Activity Introduction

Quick summary: In this activity, children are asked to investigate all the elements found in a forest, including plants, animals, water, wind and sunshine. Younger children are asked to look at objects relating to forests and will work as a group to create a forest collage out of these objects. Older children will investigate forest images and will then participate in a forest role-play, looking at how all the elements of a forest are related.

This activity is designed to help connect children to the wonders of the natural world through sensory and play-based learning.

EYLF Learning Outcome

Elaborations

Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world

3. Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment

Outcome 4: Children are involved and confident learners

1. Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity

2. Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, enquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating

3. Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another

 

Equipment needed:

  • Ages – 0 to 2: A3 size or larger piece of cardboard, coloured paints to create a forest backdrop, images of forests and animals that can be cut up (you can use the images on the Forest flashcards and collect more if you need), leaves, twigs, nuts, flowers, animals (toys or images), and materials to represent the sun, wind and water (e.g. coloured paper or material), glue and sticky tape.
  • Ages – 2 to 3: Large piece of paper or cardboard, images of forests and animals that can be cut up (you can use the images on the Forest flashcards and collect more if you need), leaves, twigs, nuts, flowers, animals (toys or images), and materials to represent the sun, wind and water (e.g. coloured paper or material).
  • Ages – 3 to 5: Forest flashcards.

Supporting resources:

Other resources:

Cool Australia Presents Biodiversity from Cool Australia on Vimeo.

 

The team at Cool Australia continually reviews and refines our Early Learning resources in line with expert advice and current educational practices.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Background information:

When we talk about an ecosystem we are talking about a community of living organisms, and how these relate with each and with non-living components to form a system. The living and non-living components are linked by the energy that flows between them. For example, a kangaroo eats grass (energy flows from the grass to the kangaroo). The kangaroo does a poo which is broken down by bugs and micro-organisms (energy flows from the kangaroo to the bugs and micro-organisms). The bugs and micro-organisms turn the poo into the soil (energy flows from the bugs and micro-organisms to the soil). The soil feeds the grass (energy flows from the soil to the grass). A kangaroo eats the grass (energy flows from the grass to the kangaroo) etc etc etc. This is a pattern that is repeated across all ecosystems with all living and non-living components in millions of different ways.

A forest is just one ecosystem where these interactions between living and non-living organisms occ

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