Inspired by: Where The Forest Meets The Sea - Week 3

Inspired by the story "Where The Forest Meets The Sea," this educational activity centers around the Daintree Rainforest, aiming to teach students the importance of identifying key ideas and summarising information. The activity begins with a narrative setup where a boy learns from his father about the Daintree Rainforest's significance before visiting. The father shares fascinating facts about the Idiospernum plant, a rare and ancient species exclusive to the Daintree, highlighting the forest's unique value. However, the boy also learns that the Daintree faces environmental threats. Eager to understand more, he researches online and uncovers five main threats to the rainforest's ecosystem. The task then involves role-playing a conversation where the boy expresses his concerns to his father, reflecting on the gravity of the situation and the need for conservation efforts.

Responding to the boy's concerns, his father encourages further learning about the broader significance of rainforests and their preservation. The boy delves into research on various rainforests, using organisational tools like headings and sub-headings to compile his findings on their importance, locations, and differences between tropical and temperate rainforests. This leads to a creative task where students recreate the boy's research notebook, summarising their understanding and raising the question, "Are all rainforests the same?" The final activity shifts towards action, as the boy and his father learn about initiatives to protect the Daintree from over-development. They decide to draft an email to the Daintree Town Council to support a planning scheme that limits urbanisation, thus preserving the forest's rich biodiversity. Students are then prompted to analyse the structure of the email and write their own letter advocating for the conservation of the Daintree or another area they are passionate about, using paragraphs to organise their ideas effectively.