Workshop 6: Web of Life 1: We Are All Connected

Recap & Overview | 2 mins

Briefly reconnect the Ambassadors to their journey so far.

Ask: "Who can remember what we explored together last week?"

Take a few quick responses.

Say: “Last week, we explored how differences can be a strength in nature and in ourselves. This week, we’re going to look at how all living things are dependent on each other’s different strengths for survival, including humans.”

FACILITATOR NOTE

The purpose of the activity is not to create a scientifically perfect Web. The important learning is that:

• Living things exist within interconnected systems.

• Connections can be direct or indirect.

• Humans are part of these systems, not separate from them.

• A change to one part can have effects elsewhere in the Web.

• Our understanding of WE can extend beyond human relationships to the wider living world.

Use the Web of Life - Key Connections information in Wider Context to check ecological connections and correct misconceptions where necessary.

SAFETY

If Ambassadors hold the wool, they must hold it between their fingers, never wrapped or wound around fingers, hands or bodies.

Note: In this activity, the Web of Life can be made using either one continuous ball of wool or separate pieces of wool, one for each strand in the Web. With separate strands, there is slightly less of a sense of connection within the Web, but it can be used safely with groups who might be less responsible in handling the thread.

For groups where moving with wool may be difficult:

• Lay the wool on the ground to show the connections.

• Limit the number of Ambassadors moving at one time.

• Establish “Freeze!” as the signal for everyone to immediately stop moving.

Part 1: Who is the Most Important? | 5 mins

Ask the Ambassadors to form pairs and give a Web of Life card out to each pair.

Say: “On your card is a living thing or something from nature. In silence, you have just 90 seconds to work together to form a line, from what you think is most important at one end to least important at the other.”

There are no right or wrong answers. We want to see what you think.

Once complete, ask questions to explore the Ambassadors’ reasoning:

• How did you decide what was more or less “important”? 

• Which was the easiest thing to place?

• Which was the hardest thing to place?

• Where did you put humans?

• Why did you put them there?

Thank the Ambassadors for their answers. 

Say: “Let’s hold onto these thoughts as we go into the next activity. Also hold onto your cards and form a circle, staying in your same pairs.”

Part 2: Introduction to the Web of Life | 10 mins

Say: Today’s core activity  is called the Web of Life.”

Q: “Does anyone know what the Web of Life is?” Take responses. 

Explain: “The Web of Life helps us see some of the many connections between plants, animals, people, and the rest of nature. Some connections are obvious, like an animal eating a plant. Others might involve water, shelter, pollination, or having somewhere to live.”. 

Set Up

Ask the Ambassadors to remain in a circle in their pairs with their Web of Life Cards.

If using one continuous ball of wool, give the ball to one pair.

If using separate strands, give each pair a strand of wool.  (SEE BELOW FOR ADAPTING TO YOUR GROUP.)

Explain:

“Your challenge is to create a web where every part is connected to at least one other part.”

1. In your pairs, decide who will be the Weaver of the Web and who will be the Holder of the Web. The Weaver is the person who passes the thread and the Holder is the person who receives the thread.”
   
   If possible, ask the Holders to sit and the Weavers to stand immediately behind them.
   
   

2. Demonstrate how to play the game by making two connections (e.g. draw the wool from the Sun to the Meadow, saying that plants need the Sun to photosynthesise).

3. Explain: “Each card has a clue to help you work out possible connections. Remember, connections aren't only about food. Think about things like water, shelter, habitat, and what different living things need to survive.”

Create the Web

Invite Ambassadors to begin making their connections.

Check the ecological accuracy of connections as the Web develops, using the Web of Life Key Connections Facilitator Cribsheet where needed.

If a connection is unclear, ask:

“What makes you think those two are connected?”

“What does your clue tell you?”

Once everyone is connected, pause and acknowledge what they have created.

Invite one or two pairs to explain a connection.

Part 3: Feel the Connection | 3 mins

With everyone holding the Web, invite the group to gently pull on the wool.

Q: Anyone who can feel the pull to raise their other hand.

Q: “What do you notice?”

“If someone across the circle pulls their thread and you can feel it over here, what might that tell us about our Web?”

Draw out: a change in one place can be felt elsewhere because the different parts are connected.

Part 4 : Going Deeper | 8 mins (Optional, time permitting)

Explore the indirect connections between points on the web using these questions:

Q: “Are two things still connected even if they don't have a piece of wool directly between them?”

“Can anyone find an example?”

Explain: “Many living things aren't directly connected, but they can still be connected through other parts of the Web.”

Q: “So what do you think might happen if one part of our Web disappeared?”

Choose one example, such as the Woodland.

Q: “Who is connected to the Woodland?”

Q: “What might happen if the Woodland disappeared?”

Say: “Woodland, let go of your wool.”

Allow the effect to move through the Web.

Ask:

• “Who noticed the change first?”

• “Who might be affected next?”

• “Could something that wasn't directly connected to the Woodland eventually be affected too?”

Continue for another one or two connections if useful.

Explain:

“When a change in one part of a living system leads to changes in other parts, we sometimes call this a ripple effect.”

“Some effects may be bigger than others, and they may happen at different times, but a change in one part of a system can travel through its connections.

Recap on the Hierarchy Activity | 2-3 mins

With the Ambassadors still in a circle, ask: Do you remember the ‘most to least important’ game we played at the start of today?”

• Q: “Has the Web of Life changed how you see what living things are more or less important? How?”

• Q: “If you had to do that activity again what would you do differently?

Embedding the learning | 3-4 mins

Gather the Ambassadors 

Q: “What has our Web of Life shown us today?”

Take a few responses.

Q: “Are humans outside the Web of Life, or are we part of it?”

Q: “What are some of the things we depend on within this Web?”

Draw out examples such as plants, animals, clean air, water, soil, food, and healthy ecosystems.

Say: “We are not separate from nature. We are part of it. Our lives depend on relationships with other people and with the wider living world.”

Connect back to Ubuntu:

“Ubuntu helped us explore the idea: I am because we are.”

“Today, we've discovered that perhaps our idea of WE can be even bigger.”

“We depend on other people, but we also depend on plants, animals, fungi, water, soil and the living systems around us.”

“Our WE is bigger than us. We are part of nature, and nature is part of us.”

Link to next week’s session: “In our next session, we are going to explore more about the connectedness between living things and how they communicate, cooperate, and support one another in nature.”

The 3-2-1 Reflection is split into two parts. If you have time, complete both. If not, choose Part 1 or Part 2, based on what you feel will best serve the needs of your group.

Ask the Ambassadors to make connections simultaneously across the Web, with one person from each group getting-up to make connections while the other one or two people sit to receive wool from others. 

Please Note: This approach to the activity is fun and dynamic, but increases the risk of young people getting tangled in wool. Some of the connections made by the Ambassadors young people may be inaccurate. Possible Adjustments For safety, ask the group to lay their wool on the floor. Limit movement to four people at a time. Explain that if you say “Freeze!”, everyone must stop moving so you can address any concerns about risk or check the accuracy of connections.

Possible Adjustments:

• For safety, ask the group to lay their wool on the floor. 

• Limit movement to four people at a time.

• Explain that if you say “Freeze!”, everyone must stop moving so you can address any concerns about risk or check the accuracy of connections.

Ask the Ambassadors to make connections one-by-one, guiding them through this process, as needed.

Please Note: The connections made will be accurate, but the activity will be slower and may lead to impatience among the group.

Possible Adjustments:

• Get a number of connections quickly established by asking the Ambassadors to shout them out as you lay out the wool. After, guide them in making the remaining connections themselves, one by one.

• If you have extra facilitators, allow them to oversee young people making more than one connection at the same time.

Keystone species: Organisms that help keep an ecosystem healthy and balanced. Keystone species have more interconnections and interdependencies than most other species, meaning that changes in their population size and wellbeing causes the greatest impact and trophic cascades. Without them, the ecosystem would change dramatically or cease to exist. They are crucial to the whole system.

Trophic Cascade: A trophic cascade is a domino effect within an ecosystem where a change in one part of an ecosystem triggers a series of changes across other parts, including prey and vegetation. These cascading impacts can alter population sizes, species interactions, and overall ecosystem structure and functioning significantly over time.

Shelter: What plants and animals use to sleep and protect itself from predators and the weather.

Habitat: The area where plants and animals grow, roam, hunt, forage, find mates, and avoid overcrowding. A lack of space can lead to resource competition and make populations more prone to diseases and stress.

Winona LaDuke is a Native American environmental activist and writer from the Anishinaabe (Ah-nish-in-AH-bay) First Nation in the United States. She works to protect the environment, Indigenous cultures, and natural resources, teaching that people should care for the Earth because we are all connected to it and depend on it.

Sun: “All creatures need the warmth and light I give. But who needs me to grow?”

 > Flower Meadow / Woodland / Wild Blackberries: The Sun provides light enabling plants to photosynthesise, producing food from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide. It also produces oxygen.

Soil: “I’m not alive, but full of life! I help plants grow and stand tall. Some animals live in me.”

 > Flower Meadow / Woodland / Wild Blackberries: Soil provides plants with water and essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, that they need to grow.

> Earthworm / Fox / Rabbit: These species use soil to make burrows for shelter. Earthworms also find food and moisture in soil.

Earthworm: “I live underground and help break down dead leaves and plants. I make the soil healthy for plants to grow. I am food for hedgehogs and birds.”
> Soil / Flower Meadow / Woodland / Wild Blackberries: Earthworms break down organic matter and mix it into the soil, helping make nutrients available to plants.

> Hedgehog / Bird: Earthworms provide food for hedgehogs and many birds.

Woodland: “I’m filled with trees and shade. You’ll find nests, burrows and animals hunting quietly. Wings also flap through me.”

> Soil: Woodland enriches the soil by adding dead organic matter, while roots help prevent soil erosion, and the shade of the canopy helps retain soil moisture.

> Rain: Trees release water vapour into the atmosphere through transpiration, contributing to the water cycle, and rainfall.

> Fungus: Woodland provides fungi with food, shade, and moist conditions for growth.

> Bat / Fox / Rabbit / Bird / Hedgehog / Moths, Butterflies and Bees: Woodland provides food, shelter and places to reproduce.

> Wild Blackberries: Woodland provides habitat.

Flower Meadow: “Certain insects love to visit me and other creatures nibble my leaves.”

> Soil: Meadows enrich the soil by adding dead organic matter.

> Rain: Meadows release water vapour into the atmosphere through transpiration, contributing to the water cycle, and rainfall.

> Fox: Meadows provide prey for foxes, like rabbits, mice, earthworms, and birds.

> Rabbit / Bird / Moths, Butterflies and Bees: Meadows provide food, shelter, and places to reproduce.

Bird: “I eat fruits or things that crawl or fly, and build my home in leafy places.”

> Woodland / Flower Meadow / Wild Blackberries: Many birds disperse seeds through their droppings and eat insects that feed on plants.

> Fox: Birds provide food for foxes.

Human: “I shape the world, plant and pick, protect, and pollute. My actions can help or harm other lifeforms.”

> All parts of the web:

Positive: Humans protect habitats and species.

Negative: Humans destroy habitats, harm or kill wildlife, and pollute the soil and water.

Bat: “I fly at night and use sound to find flying insects to eat. I sleep in dark, quiet places.”

> Woodland / Flower Meadow: Bats eat and help control insect populations.

Moths, Butterflies and Bees: “We fly from flower to flower collecting something sweet. Some of us fly by day and some of us fly by night. We help some plants grow fruit.”

> Woodland / Flower Meadow / Wild Blackberries: They pollinate flowering plants.

> Birds / Hedgehog: They provide food for some birds.

Hedgehog: “I come out at night and eat things that wriggle or crawl. I live in sheltered places.”

> Soil: Hedgehog droppings add nutrients to the soil.

> Woodland / Flower Meadow: Hedgehogs consume vast quantities of insects, slugs, snails and other invertebrates, which helps maintain ecosystem balance.

> Fox: Hedgehogs provide food as prey.

Rabbit: “I keep my ears up and my teeth busy. I nibble the green, but I’m always watching for those who might want to eat me. I sleep underground.”

> Soil: Rabbit droppings add nutrients to the soil.

> Woodland / Flower Meadow: Rabbits graze on plants, helping to control vegetation.

> Fox: Rabbits provide food as prey.

Fox: “I am quiet and clever. I can hunt other animals, eat fruit, and sleep underground.”

> Woodland / Flower Meadow: Foxes help regulate populations of small mammals, contributing to ecosystem balance.

> Soil: Fox droppings add nutrients to the soil.

> Rabbit: Foxes help regulate rabbit populations through predation.

> Wild Blackberries: Fox droppings disperse blackberry seeds.

Wild Blackberries: “I grow in sunlight and soil. I make food on my branches, but who eats it? Visitors with wings help my seeds spread.”

> Soil: Blackberries enrich the soil by adding dead organic matter.

> Rain: Blackberries release water vapour into the atmosphere through transpiration, contributing to the water cycle, and rainfall.

> Woodland: Blackberry plants provide food and shelter for woodland wildlife.

> Moths, Butterflies and Bees: Blackberry flowers provide nectar and pollen for pollinators.

> Bird / Fox: Blackberries provide birds and foxes with fruit to eat.

Rain: “I’m not alive, but I give life! I help animals to thrive  and plants to grow and bear fruit.”

> Soil: Rain helps move dissolved nutrients through the soil, making them more available to plants.

> Woodland / Flower Meadow / Wild Blackberries / Fungus / Fox / Rabbit / Bat / Bird / Hedgehog / Moths, Butterflies and Bees / Earthworm / Human: Rain provides water needed by all plants and animals to survive and grow.

Fungus: “I grow in soil or on dead wood. I need moisture to grow.”

> Soil / Woodland / Flower Meadow / Blackberries: Fungi decompose organic matter, releasing nutrients back into the soil.

> Fox / Hedgehog / Human / Bird / Earthworm: foxes, hedgehogs, and humans all eat fungi as a small part of their diet, along with some birds. Earthworms eat fungi found in the soil as a major part of their diet.