Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed their first trip in 2 years to the Sunderland Winter Gardens and Museum. As part of their spring topic ‘Life in the rainforest’, and their geography topic about world biomes, year 5 took part in a rainforest workshop. They learnt about the different layers of a rainforest: forest floor, understory, canopy and emergent layer. After matching plants and animals to each layer, they were able to handle and examine specimens of plants unique to the rainforest. They also learnt about the affects of deforestation on the plants and animals living in rainforests, and the wider environment. The children loved exploring the mini rainforest growing inside the winter gardens, looking for answers to questions and collecting clues to name one of the world’s rainforests. Their favourite inhabitants were undoubtedly the enormous coy carp living in the rainforest pond, where they spent much of their time watching and talking to them! After their workshop and rainforest expedition, the children were able to explore the rest of the museum and complete an animal and scavenger hunt of the exhibits. The children were most excited by the Worlds Alive and Lost Worlds exhibits where they could see stuffed animals, such as polar bears and tigers, and examine fossils and rocks. They even got to see some original art work by the famous artist L S Lowry. The children were a credit to the school through their behaviour and enthusiasm, and we can’t wait to take them on their next trip!
