Children look closely at the continent of Africa. They recognise that it is a huge and diverse land with many different countries and widely varying landscapes and climates. They take 1/2 countries each and create a huge collage-map of Africa. Suitable for years 5 and 6.

Dramatic changes to people’s lives occur when access to clean, safe water and latrine facilities are brought to a community. Children discuss ‘The Long Walk Is Over’ and read Amina’s story. They make ‘before and ‘after’ diary entries for her, expressing this change. Suitable for years 5 and 6.

Find out about children’s experience of water all around the world using Oxfam’s Our World Of Water and compare with life in the UK. In a similar style to the book, children create a ‘scrapbook’ page comparing their lives with Khadija or Gamuchu from Africa. Suitable for years 5 and 6.

Imagine that all the water on Earth came from one well! Children learn that the amount of water on our planet never changes and that we are all connected by the way we draw water from the same source. Children then convey this understanding through poetry. Suitable for years 5 and 6.

Children think positively about ways in which we can help to improve the lives of people who lack food security. Thinking about our responsibilities as world citizens, children discuss ways of campaigning to change the causes of lack of food in Africa.

Through playing the Christian Aid Chocolate Trade Game (need internet) children come to understand, in a fun way that world trade rules are unfair to developing food producing countries. They think about human causes of food security issues.

Children consider arguments for buying fair trade produce and look at relevant websites including Christian Aid and Oxfam. Children think about how fair trade does not address causes – unfair trade rules and greedy practices. How can we campaign to change these?

The rainforest ecosystem is one of the oldest on the planet. Animals living there have adapted to suit their habitat. Children find out more about animals who use camouflage, sharp claws, long beaks or tails to survive in the jungle. Suitable for years 3 and 4.

In this session children get up close and personal with tropical plants on a visit to a botanical garden, zoo or even a large garden centre. Children find out more about conditions for growth and the life cycles of different plants. Suitable for years 3 and 4.

Discover where in Africa your link school is (or use a child described in a book as your link). Imagine you are going to visit and plan the journey you would make. Draw the route on maps or create a journey timeline including distances, mode of travel, etc. Suitable for years 5 and 6.

We all have at least one thing in common – we live in Britain! Chn meet lots of different chn from all over the UK courtesy of We are Britain by B. Zephaniah. They see people move around the UK & other countries é they think about their own histories. Suitable for Years 1 é 2.

Listen carefully to some children in Ghana describing their home town or use descriptions from your link school friends of their town. Imagine the teacher and some children from your link school are going to visit your town! Describe the places they should visit. Suitable for years 5 and 6.

Narrowing the focus, children discover more about the features of a Goli mask used in all-day festivals of the Baulé peoples. Children carry out an investigation into stylistic elements of the mask and their meanings and purpose.

Children learn how much of the food we buy in supermarkets is produced in African countries. They discuss this in the light of their knowledge of fair trade and write a letter to the local supermarket to discuss the issues.

In the next ten years at the current rate half of the world’s rainforests will disappear. Children look in brief at the causes of deforestation before creating on maps a horrific view of the future.

Take a trip back in time to introduce art of icon painting from ancient kingdom of Ethiopia. Children explore features of this art form and consider how they were painted and their purpose. They copy small areas of icons to capture style elements.