Writing Activities: Year 6

Chimpanzee

Chimpanzees can be found across central and West Africa. These great apes share 98.7 percent of our genetic blueprint – this means that along with bonobos, they are our closest living relatives. Chimpanzees are highly social beings, living in communities of several dozen animals. These communities are led by an alpha male. Although they normally walk on all fours, chimpanzees can stand and walk upright.

In this clip, we will see some orphaned chimps getting ready to go to the forest for the first time.

Literacy Idea

Using what you have learnt from the clip, create a ‘Chimp Survival Guide’ for young chimps entering into the wild for the first time.

You could include the following information:

• What they’ll need to avoid
• What skills they’ll need to survive
• What their new home will look like
• What they’ll be able to do for fun
• How they’ll feel when they reach their new forest home

Wider Curriculum Idea

Humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor that lived 6-8 million years ago, but we evolved differently. Read about evolution from bbc.co.uk/bitesize, and complete the quiz to check what you have learnt!