Eden Project Hosts BBC Live Lesson on Earth Day
The Eden Project’s Rainforest Biome provided a stunning backdrop for a special BBC Live Lesson broadcast on Earth Day, April 22. The lesson, which was available on the BBC Teach website and broadcast on CBBC and BBC iPlayer, saw hosts Naomi Wilkinson and Lizzie Daly explore the water cycle with children.
According to a report by Rewind Radio, the lesson took children on a trip into the Rainforest Biome to learn about the constant movement of water and discover why the water cycle is essential for all life on our planet. During the lesson, children were asked to solve a series of clues to help them put the different stages of the water cycle in order. They could also participate in curriculum-linked interactive activities, geared towards children aged 7 to 11.
Rewind Radio reported that Robbie Kirkman, the Eden Project’s education team lead, contributed to the lesson. Kirkman has been broadcasting virtual livestreams from the Rainforest Biome to school children around the world for the past two years, covering topics including biodiversity, sustainability, climate change, and our connections to the rainforest.
As quoted in the Rewind Radio article, Robbie Kirkman said: "Education is at the heart of everything we do here. Through our educational mission, we look to connect future generations to nature and encourage them to see themselves as part of the natural world. Our programmes empower young people to better understand how they can help nurture and protect the planet. We were delighted to welcome the BBC Live Lessons team to film a lesson with us – particularly for Earth Day, which shines a spotlight on all that we believe in."
The BBC Live Lesson was produced by Kate Lennon, executive producer at BBC Teach, who said: "We’re pleased to be marking Earth Day with an exciting Live Lesson about the water cycle and its vital role in sustaining life on the planet. Working with the Eden Project provides a stunning location to help us bring the topic to life."
Earth Day is a global movement and annual awareness day marked on April 22 every year. According to Rewind Radio, the day aims to highlight the importance of protecting the environment and improving the world we live in. The first Earth Day was held in 1970 and now unites over one billion people of all ages in nearly 200 countries.
The Eden Project’s Rainforest Biome has been used as a location to highlight Earth Day for the second consecutive year. Rewind Radio reported that last year, the Biome provided the backdrop to a one-off green special of ITV’s Loose Women panel show.
In addition to the Earth Day lesson, the Eden Project will host a further live lesson on April 25, focused on the Eden Project’s annual food sharing initiative, The Big Lunch. During this lesson, storytellers will share the ‘Rainforest Big Lunch’ story, and children from Key Stages 1 and 2 will have the opportunity to solve riddles and find some of the Biome’s most iconic plants.
The Eden Project has a strong commitment to education, with over 31,000 school children visiting the site in the past year for an educational experience. The education team also engaged with almost 75,000 online learners through workshops for individual schools, livestreams, and online resource downloads.
For more information on educational opportunities available at the Eden Project, visit www.edenproject.com/learn. For more information on The Big Lunch, see www.thebiglunch.com.
Source: Rewind Radio
