KEY STAGE 2 GEOGRAPHY
Trees and the Environment: A Look at Lesotho’s Tree Planting Projects
National
Curriculum
Programmes
of Study
KS2 3a
KS2 2d
KS2 3a
KS2 2a
KS2 2b
KS2 3f
KS2 5b
Links to
other
Curriculum
Areas
Literacy
Poetry Units
Learning Objectives
Possible Activities
Resources
To identify and describe what
places are like;
To use secondary sources of
information, including aerial
photographs
 Examine pictures of Lesotho
landscapes, discussing what
they can and can’t see.
Produce a list of describing
words that can be used to
create a poem.
Pictures of
Lesotho
Landscapes
To identify and describe what
places are like;
To use appropriate geographical
vocabulary;
To use appropriate fieldwork
techniques (e.g. labelled field
sketches)
To describe and explain how and
why places are similar to and
different from other places in the
same country and elsewhere in
the world.
 Visit to a local wooded area
(preferably with a slope):
1. measure the shade
given by trees
2. examine the types of
trees
3. look at sloping areas and
discuss how the trees
are helping to hold the
soil in place
4. observe the wildlife that
uses trees as a habitat
5. draw labelled field
sketches of trees
6. Create list of similarities
and differences
between this
environment and
Lesotho’s landscapes.
 Making Paper (see attached
Measuring
equipment
e.g. tape
measures,
metre wheels
Tree
identification
keys
Clipboards,
paper and
pencils for
sketching
Science –
Habitats
Maths –
Measuring
Prepared paper
Design and
To recognise how and why
Learning
Outcomes
That Lesotho’s
landscape is arid
and low on
vegetation
That trees give
us shade, provide
habitats for
animals, hold the
soil together to
prevent erosion,
and beautify our
environment.
Assessment
for Learning
Questions
What ways can
you describe
Lesotho’s
environment?
How is this
environment
different to our
own?
What trees give
the best shade?
Why is shade
important?
How do trees
help to prevent
erosion?
LINK BACK TO
LESOTHO –
how is this
environment
different to
Lesotho?
That trees
List as many
KS2 4b
people seek to manage
environments sustainably;
To recognise some physical and
human processes.
instructions)
 Fruit Salad – children to
design and make their own
fruit salad using fruit that
comes from trees e.g.
apples, peaches, plums etc.
 What can trees provide for
us? Children to sort
flashcards into things that
trees can provide e.g.
shelter, paper, wood, food,
heat, light, rubber, oxygen
etc. and things that don’t
come from trees e.g. things
made from metal, steel,
carbon dioxide, chemically
produced plastics etc.
 Competition – children to
take an observation walk
around the school
environment and note down
what they can see that as
originated in whole or part
from trees e.g. books,
wooden furniture, outside
benches, climbing frames,
etc.
pulp or scraps of
good quality
paper for
recycling; high
power blender or
food processor;
water; corn
starch for sizing;
baking soda to
neutralize the
acidity of the
slurry ; plastic
embroidery
hoops; tulle
fabric cut slightly
larger than the
hoops; a plastic
bin or dishpan...
clean; A large
flat area to lay
Technology
provide for us
e.g. food, fuel,
shelter, paper
etc.
ways as you
can think of that
trees benefit
human beings.
LINK BACK TO
LESOTHO Why is it
important for
tree planting
projects in
countries like
Lesotho to
continue?
paper out to dry.
Bowls, knives,
fruit juice,
apples,
peaches,
plums,
bananas or
other fruit from
trees.
Flashcards
Clipboards,
paper and
pencils.
KS2 5a
Recognise how people can
improve the environment
 Investigate tree planting
projects like United Nations
Access to
computers to
Literacy –
information
That it is
important to
Who are the



KS2 5a
Recognise how decisions about
places and environments affect
the future quality of people’s lives.

Environment Programme,
Food and Trees for Africa
and Lesotho-Durham Link’s
Tree Planting project.
Design a poster to advertise
these projects
Write a letter to head
teacher/MP/Prime Minister
outlining why Britain should
support tree planting projects
in countries like Lesotho.
Debate – Should Britain
support tree planting projects
abroad?
Re-examine pictures from
Lesotho. Can they imagine
what the environment would
be like after 50 years of
planting trees? Give them
photocopies of half of one of
the photographs with the
other half blank. Ask them
to complete the picture after
50 years of tree planting,
showing the change in
environment.
view
websites for
named
projects.
writing;
persuasive
writing.
support
sustainable
management of
environments
through projects
like tree planting.
tree planting
projects trying
to help? What
benefits will the
tree planting
projects bring to
local
communities?
Art – drawing,
sketching,
painting etc.
Children should
begin to
understand how
people can
improve the
environment and
that decisions
about places and
environments
affect the future
quality of
people’s lives.
What will the
landscape look
like after 50
years of tree
planting? How
will people’s
lives change?
Why is it
important to
manage
environments
sustainably?
Paper,
pencils,
colouring
pencils or
access to
Microsoft
Publisher or
Word.
Photographs
of Lesotho
landscape;
Photocopies
of
photograph
with half the
page blank;
art materials
to complete
the picture.