Yr1 explored the rainforest
21st June was the hottest June day in 40 years; a perfect day for Year 1 to visit the Living Rainforest as part of our summer term humanities topic work. Without leaving the country we were able to explore the rainforest and discover its wonders in full tropical heat. The Living Rainforest is home to 700 species of plants and animals. In its tropical glasshouses we enjoyed looking out for free roaming lizards, birds and butterflies never knowing where they would appear next! Plus monkeys, a sloth, an armadillo, toucans, and more.
We benefited from an ‘Edible Rainforest’ tour, with an exceptional guide, who was full of child friendly facts and fact teasers for the teachers. Did you know the resting heartbeat of a crocodile is two beats per minute? The boys found out that all living things need food to survive, and the diets of rainforest animals, including examples of herbivores, omnivores and carnivores. The boys discovered some of the foods we eat originate in the rainforest. These included foods they might find on the supermarket shelves in the UK as well as the diet of indigenous people including bananas, coffee, cocoa, ginger, vanilla and plants that give us life-enhancing medicines, cosmetics and building materials. We learnt that the cocoa plant was first used as a medicine rather than to make chocolate and that Brazil nuts grow in two sets of twelve within each case.
We returned to school hot and sweaty but full of excitement about the rainforest and heads full of new knowledge.