Building Beautiful Biomes

In January 2024, Year 7 produced some outstanding work, exploring Africa’s biomes. Students first spent time understanding physical factors, such as rainfall and altitude. These result in a wide variety of ecosystems across the African continent.

With their detailed knowledge and understanding, groups of students then built beautiful models of desert, savannah, rainforest, and Mediterranean biomes. Students put in a huge amount of effort, including during breaks and lunchtimes, to finish their work. Models were then displayed in the SSL library.

All of the models included characteristic plants and animals, as well as features such as beaches and waterfalls. Students were inventive in the materials and techniques they used to produce realistic-looking representations. Their ideas included using hot-melt glue to produce the rippled surface of water and couscous to serve as convincing Saharan sand.

The project was part of a wider study of Africa’s physical and human Geography, including the continent’s mountains, rivers, deserts, lakes, and major cities. In Year 8, students will build on what they learned in Year 7 to study weather and climate in deeper detail. They will be able to apply their understanding of Africa’s climates and learn more about the factors which drive short-term weather and long-term climate.