the power of individuals to affect change

What to do

Place the students in 'home' groups of 6. This will be the group they will report back to. The 'home' group are then each given a letter A-F - this will group them for their expert group. Explain that each member of the group is going to find out about an activist and report back to the group. NB The information sheets vary in levels of reading ability.

Pupils should now form their expert groups and begin their research:

The pupils will need to read and discuss the information or research online and find out about their activist. As a group they should then decide what key points they will report back to their home groups. Emphasise that each expert will only have 2 minutes to report salient information back.

Pupils return to their home groups and share what they have found out about the activists. Ensure each expert keeps to their 2 minute limit so that the others in home groups have opportunity to report back and there is time for each expert to answer any questions to clarify.

After everyone has reported in home group, ask each home group to discuss which activist(s) they would most like to meet and why? Share the feedback with the class.

As a class choose the most common activist that the groups would like to meet. Ask each home group to think of three questions they would like to ask of this person. These questions could be used for a hot seating activity with a pupil from the 'expert' group taking on the mantel of the activist and responding to the questions asked by the class.

Teacher Prompts

Did any of these people particularly inspire you? Why?
Where there any key similarities between the people?
What do you think motivated them to do what they did?
What risks did some of them take?
What achievements did they have?

Reflection and evaluation

All these people were motivated to take action and worked to change things for the better. What do the pupils feel about taking action for change? Do they believe they can change things? This can be explored further in the activity How can I make the world a better place?

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4