2011 is the International Year Of The Forest. Under threat from natural and man-made processes, the world’s forests and the native flora and fauna they support are disappearing.
1. Year Of The Forest useful images
3. Display Ideas (This theme can be a year long theme dealing with environmental studies. Create displays all over the school, not just in the library.)
TREE OF LIFE/ LEAF OUT OF MY BOOK (Display Idea)
- Invite teachers and students to decorate one of the Leaf Out Of My Book templates. Use the leaves to create a fabulous library display!
The environment and the weather:
- fit in with the WASLA Books for Buddies Project (Queensland Floods), the Murray-Darling River system and the Diamantina in eastern Australia
- display resources on how cyclones/typhoons form;
- the Pacific current, el nino and la nina;
- the North Atlantic current/drift and how this affects weather currents – film Day After Tomorrow
- global warming, melting glaciers and polar icecaps – consequences
The environment and man:
- Amazon Basic, fire and forest clearing
- loss of forests in Indonesia and the Orangutans – visit Perth Zoo
- loss of habitat and the Gorillas in Africa – visit Perth zoo
- Australian flora and fire – how our forests survive – visit CALM forestry service or Kings Park botanic garden
The GiggleIT Project: Through our window – The colours of our world
- students ages 10-14
- visual literacy and writing skills
- 4 new contest categories – http://www.iasl-online.org/sla/giggleIT/2011-project-01.htm
- relevance of the GiggleIT Project 2011 and the persuasive writing context of this year’s NAPLAN tests in Australia
- a complete integrated unit plan is provided free of charge
- registration – http://www.iasl-online.org/sla/giggleIT/
Miniature forests outside my window
- using a digital camera – technology outcomes – or artistic interpretations
- creating close-ups of our world – plants and the insect and animal life that surround us
- make Flickr albums, picture galleries or stained glass windows for display
- make textured picture books and stories – buddy up with younger students to create the stories
- create life cycles with paper plates and photographs or source pictures on the Web
- kids create their own display posters (Poster Evaluation Recording Sheet)
- using hula hoops or plastic piping to create large wreaths – fill with paper flowers to have a hanging garden/forest
- growing our own miniature forest
For all of these get students to nominate fiction books/short stories where the environment is a feature. Even something like the second volume of The Lord of the Rings is appropriate. Get them to build reading lists and rate them using stars or the smileys in the Book Review Evaluation Recording Sheet or get sheets of stickers. Create a template for a 250 word review that goes into the catalogue in the notes section with the child’s first name/initials and class (must be word perfect).
4. Reduce Reuse Recycle
- Encourage staff and students to participate in the WASTE WISE SCHOOLS recycling initiative. Staff and students resources, along with some great ideas can be found on this government website.
5. Useful Websites