In Year 4, children have been reading The Great Kapok Tree, a powerful story that explores the importance of the rainforest and the impact of deforestation. Inspired by the text, pupils are currently writing their own narratives from the perspective of an animal living in the rainforest, helping them to develop empathy and a deeper understanding of different viewpoints.
To bring the story to life, the children acted out key scenes from the book. They explored what it might feel like to be the man cutting down the tree and used drama to generate rich vocabulary, particularly focusing on sound words and onomatopoeia to describe the rainforest environment. This active approach supported pupils in making their writing more vivid and engaging.
This learning links closely with Year 4’s Geography unit on rainforests and deforestation, allowing children to make meaningful connections across subjects. By combining reading, writing, drama and geography, pupils are developing both their literacy skills and their understanding of important global issues.
