Information for Teachers

This Celtic Rainforest education pack has been designed to help teachers use the Celtic rainforests found in Wales for learning. The main focus is on learning outside the classroom, preferably during visits to woodlands. However, the pack also includes many activities and sources of information that can be used in school and in school grounds as both standalone activities and linked to woodland site visits.

The pack includes many activities that will help pupils develop skills that are a key part of the new Curriculum for Wales. It also promotes learning through experience and through fun activities. Although the most relevant area of learning is Science and Technology, Humanities learning is also included.

The resources provide opportunities for pupils to use mathematics and numeracy in a practical context including collecting and analysing data. It provides an interesting context to explore and develop Language, Literacy and communication and opens the door to an awe inspiring habitat that is rich in flavour, texture and colour for creative projects. Being active outdoors and developing a connection with nature are all important elements of Health and Wellbeing.

The resources are structured using the investigative headings found listed on the drop-down menu below Education on the main menu bar. Namely:

• Introducing the Celtic Rainforest
• What makes a Celtic Rainforest
• What’s Special about a Celtic Rainforest
• Which Animals live in the Celtic Rainforest
• What do we need to do to conserve the Celtic Rainforest

The resources can also be searched using the tabs on the right-hand side of the page to find activities suitable for use during a field trip, online research, practical action or applying learning through creative methods, sharing their learning with others and creating a campaign.

By using this approach pupils could work towards the John Muir Award which is a flexible way to recognise the achievement of participants discovering, exploring and conserving a wild place and sharing their experience.

The overall resources page provides the means to search for resources using key words.

Tasks are predominantly suitable for 9-12 years old pupils’ but they include links so older and more able pupils can investigate the species and concepts further. The information can also be adapted by teachers for younger or lower ability groups as deemed appropriate. There are instructions for various activities and games that link to the investigations, as well as information slides and videos that can be used with a class. These could also be used by a teacher to develop prior knowledge and confidence to introduce topics to pupils or to prepare for a site visit.

Please refer to the diagram below to help you decide how you could link the different activities within an investigative cycle and/or how the Celtic Rainforest may be used as a wild place to enable you to work towards a John Muir Award.

Answers to some of the worksheets