Born Free works to stop individual wildlife suffering & protect threatened species in the wild.
We create resource packs, aimed at KS2 to KS4, that include full lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations and activities, and detailed links to the National Curriculum.
Our cross-curricular resources aim to develop a range of skills, including; decision making, debating, speech writing, performing, presenting, persuasive writing, questioning, reporting and data analysis.
Born Free works to stop individual wildlife suffering & protect threatened species in the wild.
We create resource packs, aimed at KS2 to KS4, that include full lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations and activities, and detailed links to the National Curriculum.
Our cross-curricular resources aim to develop a range of skills, including; decision making, debating, speech writing, performing, presenting, persuasive writing, questioning, reporting and data analysis.
About the project
This project will explore the tribal culture of the Yawanawá people of Brazil along with the vegetation and wildlife that can be found in the rainforest – taking you on a journey to discover your own connection to the forest, through art.
Through the project, we will be connecting children, using art and technology, with tribal culture, individual families in the tribe and the rainforest. By ‘meeting’ the rainforest John hopes that this will create a personal connection and bond to the rainforest and generate amazing pieces of art, along with lots of questions which can be answered by John himself as part of the live video broadcasts.
About John Dyer
John Dyer is an British contemporary painter, focusing on colourful landscapes, architecture, gardens and notable events, especially in Cornwall. His ‘naïve’ style makes his work accessible to all ages.
John’s first published work, aged 12, was landscape photography in Amateur Photography magazine. In his Foundation year at Falmouth College of Arts he was already selling images to publishers like Athena.
About Born Free
Born Free’s mission is to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated with compassion and respect and are able to live their lives according to their needs. Born Free opposes the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaigns to Keep Wildlife in the Wild.
Born Free promotes Compassionate Conservation to enhance the survival of threatened species in the wild and protect natural habitats while respecting the needs of and safeguarding the welfare of individual animals. Born Free seeks to have a positive impact on animals in the wild and protect their ecosystems in perpetuity, for their own intrinsic value and for the critical roles they play within the natural world.
Born Free’s Great Debate. Plastic: Whose responsibility?
Plastic isn’t, in itself, the problem. It’s what we do with it. We are already unable to cope with the amount of plastic we generate, with severe environmental consequences. Ultimately, who should take responsibility?
Born Free’s Great Debate aims to give young people the chance to deepen their understanding of the issue of plastic pollution, the stakeholders involved and how the problem can be tackled, through collaboration, research, debates, discussion and even undertaking their own campaigns.
Download and access our free debate pack, including five individual lesson plans, resources and activities
Lesson One – The power of plastics
Identify and distinguish the origin and properties of various plastics
Lesson Two – What are the problems with plastics?
Discuss the impact of plastic pollution on our world and the importance of biodiversity
Lesson Three – Researching the stakeholders
Investigate and report on key stakeholders involved in plastic pollution production
Lesson Four – Preparing to debate
Analyse arguments and summarise material to support arguments with factual detail
Lesson Five – The Great Debate
Participate, listen, and learn through formal debates and structured discussions
The topic of plastic pollution has many cross-curricular links, with strong links to the Key Stage 3 Science, English, Geography, Citizenship and SMSC curriculums. Therefore, it can be delivered within a subject, as part of an SMSC or Citizenship programme, or as a cross-curricular activity. The four to five lesson programme consists of sessions that are planned to take an hour, although there are opportunities to shorten or lengthen them. Please see the end of the document for a detailed list of curriculum links.
Get in touch: education@bornfree.org.uk
Teaching Biology is now easier with Born Free!
Born Free have created a bespoke set of lesson plans and accompanying teaching resources for the entire GCSE B7 module (AQA Double Award). Covering all the key topics in Ecology through multiple hour-long lesson plans, this pack is designed to save teachers valuable time, whilst getting students enthused about wildlife and the environment through their studies.
Topics covered through this Scheme of Work:
Communities
Biotic and Abiotic
Adaptations
Levels of Organisation
Carbon and Water Cycles
Biodiversity
Human Effects on the Environment
Global Warming and Climate Change
Please leave us a review - we’d love to know what you think.
With this child-friendly version of the Born Free story, introduce your students to the true story of Elsa the lioness, and her journey from orphaned cub back to the wild. Included in this resource is a PDF presentation storybook, which can be shared with KS1 students, either on the board or printed for guided reading sessions. This resource can also be used with KS2 students as a way of introducing a subject or debate topic, such as the ethics of keeping wild animals in captivity.
Elsa became world-famous as the real-life inspiration for Joy Adamson’s autobiographical book Born Free (1960) and the subsequent film adaptation starring Dame Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers MBE (1966). Her story also helped inspire the founding of international wildlife charity, Born Free, where she features on the charity’s logo, as a reminder of her journey to freedom and how important each and every individual wild animal is.
Born Free’s Great Debate. Plastic: Whose responsibility?
Plastic isn’t, in itself, the problem. It’s what we do with it. We are already unable to cope with the amount of plastic we generate, with severe environmental consequences. Ultimately, who should take responsibility?
Born Free’s Great Debate aims to give young people the chance to deepen their understanding of the issue of plastic pollution, the stakeholders involved and how the problem can be tackled, through collaboration, research, debates, discussion and even undertaking their own campaigns.
Download and access our free debate pack, including five individual lesson plans, resources and activities
Lesson One – The power of plastics
Identify and distinguish the origin and properties of various plastics
Lesson Two – What are the problems with plastics?
Discuss the impact of plastic pollution on our world and the importance of biodiversity
Lesson Three – Researching the stakeholders
Investigate and report on key stakeholders involved in plastic pollution production
Lesson Four – Preparing to debate
Analyse arguments and summarise material to support arguments with factual detail
Lesson Five – The Great Debate
Participate, listen, and learn through formal debates and structured discussions
The topic of plastic pollution has many cross-curricular links, with strong links to the Key Stage 2 Science, English, Geography, Citizenship and SMSC curriculums. Therefore, it can be delivered within a subject, as part of an SMSC or Citizenship programme, or as a cross-curricular activity. The four to five lesson programme consists of sessions that are planned to take an hour, although there are opportunities to shorten or lengthen them. Please see the end of the document for a detailed list of curriculum links.
Get in touch: education@bornfree.org.uk
A short unit of work designed for Key Stage 2 on elephants and the ivory trade. Each lesson is planned to take an hour, although there is plenty of opportunity to shorten or lengthen activities. This topic has many cross-curricular links, with strong links to the Science, English Geography, SMSC and Citizenship curriculums.
Context:
Elephants are in crisis. A century ago there were an estimated five million elephants in Africa. Today, there are less than half a million. An average of 55 elephants are killed by poachers every day for their tusks. That’s about one every 25 minutes. Many experts have predicted that, unless poaching can be effectively addressed, elephants could all but disappear from many of Africa’s wild places in the coming decades.
Born Free has been campaigning for a global ban on the trade in ivory since 1989. Our field work means we have experienced first-hand the brutal aftermath of poaching and the pressures that elephants face. We carry out crucial work in Cameroon, Ethiopia and Kenya to support the monitoring and protection of wild elephant populations, gaining invaluable insights to their behaviour and undeniable intelligence.
Lesson 1 - Incredible elephants.
To share knowledge of elephants
To understand how elephants and humans share similar characteristics
To create a poem entitled ‘Incredible Elephants’
Lesson 2 - The ivory trade
To explain why ivory is in demand
To explain the causes and effects of the international trade in illegal ivory
To begin to identify solutions to the illegal trade in ivory.
Lesson 3 - Solutions
To describe why elephants are an important species that need protecting
To evaluate a range of ways of protecting elephants
To write a persuasive speech for a targeted audience.
If you find these resources useful, please leave a review. Many thanks for checking out our materials!
To find out more about Born Free’s Education Programme, email education@bornfree.org.uk
Through interactive games and tasks, students will learn about and embody animals living in the wild or in captivity, in order to understand their feelings, needs and to develop empathy towards them. This resource pack can be used as a standalone lesson or as a springboard to wider debates around zoos and keeping animals in captivity.
In this pack:
A3 Wild Animal Fact Sheets
A3 Captive Animal Fact Sheets
A3 Bingo Card Sheets
Bingo Resource Cards
A4 Quiz Sheets
A4 Quiz Answer Sheets
A4 Day in the Life Of… Diary Worksheets
Walking Pass
If you would like to find out more about Born Free or our UK Education Programme, please contact us: education@bornfree.org.uk
A short unit of work designed for Key Stage 3 on wild animals performing in circuses. Each lesson is planned to take an hour, although there are plenty of opportunities to shorten or lengthen activities. This topic has many cross-curricular links, with strong links to the Science, English, Geography, SMSC and Citizenship curriculums.
Lesson 1. Animal Adaptations
To describe how different organisms are adapted to their environment
To explain why organisms succeed best in their own natural environments
Lesson 2. A day in the life of a tiger
To compare the life of a tiger in the wild with one in a circus
To write a diary entry entitled ‘A day in the life of a tiger’.
Lesson 3. Should all wild animals in circuses be banned?
To understand the arguments for and against banning wild animals in circuses
To form an opinion
To write a persuasive letter.
Context:
Globally, thousands of wild animals are used in circuses and forced to perform demeaning and unnatural tricks to entertain the public. The welfare of both domesticated and wild animals are often severely compromised in a circus environment.
Born Free is wholly opposed to the use of wild animals in circuses and considers the practice to be unethical. There is overwhelming evidence of compromised animal welfare in the circus environment.
Born Free works across the UK and Europe to bring an end to the use of wild animals in circuses and supports international campaign partners in their efforts. Where possible, Born Free rescues animals from appalling conditions in circuses. Over the years we have rescued and rehomed several big cats from circuses in France, Bulgaria, Italy and Germany. We provide them with high standard lifetime care in sanctuaries. However, these are the lucky ones.
If you find these resources useful, please leave a review. Many thanks for checking out our materials!
Any questions, contact us education@bornfree.org.uk
A short unit of work designed for Key Stage 3 on elephants and the ivory trade. Each lesson is planned to take an hour, although there is plenty of opportunity to shorten or lengthen activities. This topic has many cross-curricular links, with strong links to the Science, English Geography, SMSC and Citizenship curriculums.
Context:
Elephants are in crisis. A century ago there were an estimated five million elephants in Africa. Today, there are less than half a million. An average of 55 elephants are killed by poachers every day for their tusks. That’s about one every 25 minutes. Many experts have predicted that, unless poaching can be effectively addressed, elephants could all but disappear from many of Africa’s wild places in the coming decades.
Born Free has been campaigning for a global ban on the trade in ivory since 1989. Our field work means we have experienced first-hand the brutal aftermath of poaching and the pressures that elephants face. We carry out crucial work in Cameroon, Ethiopia and Kenya to support the monitoring and protection of wild elephant populations, gaining invaluable insights to their behaviour and undeniable intelligence.
Lesson 1 - Incredible elephants.
To share knowledge of elephants
To understand how elephants and humans share similar characteristics
To create a poem entitled ‘Incredible Elephants’
Lesson 2 - The ivory trade
To explain why ivory is in demand
To explain the causes and effects of the international trade in illegal ivory
To begin to identify solutions to the illegal trade in ivory.
Lesson 3 - Solutions
To describe why elephants are an important species that need protecting
To evaluate a range of ways of protecting elephants
To write a persuasive speech for a targeted audience.
If you find these resources useful, please leave a review. Many thanks for checking out our materials!
To find out more about Born Free’s Education Programme, email education@bornfree.org.uk
A short unit of work designed for Key Stage 2 on wild animals performing in circuses. Each lesson is planned to take an hour, although there are plenty of opportunities to shorten or lengthen activities. This topic has many cross-curricular links, with strong links to the Science, English, Geography, SMSC and Citizenship curriculums.
Lesson 1. Animal Adaptations
To describe how different organisms are adapted to their environment
To explain why organisms succeed best in their own natural environments
Lesson 2. A day in the life of a tiger
To compare the life of a tiger in the wild with one in a circus
To write a diary entry entitled ‘A day in the life of a tiger’.
Lesson 3. Should all wild animals in circuses be banned?
To understand the arguments for and against banning wild animals in circuses
To form an opinion
To write a persuasive letter.
Context:
Globally, thousands of wild animals are used in circuses and forced to perform demeaning and unnatural tricks to entertain the public. The welfare of both domesticated and wild animals are often severely compromised in a circus environment.
Born Free is wholly opposed to the use of wild animals in circuses and considers the practice to be unethical. There is overwhelming evidence of compromised animal welfare in the circus environment.
Born Free works across the UK and Europe to bring an end to the use of wild animals in circuses and supports international campaign partners in their efforts. Where possible, Born Free rescues animals from appalling conditions in circuses. Over the years we have rescued and rehomed several big cats from circuses in France, Bulgaria, Italy and Germany. We provide them with high standard lifetime care in sanctuaries. However, these are the lucky ones.
If you find these resources useful, please leave a review. If you have any further questions, or would like to find out more about our UK Education Programme, do get in touch at education@bornfree.org.uk .
Many thanks for checking out our materials!
Born Free’s Great Debate. Plastic: Whose responsibility?
Plastic isn’t, in itself, the problem. It’s what we do with it. We are already unable to cope with the amount of plastic we generate, with severe environmental consequences. Ultimately, who should take responsibility?
Born Free’s Great Debate aims to give young people the chance to deepen their understanding of the issue of plastic pollution, the stakeholders involved and how the problem can be tackled, through collaboration, research, debates, discussion and even undertaking their own campaigns.
Download and access our free debate pack, including five individual lesson plans, resources and activities
Lesson One – The power of plastics
Identify and distinguish the origin and properties of various plastics
Lesson Two – What are the problems with plastics?
Discuss the impact of plastic pollution on our world and the importance of biodiversity
Lesson Three – Researching the stakeholders
Investigate and report on key stakeholders involved in plastic pollution production
Lesson Four – Preparing to debate
Analyse arguments and summarise material to support arguments with factual detail
Lesson Five – The Great Debate
Participate, listen, and learn through formal debates and structured discussions
The topic of plastic pollution has many cross-curricular links, with strong links to the Key Stage 4 Science, English, Geography, Citizenship and SMSC curriculums. Therefore, it can be delivered within a subject, as part of an SMSC or Citizenship programme, or as a cross-curricular activity. The four to five lesson programme consists of sessions that are planned to take an hour, although there are opportunities to shorten or lengthen them. Please see the end of the document for a detailed list of curriculum links.
Get in touch: education@bornfree.org.uk
Created by Born Free and Autism and Nature, this in-depth pack of resources teaches students with autism or special educational needs and disabilities all about elephants and amazing wildlife living on our doorsteps. The pack also contains guidance and resources to support students when undertaking a visiting a UK woodland, or participating in a Forest School sessions.
Included within this resource pack:
Four full in-class creative lesson plans, all about elephants
One in-class lesson, about UK woodland species
Accompanying presentations and teaching resources
A range of elephant and woodland colouring sheets, with accompanying Widgit symbols
A range of Widgit instruction sheets for students
Advice for teachers on running a woodland visit with students
Please leave a review. Your feedback helps us to continue to deliver high quality content, free of charge.
Any questions? Contact us education@bornfree.org.uk
Kindly supported by the Volox Trust
An assembly for all key stages on incredible elephants and the ivory trade.
This topic has many cross-curricular links, with strong links to the Science, English Geography, SMSC and Citizenship curriculums.
Context:
Elephants are in crisis. A century ago there were an estimated five million elephants in Africa. Today, there are less than half a million. An average of 55 elephants are killed by poachers every day for their tusks. That’s about one every 25 minutes. Many experts have predicted that, unless poaching can be effectively addressed, elephants could all but disappear from many of Africa’s wild places in the coming decades.
Born Free has been campaigning for a global ban on the trade in ivory since 1989. Our field work means we have experienced first-hand the brutal aftermath of poaching and the pressures that elephants face. We carry out crucial work in Cameroon, Ethiopia and Kenya to support the monitoring and protection of wild elephant populations, gaining invaluable insights to their behaviour and undeniable intelligence.
If you find these resources useful, please leave a review. Many thanks for checking out our materials!
Our consumer habits are at the heart of the planet’s environmental crisis. Whether contributing to climate change through factory emissions and transportation, or impacting biodiversity through pollution and waste materials, our need to own the latest electronic device or follow the latest fashion trend has led us to consume natural resources at a rate that far exceeds the planet’s capacity to renew them.
Through this topic, students will delve deeper into the issue of overconsumption and decide whether we can carry on as we are, or whether we need to drastically change our ways in order to protect our planet and its wildlife, and if so, whose responsibility is it to bring about that change?
Your students will decide.
Born Free’s Great Debate provides teachers with the tools to engage their students in meaningful debates about key wildlife or environmental topics. Students will not only gain knowledge about the this topic, but also skills that will help them to research, frame and deliver an argument. Armed with these skills, young people are more equipped to take action to reduce their impact on the environment, and to encourage others to follow.
Lesson one – Our Consumer Habits
Discuss key terms around consumption and look at what drives us to consume goods and services.
Lesson two – The Impacts Of Overconsumption
Discover the impacts of the fashion and electronics industry on the environment, people and wildlife.
Lesson three/ Homework – Research
Research and frame opposing sides of the debate. Is it the responsibility of decision makers and companies to curb our consumption, or down to us as individuals?
Lesson four – The Great Debate
Participate, listen and learn through a formal debate.
Lesson five – Action Planning
Identify calls to action and create a campaign to bring about local change.
A century ago there were an estimated 100,000 tigers across Asia. Since then, numbers have collapsed by 96% to around 4,000.
Born Free has created a short unit of work designed for Key Stage 2 on tigers, including their characteristics, habitats and the threats that they face. Each lesson is planned to take an hour, although there are plenty of opportunities to shorten or lengthen activities. This topic has many cross-curricular links, with strong links to the Science, English, Geography, SMSC and Citizenship curriculums.
Lesson 1. Where do tigers live?
• To describe where tigers live.
• To understand how a tiger plays an important role in food chains.
Lesson 2. Tiger characteristics
• To describe how tigers are adapted to their environment.
• To create a poem or poster entitled ‘Tremendous Tigers!’.
Lesson 3. Tigers under threat
• To explain why tigers are endangered species.
• To create a news report about a subspecies of tiger.
Lesson 4. A day in the life of a tiger.
• To compare the life of a tiger in the wild with one in a circus.
• To write a diary entry entitled ‘A day in the life of a tiger’.
Lesson 5. A future for people and wildlife.
• To understand the meaning of coexistence.
• To create a poster to explain how human-wildlife conflict can be reduced.
If you find these resources useful, please leave a review. Many thanks for checking out our materials!
A set of fun, interactive sessions which will enable your students to learn all about one of our closest relatives - gorillas! Learn all about where gorillas can be found, their behaviour, and their importance in the natural landscape. Hear from a gorilla expert and learn to walk, talk and even eat like a gorilla, before getting messy with our gorilla digestion experiment.
In this pack you will find:
An assembly, with notes and PowerPoint
Lesson 1 - If I were born a gorilla, with notes and PowerPoint
Lesson 2 - Digestion and seed dispersal, with notes, PowerPoint and resources
We’d love to know what you think of these resources, please leave us a review.
Did you know? We run free workshops for schools in the UK. Find out more on the Born Free website.
Created by Born Free, to accompany a zoo visit, this resource pack provides pupils and teachers with the information they need to understand the issues of keeping wild animals in zoos. Pupils can then evaluate their own relationship with zoos and think critically as to whether wild animals should be kept in captivity.
Included within this resource pack:
Two full in-class lesson plans
Accompanying presentations, worksheets and posters
Notes on how to approach a class visit to zoo, or other captive facility
A range of suggested follow-up activities
Please leave a review. Your feedback helps us to continue to deliver high quality content, free of charge.
Any questions? Contact us education@bornfree.org.uk
Orcas and the Ocean - KS2 Lesson
Learning Objectives:
To understand the difference between the life of a wild and a captive orca
To explore whether orca should be kept in captivity or not
To begin to understand some of the threats facing the ocean.
KS2 curriculum links:
Science - Animals including humans, Living things and their habitats, evolution and inheritance
Citizenship - Developing confidence and responsibility and making the most of their abilities, Preparing to play an active role as citizens.
SMSC and British Values - An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process.
Born Free is committed to protecting threatened species in their natural habitats and preventing animal suffering by building sustainable systems for co-existence.
In order to enable lasting behaviour change in support of animal welfare and wildlife conservation we raise the profile and importance of these issues with policymakers, the wider public and other stakeholders in the UK, Europe and further afield, through education and advocacy.
We are currently in the midst of both a biodiversity crisis and a climate crisis, with the 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stating we must act ‘now or never’. But, can one crisis be solved without the other, or are both interlinked?
Your students will decide.
Born Free’s Great Debate provides teachers with the tools to engage their students in meaningful debates about key wildlife or environmental topics. Through this topic, students will have the opportunity to delve deeper into the issue of climate change, and decide whether we need to harness the power of nature in order to reduce, or even adapt, to its impact.
Students will not only gain knowledge about the this topic, but also skills that will help them to research, frame and deliver an argument. Armed with these skills, young people are more equipped to take action to reduce their impact on the environment, and to encourage others to follow.
Lesson one – Causes & Impacts
Recap the causes and impacts of climate change, and examine the significance of 1.5°C.
Lesson two – Climate Change & Wildlife
Discover how wildlife helps us to mitigate against the impacts of climate change.
Lesson three – Research
Research and frame opposing sides of the debate.
Lesson four – The Great Debate
Participate, listen and learn through a formal debate.
Lesson five – Action Planning
Identify calls to action and create a campaign to bring about local change.
About the project
This project will explore the tribal culture of the Penan people of Malaysian Borneo and visit the critically endangered Bornean Orangutan – taking you on a journey to discover your own connection to the forest, through art.
Through the project, we will be connecting children, using art and technology, with tribal culture as well as the plants and animals that live in the rainforest. By meeting the rainforest, John hopes that this will create a personal connection and bond to the rainforest and generate amazing pieces of art, along with lots of questions which can be answered by John himself as part of the live video broadcasts.
John will be posting blogs and video diaries live from Borneo from 6th-18th September 2019 (but questions can be submitted during any lesson, at any time and videos will be uploaded in HD on his return).
About John Dyer
John Dyer is an English contemporary painter, focusing on colourful landscapes, architecture, gardens and notable events, especially in Cornwall. His naïve style makes his work accessible to all ages.
About these resources
These resources are designed for Key Stage 2 but they can easily be adapted for all Key Stages. All lessons are planned to take an hour, although there are plenty of opportunities to shorten or lengthen activities. The topic has many cross-curricular links that are highlighted below, with strong links to the Art and Design, Geography, Science, English, SMSC and Citizenship curriculums.