11-14 Years (Key Stage 3)

Quest 2: Local Impacts of Deforestation

Focus: Local Impacts of Deforestation
To produce a 45-minute presentation, using puppetry designed and made by
Objective:
the students
> Rainforest Sounds – listen to the rainforest sounds from the Free
Materials: Resources/Rainforest Multimedia area, to help your class get into the zone
> Useful Videos – also under Free Resources/Rainforest Multimedia

Product Success Criteria:

The presentation will address and highlight the damaging effects of deforestation on the living creatures and
indigenous populations of the rainforest.

It will focus on the following crucial issues:

 Biodiversity and the extinction of species

 The economic dilemma for local indigenous populations
 The forest as a life support system: ecosystem services
 Sustainable forestry and incentives to protect embracing the principles of ecological economics:
eco tourism, carbon trading and other revenue raising programmes

The presentation should identify a target audience and be scripted accordingly

Organisation:

 Students could work as a class or year group, within a cross-curricular framework

 The project requires a multi-role approach, for example using puppet design, set design, scripting,
puppeteers, marketing etc

Development:

 Based on their experiences, students could run a series of workshops for primary school groups
 Conduct research into connected issues, for example, the politics of the problem: climate as a
central focus for debate this century, biodiversity and restoration for profit
 Role of rainforests in climate change

For interesting ways to develop the theme in this lesson please visit the following organisations:

Conservation International - www.conservation.org/Pages/default.aspx

Lots of multimedia resources available to learn about all aspects of conservation.

EDF Pod for Greener Learning - http://www.jointhepod.org/

Find examples of best practice in the quest to reduce the impact of climate
change by going to The Pod for Greener Learning. Schools can also apply for
funding to improve the sustainability of their schools through the EDF Energy
Green Fund.
Generation Green - http://www.generationgreen.co.uk/
Generation Green, a British Gas initiative, encourages schools and the
community to reduce carbon footprints in school and at home through a
combination of lesson plans and rewards that provide students with a greater
understanding of the world and how we live in it.

Groundwork - http://www.groundwork.org.uk/introduction.asp
Groundwork works with children in and out of school to illustrate how our
individual actions can make a difference to both our immediate surroundings and
the global environment.

Eco-Schools - http://www.eco-schools.org.uk/
Eco-Schools is an international award programme that guides schools on their
sustainable journey, providing a framework to help embed these principles into
the heart of school life.

Rainforest Alliance USA - http://www.rainforestalliance.org/

The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable
livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer
behavior.