Terrible Tales of Fear and Forests

There’s a Monster in my Kitchen

As Hallowe’en approaches and scary stories send chills down spines, Greenpeace have released a terrible tale with a powerful message. The new animation follows on from the hugely successful short film ‘Rang-tan: the story of dirty palm oil’. In ‘Monster’ we meet the fearsome Jag-wah and learn how his rainforest home is being destroyed for industrial meat production.

The expressive language, rhythm, rhyme and repetition make it a rich learning resource. The illustrations capture the contrast between the beauty of a forest and the horror of its destruction.

Greenpeace have produced resource packs (for 7-11 and 11-14 year olds) that are free to download from the link below. On this page there is lots more information, tips and a calming ‘five minutes of serenity’ rainforest video.

There’s a Rang-tan in my Bedroom

Rang-tan has been watched millions of times and there is also a book telling the tale of the baby ape who has lost its mother and home through the creation of palm oil plantations. Like Monster, it is told it two parts: the child and the homeless animal. They both end with the child taking action, spreading awareness so the problem can be resolved.

There are lots of teaching resources inspired by Rang-tan, produced by Greenpeace and others. Here are some to check out:

https://www.teachingideas.co.uk/video/Rang-tan

Tecuani and the Duende – The Voice of the Jaguar

The first animated short film from Belize, Tecuani and the Duende also features the iconic jaguar and tells a tale about the impacts of unsustainable human consumption and its impacts on the precious biodiversity of rainforests. Can a young girl be the voice of the jaguar and prevent humans from making the same mistakes again?

Do you have any favourite films or resources for teaching the rainforest topic?

One class I taught were big fans of this song and its lovely animation:

https://youtu.be/gBgV75NQRlQ

Follow the Teachers Telling Tales Pinterest board below for more Rainforest inspiration.