Writing Activities: Year 5
Sifaka
Sifakas are lemurs. They get their name from their unique call, which echoes throughout the Madagascan forests and sounds like they are saying ‘shif-auk’. Sifakas spend most of their time in the trees, leaping quickly from branch to branch. Using their powerful hind legs to jump, they can clear distances of over nine metres.
In this clip, we will see some sifakas jump across sharp limestone shards to reach fresh vegetation.
Credit: BBC Two – Earth’s Tropical Islands
Literacy Idea
Imagine you are a newspaper reporter. You have just witnessed the incredible efforts of the sifaka and her child jumping across the sharp limestone.
Write a newspaper article about the sifaka’s journey. Remember to include…
- An attention-grabbing headline
- An introduction explaining why you are writing this article
- Details explaining the events that unfolded
- An interview with the sifaka about how she felt, and why she took such a risky journey
Wider Curriculum Idea
Turn the sound off on the clip, and find a song that you think best fits what is happening in the clip. Write a paragraph explaining why you have chosen this song!