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create a Tree champion
Citizenship
History
KS3
What is the Charter for woods, trees and people?
2017 will be a historic year for the UK – a new charter
will be launched that sets out how woods, trees and
people should benefit each other in the future.
because of poaching, and anyone could benefit from
the forest as a source of food as long as they obeyed
laws for what could be done at different times of year.
The Woodland Trust is working with lots of other
organisations – including RSPB, Wildlife Trusts
and National Trust – to involve as many people
across the UK as possible in defining this important
document. When it is launched in November 2017,
it will reflect all the things that people feel are
important about woods and trees, and how they
think we can ensure that future generations can
experience the benefits too.
‘Forest’ in 1217 did not mean large, dense woods as
it is commonly understood now. In fact, it was the
word used to refer to any area of land set aside for
hunting, and often included heathland with few or no
trees on it.
Throughout 2016 there will be opportunities for you
and your students to explore the different ways that
woods and trees are important, and to feed in your
thoughts and feelings to inform the content of the
Charter. By doing so, your school – and its students
– will have been part of making history.
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These sheets have been designed to be shared. Feel free to photocopy and provide to colleagues. All resources are available at woodlandtrust.co.uk/get-involved/schools/tree-champion-challenge.
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage. woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust is a registered charity, nos. 294344 and SC038885.
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In 2017, schools that have fed into the Charter will
have an opportunity to create – or contribute to – a
Charter memorial for their community, reflecting
that area and the interests of those living in it. Some
funding will be available from the Woodland Trust to
realise such a project.
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The Charter will be launched on 6 November 2017,
the 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest.
Magna Carta is famous, but it only became known
as Magna Carta, which means ‘Great Charter’, when
it was reissued in 1217 with another lesser charter
known as the Charter of the Forest. While Magna
Carta spoke mainly of the rights of the barons, the
new Charter also addressed the rights of ordinary
people – specifically in relation to Royal Forests
(where the king hunted). Before 1217 a common man
could be executed for hunting a deer in the Royal
Forest, and was not allowed to even enter the forest
to graze pigs and hunt small animals. The Charter of
the Forest declared that no one would lose their life
The new Charter will explore the value that trees and
woods bring to landscapes, the environment, wildlife
and people, and set rules for how they should be
used and looked after to ensure that all people and
animals benefit from them.
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create a Tree champion
Why this challenge?
This resource is intended to introduce the concept
of a charter, the importance of woods and trees to
different people in society, and to give students an
opportunity to define the ‘Tree Champions’ that will be
used in educational and youth-focused materials and
communications throughout 2016 and 17.
How does this resource work?
Using the resource, support the students to
create a character who they feel could be a
spokesperson for woods and trees. It could be a
person, an animal or a made up creature. Conduct
a class or whole-school vote based on a display
of the resulting worksheets, and choose one
from each age group to enter into the nationwide
competition.
Citizenship
History
KS3
CURRICULUM links for ENGLand
Citizenship
The nature of rules and laws and the justice system
The roles played by public institutions and voluntary
groups in society, and ways in which citizens
work together to improve communities, including
opportunities to participate in school-based activities.
History
The development of church, state and society in
Medieval Britain 1066-1509. For example, Magna
Carta and emergence of parliament and society,
economy and culture.
Submit these via the form on the Woodland
Trust website and send a scan or photo of the
worksheets featuring the illustration of the
characters to [email protected]
Two characters (one KS2 entry, one KS3 entry)
will be chosen from all those entered into the
challenge by acclaimed children’s author and
illustrator Jackie Morris.
Jackie will create an exclusive artwork featuring
the characters, and signed prints will be given to
the two students whose characters were selected,
and to their schools, along with a goody bag of
beautiful Jackie Morris books and Woodland Trust
products.
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These sheets have been designed to be shared. Feel free to photocopy and provide to colleagues. All resources are available at woodlandtrust.co.uk/get-involved/schools/tree-champion-challenge.
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage. woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust is a registered charity, nos. 294344 and SC038885.
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The first 20 schools to submit entries will receive
copies of Jackie Morris’s brand new book The Wild
Swans for the school library. Closing date for all
entries is 4 December 2015.
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create a Tree champion
Citizenship
History
KS3
Working as an individual, as a pair or in groups,
your students will explore the importance of trees
and woods to animals and people, and design a
character who will speak up for trees.
Consider what trees do for people and animals, and
why they might be useful: for example clean air,
shade, fruit, conkers, beautiful, firewood, home for
animals, perch for birds and places to hide.
Learning outcomes
Consider who looks after trees if they are being
damaged/cut down. They can’t speak for themselves
so who speaks for them?
Pupils will have:
1. Discussed the different people and animals who
benefit from trees and woods, and considered
what rules may be useful to protect trees, woods
and those who depend on them.
2.Invented a character and described its
characteristics and personality.
3.Drawn or created another person’s imaginary
character/creature based on their description.
4.Worked together with other pupils to tell a
progressive story as the different characters
meet up in the woodland.
Introduction
Conduct a class discussion to see who/what
students think may live in woods and trees, and
then broaden it to those who might visit woods or
use trees in some way. You could refer to stories
they know, or visits they have had to woods. An
inspirational trip to your local wood may help with
this activity.
Who lives in woods? Animals, insects, birds, fungi,
some people...
Read (or remind the class) about The Lorax by Dr
Seuss. Discuss what the Once-ler could have done
differently and what might happen if the same thing
was done to the local wood or trees in the school
grounds. Ask the class to consider whether they
would want to speak up to suggest that the trees
are not cut down, and what they would give as
reasons for this.
Introduce the idea that there are rules designed
to protect woods, and that these rules were made
to benefit both trees and people. They outline
what people can do in woodland, as well as what
people can’t do, and they’re there to make sure
that trees, wildlife and the people who use the
wood are safe. If your class has studied Magna
Carta, you could highlight the similarity between
the woodland rules you’ve discussed, and the rules
laid out in Magna Carta.
Explain that there was a second ‘Magna Carta’ that
is not talked about as much. In 1217, two years after
Magna Carta was signed, the ‘Charter of the Forest’
was brought in to say what people could and could
not do in woods and on heaths owned by the king.
Who visits woods? Walkers, students (themselves!),
bird-spotters, picnickers, artists...
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These sheets have been designed to be shared. Feel free to photocopy and provide to colleagues. All resources are available at woodlandtrust.co.uk/get-involved/schools/tree-champion-challenge.
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage. woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust is a registered charity, nos. 294344 and SC038885.
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Who uses woods? Builders, woodcutters, tree
climbers, fruit pickers...
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create a Tree champion
Put all the Tree Champion pupil worksheets on
display with a unique number, and conduct a vote
for the school favourite to put into the competition
(one KS2, one KS3). Each student in the school is
given a piece of paper to write a number on, and is
asked not to vote for their own.
Photograph and submit the winners using the form
on the Woodland Trust website
wt-charactercomp.education.co.uk
Photograph the scenes as evidence and ask the
class to guess what each one represents, before
asking the pair to explain.
Equipment
Create a Tree Champion pupil worksheet KS3.
Materials for making characters e.g. paper,
card, lolly sticks, pencils, natural materials, clay
(depends on how you want to focus the session).
Recording equipment (optional) e.g. mobile phones,
Dictaphones, cameras, video recorders.
Examples of woodland characters and their stories
(optional).
Pens, paper, pencils for recording the stories
(optional).
These sheets have been designed to be shared. Feel free to photocopy and provide to colleagues. All resources are available at woodlandtrust.co.uk/get-involved/schools/tree-champion-challenge.
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage. woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust is a registered charity, nos. 294344 and SC038885.
5
Homework/classwork: use the worksheet (Create
a Tree Champion pupil worksheet KS2/3) to portray
your character and explain why it loves woods
and trees.
Pupils work together in pairs to discuss and roleplay what their characters or creatures would
do and say if they met. They come up with three
scenes to share with the class to explain what
each character was doing in the woods and what
happens when they meet.
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Each pupil invents a character or creature that
one might meet in the woods. Use Create a Tree
Champion pupil worksheet KS2/3 to help think of
characteristics the character might have and why.
For example, what do they look like? (Big, small,
fluffy, sleek, feathered, winged, colour, clothes,
claws, paws, feet, teeth, eyes, tail). What is their
personality? (Meek, ferocious, wise, quiet, friendly,
curious, greedy, stealthy). What are they doing in
the woods. Why do they like trees and what do they
want to be different?
Extension Activity
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Activity
Citizenship
History
KS3
TEACHER’S
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create a Tree champion
Citizenship
History
KS3
Additional Background
Information
Discuss requirements for survival in the
woods – what food could be found, what
dangers there might be.
Discuss woodland creatures and how they
are adapted to woodland living (links in with
various ‘tree times’ activities).
Consider other fictional woodland characters
and interesting vocabulary. For example, The
Lorax, Robin Hood, Red Riding Hood, Little Evie
in the Wild Wood, The Wind in the Willows and
The Animals of Farthing Wood.
Discuss what effect these charters have had
on woodland over the last 800 years.
Useful Resources
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These sheets have been designed to be shared. Feel free to photocopy and provide to colleagues. All resources are available at woodlandtrust.co.uk/get-involved/schools/tree-champion-challenge.
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage. woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust is a registered charity, nos. 294344 and SC038885.
5
Book: Evie in the Wild Wood, by Jackie
Morris: https://www.goodreads.com/book/
show/17465801-little-evie-in-the-wild-wood
Video: Jackie Morris reads Little Evie in the
Wild Wood https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=SkAYYFmpVwM
Nature Detectives: www.woodlandtrust.org.
uk/naturedetectives
Dr Seuss’s The Lorax (book and film)
Magna Carta educational resources: http://
magnacarta800th.com/schools/downloadsand-resources/
heet
Pupil works
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create a Tree Champion
Citizenship
History
KS3
Name: Class: Tree ch
amp
Appearance
ion’s name
What do they like to do in the woods?
Personality
Why do they like trees?
What problem might they face?
What would you do to help?
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These sheets have been designed to be shared. Feel free to photocopy and provide to colleagues. All resources are available at woodlandtrust.co.uk/get-involved/schools/tree-champion-challenge.
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage. woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust is a registered charity, nos. 294344 and SC038885.
5
heet
Pupil works
Page 2
5
These sheets have been designed to be shared. Feel free to photocopy and provide to colleagues. All resources are available at woodlandtrust.co.uk/get-involved/schools/tree-champion-challenge.
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage. woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust is a registered charity, nos. 294344 and SC038885.
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Draw a picture of your Tree Champion
Citizenship
History
KS3
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create a Tree Champion