Rainforest depiction in children’s resources

Abstract

This article analyses how rainforests are portrayed in children’s resources. Twenty books and 12 websites on rainforests, designed for pupils aged between 9 and 14 years, were examined to determine the types and range of animals depicted and how plant life in general is portrayed. The most commonly depicted animal was the orang-utan and other endangered animals featured strongly. Mammals and reptiles were over-represented compared with their actual presence in rainforests, while fish and invertebrates were under-represented. Animal size was sometimes misleading and there was an emphasis on colourful and dangerous species. Most resources included diagrams depicting the vertical stratification of the forest, and large, rare and colourful plants were common. The implications of the findings for teaching and learning about rainforests are addressed.

Keywords:

• rainforests
• visual images
• children’s resources