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This activity can be used as a topic starter. It helps to identify what children think they know. Type or write clearly 20-30 key words from the overall topic onto an OHT or write them on a blackboard that can be hidden. Put the most important/frequent words in one frame headed ‘ Level One Words’. The rest, which would contain some of the specialized words, are framed and headed ‘Level Two words’.

This strategy can be a diagnostic activity at the start of a unit – you can suggest that they might need to make a cluster of words that no-one knows the meaning of. This will help your planning. It can also be a useful revision exercise at the end of a unit.

SEREAD is an educational programme linked to current teaching programmes in Pacific Island schools. SEREAD stands for Scientific Educational Resources and Experience Associated with the Deployment of Argo. The Argo Project is a series of ocean floats that move up an down vertically through the|water and the information they provide is used to help understand the changes taking place in today's climate.

• Provide teaching resources that complement current teaching curriculum and demonstrate the value of scientif ic knowledge through realistic and locally relevant applications. • Teach students about the fundamental measur|ements that are used to describe and measure changes in climate. • Help teachers and students to understand how scientists use data. • Provide opportunities for interaction between scientists and teachers.

This story hook aims to provide young readers with an appreciation of the beauty and uses of a mangrove ecosystem and the responsibility that, we, humans must take towards the protection of our mangroves. The hook is not intended specifically as a classroom text book, however teachers may find it an appropriate supplementary tool to use in discussions about the natural environment. A list of extension activities is provided for those wishing to take this further. These activities aim to increase knowledge about mangroves and their uses in general and also to encourage children to think critically about those situations that require people to change the way they have usually dune things.