A River Child is a geography-led, cross-curricular thematic approach to the development of literacy, aimed at 9-12 year olds. It consists of a set of learning activities, related to learning outcomes in Geography, Science, Design and Technology, English, Drama and ICT. It also provides the opportunity for teachers to introduce religious education though the study of Islam as practised by Mohamed, the boy whose story is the focus of the pack.
In the final part of the pack, the village is revisited years later to discover how an area of natural wilderness has been saved and with it the way of life of the people who depend on it. Learn about the creation of Gashaka-Gumti National Park and see how a potential environmental disaster has been turned into a success story. This in turn gives an opportunity to study about National Parks in the UK and gain a better understanding of how we can make a difference and protect our environment and the lives of the people who depend on it. The activities and contents include:
- A Culturegram – Six copies of a full-colour poster that depicts photographs and images of the people, animals and landscape of Gashaka
- Card-Sorting and Drama Activities to deepen children’s understanding of different cultures
- Extensive Teacher’s Handbook to support a thinking skills approach to this cross-curriculum project
- Mohamed of Gashaka Storybook – Mohamed tells his own story of life in Gashaka and illustrates it with colour photographs. There are five copies of this A5 booklet for children to share for guided reading
- Also includes a CD with PowerPoint presentations, templates and resources
A River Child has been thoroughly researched and shown to have very positive impacts on literacy, geographical understanding and student motivation.
