“PLANET EARTH NEEDS OUR HELP”
Welcome to my School Planet Earth Story Book and Resource Pack about Climate Change.
I hope you enjoy using this project to discover, learn and find fun ways to help Planet Earth and its inhabitants. Please let me know how you get on!
Marylyn (author & illustrator)
Thank you for being a friend of Planet Earth
Comments from some Primary Schools and a few of the many organisations who have shown support and interest in this project. Thank you!
Quotes from emails from various Primary schools in response to a questionnaire sent out December 2017-18
Would you use this book with your pupils?
- Would use with younger children / KS1. It covers several key areas about protecting our planet and will be a good gateway for some children and good to use as consolidation for others.
- Yes
Would you want hard copies? if so, how many per class? Or electronic copies? If so, what format?
- Electronic copies- trying to increase use of chromebooks/technology. Also saves on paper copies. Powerpoint format would be good as we could display the words and pictures on any large interactive whiteboards.
- It would be useful to have a hard copy and an electronic copy. The children like to re-read books we have read as a whole class so having a hard copy or two would be nice to have in the class book box.
Which years would it be most suited to?
- Foundation and Years 1 and 2.
- Year 1 – 4
Which curriculum/topic areas could you use it for?
- Use key pages to help support scientific subjects – i.e. ‘Earth runs on light from the sun’ – link to solar power (not a direct curricular link but good to develop knowledge).
- Literacy – use of present tense instead of past comparison.
- The ‘promo notes for schools’ had good ideas about linking to the outdoor areas too.
- Also, good prompts for exploring different characters/linking fairies to other creatures etc – good literacy ideas.
- Science, PSHE and Geography. It could also provide a stimulus for writing and art work.
Would you be interested in using it as a teacher reader, class set?
- Digital copy and access via chrome books would mean it could be used either with groups, a whole class or whole school.
- It’s probably best as a book to read to the whole class.
Would you use copyright-free resources linked to the book?
- Yes
Would you use exhibition/display materials based on the book?
- Would use this book to support existing/other topics/events running in school (e.g. Energy Week/Recycling Week).
- Yes
Would you welcome author readings to groups of pupils?
- Yes, within themed weeks to help maximise the impact of having the author in at relevant times (themed weeks etc).
- Yes
We would like to know if this would be a useful resource for your school, and if so, we can build the resource into a project to apply for funding.
- As this is such a lovely resource DEED has offered to help Marylyn find out what format would be most useful to teachers and pupils to have in the classroom
- Jennifer’s going to let me know if she wants to get involved with this lovely book and project and thanks for thinking of us.
- Thank you for considering me in terms of providing feedback for the book. I applaud your aim of wanting to get this out as a resource to use across the county!
- Would you mind if I sent this on to two colleagues in school? One is our eco rep and very aware of environmental issues. Another is a keen forest school candidate and may offer their thoughts too.
- I just wanted to say this looks like a wonderful idea and I will be looking at the attached over the holidays.
- Please find some brief notes based on the points from your original email. I hope these will be useful combined with the other schools’ input too! Best of luck with your book – what a noble cause! Please keep us posted about your progress!
- I’m delighted that you’ve done the book – I do hear from teachers say that there are few good books for children on climate change.
- I have shared this email with the wider staff and have received some lovely feedback:
- I think this looks like a beautiful resource. Very easy to use and adaptable. Maybe more KS1, but could be used in connection with animals/ plants topic in Y3, but also on a wider PSHE/Jigsaw/Citizenship level in KS2. Maybe also our Y3 Dorset topic as we look at the harmful effects of tourism and things on the Jurassic Coast.
- I can imagine School Council and Eco Warriors using it for an assembly purpose to raise awareness whole school.
- I like the storytelling aspect of it and the stunning pictures. Perhaps it could even be the theme for some whole school poetry or art or something like that. It could also be the theme behind some interesting debates or persuasive writing.
- It is always lovely to use hard copies of books, but electronic versions and resources would be very useful too.
- I think the words in the book maybe could be a bigger font, so that if children are reading the book it is a little bit easier for them to read.
- I like that the book has separate images and words, this is a really good idea.
- Also I like that the book completely folds over, this makes it much easier if someone is reading the book out loud to children, so they can have the full focus on the section which they are talking about.
Some testimonials; to support a bid for funding to provide the book and resource pack “Planet Earth Needs Our Help” as a free resource to Primary Schools in the BCP & Dorset area. (I was unsuccessful in this bid and continue to self-fund this project with profits from any book sales, selling personal art works and donations)
“On behalf of East Dorset Friends of the Earth I wish to express my support for your bid for CIL Neighbourhood Funding to provide school resources for Poole Primary Schools as we believe that it is important to educate children in a positive away about the environment and the ways that we can all make a difference. Your resources do this in an informative and engaging way.”
With best wishes,
Angela Pooley
Co-ordinator
East Dorset Friends of the Earth
“DEED staff are often in school working with teachers and their wider communities. We use resources such as this book to help teachers highlight and access environmental sustainability within their curriculum planning. We looking at simple ways to bring the world to their classroom, and inspiring resources help support work on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Given the current climate and ecological emergency books and resources such as these are essential reading for all. We wish Marylyn every success with this bid”
Sarah Wise
Centre Co-ordinator for DEED and the Local Advisor for Connection Classrooms
“Planet Earth has contributed greatly to our Eco Hub at the Dolphin Shopping Centre. The project has provided great resource in a digestible and engaging way for children to interact with such an overwhelming topic. The activity packs involve children in the conversation and allows them to think of ways in which they impact their environment, and what they can do to help. It’s been fantastic seeing lots of children and families take part in the self-service activities, and watching the wall grow with lots of great images and ideas.”
Sabrina Brock Marketing Executive (Eco Hub Poole)
A very special thank you to Avonwood Primary school, the headmaster Chris Jackson and the pupils and staff who have supported “Planet Earth Needs Our Help” in so many different ways. I have learned such a lot from engaging with this fantastic school, who also endorse the Earth Charter. True and caring friends of Planet Earth! Thank you!
https://www.avonwoodprimaryschool.org.uk/
