In Year 2 this term we have been learning about habitats. Today we have been exploring the poem from the book There's a Rang-Tan in my bedroom', which was created by Greenpeace, an environmental charity which focuses on protecting the natural world.

There's a Rang-tan in my bedroom and I don't know what to do.
She plays with all my teddies and keeps borrowing my shoe.
She destroys all of my house plants and she keeps on shouting 'oo'.
She throws away my chocolate and she howls at my shampoo.
There's a Rang-tan in my bedroom and I don't want her to stay,
So I told the naughty Rang-tan that she had to go away.
Oh, Rang-tan in my bedroom, just before you go,
Why were you in my bedroom? I really want to know.

There's a human in my forest and I don't know what to do.
He destroyed all of our trees for your food and your shampoo.
There's a human in my forest and I don't know what to do.
He took away my mother and I'm scared he'll take me, too.
There are humans in my forest and I don't know what to do.
They're burning it for palm oil so I thought I’d stay with you.

Oh Rang-tan in my bedroom now I do know what to do.
I’ll fight to save your home and I’ll stop you feeling blue.
I’ll share your story far and wide so others can fight too.
Oh Rang-tan in my bedroom I swear it on the stars:
the future's not yet written but I’ll make sure it's ours.

The children have explored and explained the meaning of the text, making inferences about the characters and why they act in a certain way. Furthermore, they have discussed the many questions the poet was trying to get the reader to think about.

• When in the girl’s bedroom, what do you think the Orangutan was trying to communicate to the girl?
• How do you think the Orangutan feels about his natural habitat?
• How has the opinion of the Orangutan changed throughout the poem?

• What is palm oil?
• How palm oil is used?
• The positives and negatives of farming palm oil, including deforestation which is referred to in the poem. 
• Who Greenpeace are and what the focus of the charity is. 

The children were exceptionally thoughtful and genuinely moved by this important picture book.