In Science this week, Maple Class travelled all the way to the forests of Tanzania without leaving our school grounds!

We have been learning about the famous scientist Jane Goodall. To truly understand her work, the children became scientists for the afternoon. We grabbed our books and checklists and headed outside to observe "chimpanzees" hiding in our outdoor area.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect—the rain started to fall just as we went out! It really brought the experience to life, helping us imagine what it felt like for Jane living in the rainforests of Gombe Stream.

Our Observation Mission:

The children learned that Jane didn't just watch animals; she observed them closely. We used a checklist to find photos of specific behaviours, including:

  • Chimps grooming each other.
  • Chimps using tools (a huge discovery Jane made!).#
  • Chimps playing and hugging.

We also learned that Jane gave the chimpanzees names instead of numbers. The children were very excited to spot the famous David Greybeard hiding in the bushes and write down exactly what he was doing... eating a banana!

It was a fantastic (and wet!) afternoon of outdoor learning.