Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Back to Study HubBrowse Year 5 Geography Guides

Year 5 - Geography

Global trees and forests

Local and global: why are trees and forests important?

Unit Summary

This unit explores the importance of trees and forests at local, national and global scales. Pupils investigate the benefits of trees, map forest change over time, and plan action in response to environmental change in their own local area.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to identify and locate forests globally using atlases.

Key Notes

  • There are more than 60,000 species of tree across the world and forests cover about a third of its land mass.
  • Boreal, temperate and tropical are simple categorisations of the world's forest biomes.
  • Deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn and evergreen trees keep their leaves all the year around.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • biome: A biome is a large region of the world with places that have similar climates, vegetation and animals that have adapted to living there
  • deciduous: Deciduous trees and shrubs lose all their leaves in autumn and winter and grow new leaves in spring
  • climate zone: Climate zones are areas that have similar weather conditions and climate, e.g. the tropics
  • evergreen: Evergreen trees and shrubs keep their leaves all year round
  • vegetation belt: Vegetation belts are large areas in biomes that have similar plants

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Children may not understand the concept of migration.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.

There are more than 60,000 species of tree across the world and forests cover about a third of its land mass. Boreal, temperate and tropical are simple categorisations of the world's forest biomes.

2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'biome'

A biome is a large region of the world with places that have similar climates, vegetation and animals that have adapted to living there.

3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.

Mistake: Children may not understand the concept of migration. Correction: Explain that some animals move from one region or habitat to another according to the seasons.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 5 Geography guide library.