Biomes and Vegetation Belts: The Savannah

The children in year have been learning about the Savannah biome focusing in particular on the African Savannah. They have learned about the vegetation, climate and animals that reside here. Furthermore, the children learned about the nomadic Masai herders of the Serengeti. The children found this very interesting as, in the last 40 to 50 years, their way of life is under threat due to restrictive government policies and desertification. The herders are being forced to roam a small geographical area which has led to over-grazing and the felling of trees. These issues, together with the increase in their population, is leading to desert conditions and threatening the very existence of the Masai. Our children prepared a broadcast as part of their 'oracy' in Geography, to report on this shocking situation.

Life in Rocinha 

During our topic on South America, we looked at the different settlements within Brazil, focusing on the Favela in Rocinha, and compared them to the settlements of our city, Liverpool. The children then presented their comparisons to the class. The children commented that although the style of the settlements differed, how the people spent their time was not actually that dissimilar to the way we do. We discussed the importance of not having preconceived views about these areas which may be given a 'bad press' in the media.

Harley: 'When we presented to the class, we needed to speak clearly and at a volume that everyone in the room could hear what we were saying. I found it helpful to point to parts of the screen to emphasise what I was saying.'

Lilah: "The mum in the video was interesting because she liked to spend time with her friends just like my mum."