Activity overview

Run the activity

If you are using this activity to teach about the Climate Challenge, think about the types of Positive Action that would suit your school and children. Prepare the materials you might need before the lesson.

1.Begin to discuss the question Who Is..? by introducing Dr Jane Goodall as a scientist and asking children what they think she does. Working in a small group or pair, can they look for clues about her in the photographs. These prompts may help you:

• Do you think she does her work now or did she live and work in the past?
• Is there anything in the photographs which gives you a clue about the type of science she is involved in?
• Dr Jane Goodall spent her life studying chimpanzees. Which animal species would you enjoy studying?

2. Share your ideas with the class. Did everyone agree?

3. Read the Background Science (you could do this as a class) to find out more about her life.

Background science

When teaching children about the Climate Challenge, it is important that we give them the facts (age appropriately and sensitively). During your discussion, allow time for children to express their thoughts and feelings and have them validated.

This is Dr Jane Goodall. She is a scientist who studies primates such as monkeys and apes (a primatologist). She is famous for her ground-breaking research on chimpanzees and spent 60 years observing their behaviour in Gombe National Park, Tanzania (where she is in the photo above). When she began her career in the 1950s, only men did this type of field work. In fact, it is lucky that Jane had an incredibly supportive mother because the park ranger insisted that she accompanied Jane to begin with.

Dr Jane Goodall discovered that chimpanzees showed similar emotions to humans: they even showed love by hugging and kissing (as shown in the photo above). She was the first person to prove that humans were not the only ‘tool- maker.’ She observed chimpanzees selecting branches; removing their leaves; poking them into termite mounds and eating the termites which they ‘fished’ out. Following this work, other scientists have observed a range of species who can use tools including birds, fish and even insects.

In recent years, Jane’s focus has become conservation (the protection of animals and their habitats). Chimpanzees are losing their habitat as humans chop down their forests for logging, mining and to make farms. At the same time, hunters are killing chimpanzees for meat and the illegal wildlife trade. When she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Jane realised that she needed to help local communities find alternative employment, so they did not need to destroy the forests to earn enough to live on. The JGI fund and train people so that they can look after their local habitats. The work includes restoring the forest, caring for orphaned chimpanzees and monitoring the populations of chimpanzees and other great apes. Jane’s approach can be summed up as: Educate; Protect; Rescue.

Dr Jane Goodall celebrated her 88th birthday in 2022, and she continues to tour the world giving talks. Her fearlessness and encouragement of others has undoubtedly influenced the science of primatology, where now there are about an equal number of men and women.

Take it further

After giving children the information they need about Climate Challenge issues, give them time to express how they feel, empathising with them and validating their feelings before taking it further.  

Watch

Be inspired by watching this film of the highlights of Dr Jane Goodall’s life made for her 80th birthday. In this film, watch Dr Jane and her team release a rescued chimpanzee into a safe island sanctuary in the Republic of Congo.

Listen to Dr Jane reading ’Me...Jane’ by Patrick McDonnell, a book about her early life.

Activities

Humans are one of five great apes; children could research and find out more about the other great apes: Orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobo and gorillas. You could find out the latest news from the Jane Goodall institute that was set up to inspire people to conserve the natural world.

Find out about other diverse scientists, in science-related jobs, using A Scientist Just Like Me resource.

Cross-curricular

Get crafty and make this recycled orangutan with WWF.

Linked Explorify activities - our recommendations: 

Watch monkeys socialising and using tools in Monkey business or explore tool use further with the mystery bag Groovy gizmos.

Discuss with the children what could be done to help and if there is a positive action they can take themselves. Explain that when lots of people carry out small positive changes, it can have a big impact overall.

Positive action

Your class might want to register with her ‘Roots and shoots’ website. This is specifically for young people who Dr Jane believes bring hope to the world. There are suggested environmental activities and awards if you post a story for your school.

Dr Jane Goodall and her team are trying to protect and restore the tropical forests of Africa. Stopping biodiversity loss is Sustainable Development Goal 15. This short activity from scotdec helps children explore goal 15. For more ideas on small positive steps to help the planet, read our article on The Climate Challenge.