Rainforests: Who needs them?

 Created by Glendover Elementary teachers, Lexington, Kentucky

Organizer:

Who in Lexington, Kentucky needs a rainforest?

Academic Expectations:

2.3          Analyze systems and the ways their components work together or effect each other

·        identify the components of a system and then communicate functions of a system

·        analyze how the properties and the components of a system affect their function within the system

·        recognize things that work together

2.14          Democratic Principals and apply to real life situations

·        make informed decisions about community concerns

·        determine rights and responsibilities in real life situations

·        recognize and demonstrate respect for different viewpoints (Secondary Demonstrator)

 

2.19          Students recognize and understand the relationship between people and geography and apply their knowledge to real life situations

·        examine the interaction between people and their environment and predict trends

·        compare regions to identify unifying characteristics

·        use geographic sources of information and data for a purpose

  Essential Questions:

1   Where and what is a rainforest?

2        What do we get from the rainforest that we need and want?

3        How will the future of the rainforest impact our lives in Lexington?

4        What is my responsibility to the rainforest in the next millennium?

Content Knowledge:

·        resources

·        geographic location

·        products

·        insects

·        characteristics

·        diversity

·        life sequence

·        behavior

·        needs (air, water, food and space)

·        interactions

·        Brazil

·        location

·        geography

·        culture

·        resources

·        industry and products

·        regions

·        economy

·        movement

·        animals

·        plants

·        commonalties (plants, animals and resources)

·        differences (plants, animals and resources)

·        weather

·        loosing rainforest and why are they being destroyed

·        economic factors in destroying the rainforest

·        responsibility to the preservation of the rainforest

 

Skills/Processes

understand

analyze

predict

questioning

assess

conclude

compare

contrast

write

read

interpret

graph

 

describe

explain

report

brainstorm

organize

 

label

recognize

locate

classify

summarize

Culminating Activity:

Each student will create an electronic magazine about the rainforest using HyperStudio.  An electronic magazine will be created and published on the web.  The contents of this magazine will come from the students’ individual magazines.

The students can purchase a writeable CD and an STLP activity will be to burn a copy of the student’s magazine.  The STLP group will buy the CDs and charge a slightly higher price to burn them.  Any profit from this project will be donated to rainforest preservation.

 

2nd/3rd Grade Rainforest Electronic Magazine Scoring Guide

 

Scoring Guide

3

2

1

Score

Identify the layers of a rainforest

Name the four layers

 

 

Name three layers

 

Name  two layers

 

 

Describe the layers of a rainforest

Describe four layers of the rainforest

Describe three layers of the rainforest

Describe two layers of the rainforest

 

 

Locate the layers of the rainforest

Locate all four layers

Locate all three layers

 

Locate all two layers

 

Demonstrate and analyze an understanding of the interaction between components and functions of a system

 

Give three examples of how layers interact with each other.

Give two examples of how layers interact with each other.

Give one example of how layers interact with each other

 

Research a concern

 

Uses 3 sources of information

Uses 2 sources of information

Uses 1 source of information

 

Apply information to support an informed decision

 

Offers a solution with at least 3 supporting details from research

Offers a solution with 2 supporting details from research

Offers a solution with 1 supporting details from research

 

Compare regions (rainforest/Lexington)

 

Identifies at least 6 unifying characteristics

Identifies at least 3 unifying characteristics

Identifies at least 1 unifying characteristics

 

Makes prediction about the future of the rainforest

 

Makes a valid prediction and supports their prediction

Makes a valid prediction

Attempts to make a prediction

 

 

1st Grade Rainforest Electronic Magazine Scoring Guide

 

Scoring Guide

3

2

1

Score

Identify the layers of a rainforest

Name the four layers

 

Name three layers

 

Name  two layers

 

 

Describe the layers of a rainforest

Describe four layers of the rainforest

Describe three layers of the rainforest

Describe two layers of the rainforest

 

 

Locate the layers of the rainforest

Locate all four layers

Locate all three layers

 

Locate all two layers

 

Demonstrate and analyze an understanding of the interaction between components and functions of a system

Illustrate and explain two examples of how layers interact with each other.

Illustrate and explain one example of how layers interact with each other.

Illustrate at least one example of how layers interact with each other.

 

 

Identify animal life of the rainforest

Identify 6 animals

Identify 4 animals

Identify 2 animals

 

 

Identify resources/products of the rainforest

 

Identify 6 resources/products

Identify 4 resources/products

Identify 2 resources/products

 

Research a concern

 

Uses 3 sources of information

Uses 2 sources of information

Uses 1 source of information

 

Apply information to support an informed decision

 

Offers a solution with at least 3 supporting details from research

Offers a solution with 2 supporting details from research

Offers a solution with 1 supporting details from research

 

Compare regions (rainforest/Lexington)

Identifies at least 4 unifying characteristics

Identifies at least 2 unifying characteristics

Identifies at least 1 unifying characteristics

 

Makes prediction about the future of the rainforest

Makes a valid prediction and supports their prediction

Makes a valid prediction

Attempts to make a prediction

 

 

 

Total Score

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructional Activities

 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Send out letter before beginning.

 

 

 

 

 

Week 1

January 10

 

KWL Chart

Objective: Establish what they know and what they want to learn.

 

Where in the World?

Objective: Locate and label tropical rainforests on a world map.

What is it-Glossary?

Objective: Define a rainforest

Get Specific

Objective: Locate and label South American rainforests with an emphasis on Brazil

JOURNALS

Daily Detective

Objective:  Learn facts about Brazil

Open Response

Objective: Reflect what they have learned and demonstrate their understanding.

Glossary

Objective: Build vocabulary and reflect on learning.

Week 2

January 17

HyperStudio Intro-computer lab

 

Order Candy Bars

 

MLK-Holiday

Rainforest Bulletin Board

Objective: Develop an understanding of the components of each layer of the rainforest.

Layers of Life

Objective:  Students will develop and understanding of life in different layers of the rainforest.

Layers of the Rainforest

Objective:  Give students experiences with names and facts about the layers.

JOURNALS Cont.

Daily Detective

Open Response

Glossary

 

Enrichment:

Computer Activity–Creek

Week 3

January 24

 

Research a Rainforest Animal or Plant:

Objective:  Children will research an animal/plant of the rainforest. Inclusionary Activity: Flip Books

Research a Rainforest Animal or Plant Cont.

Research a Rainforest Animal or Plant Cont.

Research a Rainforest Animal or Plant Cont.

JOURNALS Cont.

Daily Detective

Open Response

Glossary

 

Layers of Learning

Objective:  Know and be able to illustrate the rainforest layers.

 

Assessing


 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 4

January 31

 

Newman’s Own Organic Chocolate Bars

Objective:  Give students the responsibility for preservation of the rainforest.

 

“When the Rivers Go Home”

Map A

Objective:  Students will understand rainfall and flooding

 

“When the Rivers Go Home” Cont.

Map B-Objective:  Understand that rainfall can include snowfall.

Map C-Objective:  Place animals of the rainforest in different regions

 

HS-Homemade Rain

Objective:

 

JOURNALS Cont.

Daily Detective

Open Response

Glossary

 

Week 5

February 7

 

Smells of the Rainforest:

Objective:  Students will relate how sense of smell is important to animals of the rainforest

 

The Air We Breathe

Objective:  Students will understand how the greenhouse effect keeps the earth warm.

“The Great Kapok Tree”

 

Where Can We Begin?

Objective: Dialogue

Summary: Write and record dialogue plants and animals might say to each other.

Where Can We Begin? Cont.

 

JOURNALS Cont.

Daily Detective

Open Response

Glossary

 

Made in the Rainforest

Objective:  Raise awareness of products that come from the rainforest.

 

Week 6

February 14

 

Chocolate Activity

Objective: Graphing

Summary: Create candy box. Preservation of the rainforest.

Rainforest in an Aquarium

Objective: Develop an understanding of the components of each layer of the rainforest.

 

How to…

Objective: Transactive Writing

Summary:  Write recipes or instructions to a science experiment.

Tree with Buttress Roots:

Objective:  Students will make predictions about the effect of sunlight on plants.

JOURNALS Cont.

Daily Detective

Open Response

Glossary

 

Week 7

February 21

 

President’s Day - Holiday

Rainforest Products

Objective:  Students will understand resources that come from rainforest plants.

Rainforest Products Cont.

Orchid

Objective:  Students will learn about plants that do not need soil to grow.

JOURNALS Cont.

Daily Detective

Open Response

Glossary

 

 

 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 8

February 28

 

Chewing Pleasures

Objective:  Students will demonstrate understanding of data collection.

Wrapping it Up

Objective:  Students will demonstrate their understanding of advertising and packaging of products.

Don’t Get Bugged

Objective:  What effect plants and worms have on the rainforest.

Where the Force Meets the Sea

Objective:  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the endangerment of the rainforest.

JOURNALS Cont.

Daily Detective

Open Response

Glossary

 

Week 9

March 6

 

Where the Force Meets the Sea Cont.

Rainforest Rhapsody

Objective:  Raise children’s awareness of the preservation of the rainforest

“The Great Kapok Tree”

Objective:  Students will learn coordinate graphing

Map A-Objective:  Recognize a map of South America and be able to locate Brazil, other countries where there are rainforests.

“The Great Kapok Tree”

Map B-Objective: Locate the Amazon Rainforest

Map C-Objective:

JOURNALS Cont.

Daily Detective

Open Response

Glossary

 

Week 10

March 13

 

Big KWL Chart

 

What Makes a Bug an Insect?

Objective: Make a ? book

Insect Data Sheet

Objective: Decide what insect they will research.

Insect Data Sheet Cont.

 

Create an Insect:

Objective:  Apply prior knowledge about insects to create their own model.

Summary:  Create a model of an insect using a variety of materials

 

JOURNALS Cont.

Daily Detective

Open Response

Glossary

 

Week 11

March 20

 

Catching the Rain

Objective:  Students will measure rainfall

Jaguars, Caimans and Gorillas

Objective: Learn how animals protect themselves from other animals in the jungle.

 

Green Tree Frog

Green Tree Frog Cont.

JOURNALS Cont.

Daily Detective

Open Response

Glossary

 

Week 12

March 27

 

Order

Objective:  Organize animals on the food chain according to their particular function or role.

Piece of the Pie

Objective:  Children will understand biodiversity vs. biomass

Brazilian Bingo

Objective:  Reinforce knowledge of vocabulary

Watch Fern Gully

Summary:  Fun!

FCPS Professional Development Day


 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

 

 

 

 

 

 



Week 13

April 10

 

Ins-Persuasive Letter

Objective:  Students will write persuasive letter

Persuasive Letter Cont.

Persuasive Letter Cont.

Persuasive Letter Cont.

Persuasive Letter Cont.

 

Week 14

April 17

 

Make an Advertisement/Plan a Poster

Objective: Create an advertisement expressing a need to preserve the rainforest.

Make an Advertisement/Plan a Poster Cont.

Present Electronic Magazines

Voices of the Rainforest Skit

Objective:  Students will provide information through drama.

Voices of the Rainforest Skit  Cont.

Week 15

April 24

 

Voices of the Rainforest Skit  Cont.

Voices of the Rainforest Skit  Cont.

Voices of the Rainforest Skit  Cont.

Voices of the Rainforest Skit  Cont.

Rainforest Jeopardy

Objective:  Review vocabulary and concepts learned through out unit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inclusion Activities

Create a Flip Book

Objective:  Students will show an understanding of the rainforest

Sloth Math

Objective: Counting to 18

Ant Hill

Objective: Do ant math, cut and paste activities.

Toucans

Objective: Name the parts of birds

 


Week One

KWL Chart

Objective:                    Establish what they know and what they want to learn.

Summary:    Whole class activity to brainstorm what students think they know about the rainforest. Chart responses to “Who Needs a Rainforest?”

 

Where in the World?

Objective:    Locate and label tropical rainforests on a world map.

Summary:    Use web resources, atlases, and videos to discover the geographic location of tropical rainforests.

 

What is it-Glossary?

Objective:    Define a rainforest.

Summary:    Read Rainforest, by Helen Cowcher

 and then use a dictionary to define a rainforest. Begin glossary using the rainforest as a first entry.

 

Get Specific

Objective:    Locate and label South American rainforests with an emphasis on Brazil

Summary:    Use web resources, atlases, and videos to discover the geographic location of tropical rainforests.

 

JOURNALS

Daily Detective

Objective:  Learn facts about Brazil

Summary:  On daily basis students will be given a clue, the students will have to research the answer.

 

Open Response

Objective: Reflect what they have learned and demonstrate their understanding.

Summary:     Incorporate writing, science, and social studies activities and express what they have learned.

 

Glossary

Objective:  Build vocabulary and reflect on learning.

Summary:     Create a paper and pencil glossary for each student.

 

Vocabulary:

Tropical Rainforest

 

Week Two

MLK Holiday

 

Rainforest Bulletin Board

Objective:    Develop an understanding of the components of each layer of the rainforest.

Summary:    The four layers of the rainforest will be labeled and as the unit progresses students will add components to layers on the bulletin board.

 

Layers of Life

Objective:  Students will develop and understanding of life in different layers of the rainforest.

Summary:  Cut out the animals and place them in the correct layer of the rainforest.

 

Layers of the Rainforest

Objective:  Give students experiences with names and facts about the layers. 

Summary:  Cut apart the layers, read the information and color the page.

“Secrets of the Rainforest”

 

Week 3

Research a Rainforest Animal or Plant:

Objective:  Children will research an animal/plant of the rainforest.

Summary:  The children will research a rainforest animal/plant, write a report and construct or draw the animal and put it on the rainforest bulletin board. Inclusionary Activity: Flip Books

 

Layers of Learning

Objective:  Know and be able to illustrate the rainforest layers.

Summary:  Create a booklet illustrating and labeling the layers of the rainforest.

 

Week 4

Newman’s Own Organic Chocolate Bars

Objective:  Give students the responsibility for preservation of the rainforest.

Summary:  Lead a fundraiser selling candy bars for a dollar.  52 cents goes to the class and 35 cents goes to by land in the rainforest in the class’ name.

 

“When the Rivers Go Home”

Map A: 

Objective:  Students will understand rainfall and flooding

Map B

Objective:  Students will understand that rainfall can include snowfall.

Map C

Objective:  Students will be able to place animals of the rainforest in different regions

Summary:  Children will be given a map and they will be asked to follow directions.

 

Homemade Rain

Objective:

Summary:  Place a bowlful of ice over a kettle.  As the kettle heats up, water will condense on the bowl and it will rain.

 

Week 5

Smells of the Rainforest:

Objective:  Students will relate how sense of smell is important to animals of the rainforest

Summary:  Canisters will be prepared that include different smells of the rainforest.  Students will need to identify the smell in the canister.

 

The Air We Breathe:

Objective:  Students will understand how the greenhouse effect keeps the earth warm.

Summary:  The students will use a plastic bag, two room thermometers and the children will place the bag and one thermometer in a window, and one in another place in the room.  Children will predict and compare the temperatures in the plastic bag.  Students will continue to monitor the temperature and later graph the data.

 

“The Great Kapok Tree”

 

Where Can We Begin?

Objective: Dialogue

Summary: Write and record dialogue plants and animals might say to each other.

 

Made in the Rainforest

Objective:  Raise awareness of products that come from the rainforest.

Summary:  Children will look in their cupboards at home to see what foods, household items etc. come from the rainforest.

 

Week 6

Chocolate Activity

Objective: Graphing

Summary: Create candy box. Preservation of the rainforest.

 

Rainforest in an Aquarium

Objective:    Develop an understanding of the components of each layer of the rainforest.

Summary:    Students begin to replicate and label their own rainforest by creating the rainforest floor out of gravel, crumbled charcoal, and potting soil. Plant ferns, moss, etc. and mist the plants with water and cover.

How to…

Objective: Transactive Writing

Summary:  Students will write recipes or instructions to a science experiment they conducted on the rainforest.

 

Tree with Buttress Roots:

Objective:  Students will make predictions about the effect of sunlight on plants.

Summary:  Take two plants  and put one plant in a spot away from sunlight and one in the sunlight.  Students predict, draw pictures of their observations and compare the two plants.

 

Week 7

Rainforest Products:

Objective:  Students will understand resources that come from rainforest plants.

Summary:  Students will use encyclopedia, books and web resources to research useful products that come from rainforest plants.

 

Orchid

Objective:  Students will learn about plants that do not need soil to grow.

Summary:  Students soak beans overnight, line the inside of a glass with a paper towel, stuff more paper towels to hold up paper towels.   They will add water everyday.  Record through drawings for 7 days and draw conclusions.

 

Week 8

Chewing Pleasures

Objective:  Students will demonstrate understanding of data collection.

Summary:  Students will graph why we chew gum and create charts through Cruncher.

 

Wrapping it Up

Objective:  Students will demonstrate their understanding of advertising and packaging of products.

Summary:  Students will design their own gum wrapper.

 

Don’t Get Bugged

Objective:  What effect plants and worms have on the rainforest.

Summary:  Fill a jar with soil, put worms and ants and place in a cool spot and observe. 

 

Where the Force Meets the Sea

Objective:  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the endangerment of the rainforest.

Summary:  Students will make posters to advertise the preservation of the rainforest.

 

Week 9

Rainforest Rhapsody

Objective:  Raise children’s awareness of the preservation of the rainforest

Summary:  Students will learn about the rainforest to the tune “Oh Where Oh Where.”

 

 “The Great Kapok Tree”

Objective:  Students will learn coordinate graphing

Summary:  Students will create a grid on the floor using masking tape and learn how to place objects using a grid system.

Map A-Objective:  Recognize a map of South America and be able to locate Brazil, other countries where there are rainforests.

Summary:

Map B-Objective: Locate the Amazon Rainforest on the maps. 

Summary:    Students will be given a map and the children will then be given map directions.

Map C-Objective: 

Summary:  Students will be given map and the directions

 

Week 10

Big KWL Chart

 

What Makes a Bug an Insect?

Objective: Make a ? book

 

Insect Data Sheet

Objective: Decide what insect they will research.

 

Create an Insect:

Objective:  Apply prior knowledge about insects to create their own model.

Summary:  Students will create a model of an insect using a variety of materials.

 

Week 11

Catching the Rain

Objective:  Students will measure rainfall

Summary:  Students will measure, record and graph rainfall then they will compare the amount of rainfall in our month with the rainforest.

 

Jaguars, Caimans and Gorillas

Objective:  Students will learn how animals protect themselves from other animals in the jungle.

Summary:   Choose animal, bird, reptile and search for their animal through magazines and books and find out how they depict their lives in the jungle.

 

Green Tree Frog

Objective:  Understand importance of camouflage.

Summary:   Students gather natural objects and decorate hat.  The hat is placed outside and the students must judge how well their hat blends in with the environment.

 

Week 12

Order

Objective:  Organize animals on the food chain according to their particular function or role.

Summary:   Plot animals on a given food pyramid.

 

Piece of the Pie

Objective:  Children will understand biodiversity vs. biomass

Summary:  Construct a pie graph to compare the rainforest land area to rainforest its contribution of plant and animal species to the world.

 

Brazilian Bingo

Objective:  Reinforce knowledge of vocabulary

Summary:  Students will plot rainforest vocabulary words on a bingo card and play bingo.

 

Watch Fern Gully

Summary:  Fun!

 

Week 13

Persuasive Letter

Objective:  Students will write persuasive letter

Summary:  As a first step:  Read the “The Great Kapok Tree”

·        Write a letter to another Glendover students to persuade them to become active in preserving the rainforest.

·        How can we begin…using collective information write a persuasive piece

 

Week 14

Make an Advertisement/Plan a Poster

Objective: Children to create an advertisement expressing a need to preserve the rainforest.

Summary:  Students will make a poster advertising the need for preservation of the rainforest.

 

Voices of the Rainforest Skit

Objective:  Students will provide information through drama.

Summary:  Students will be given a skit and they must adapt the skit to present their understanding of saving our rainforest.

 

Rainforest Jeopardy

Objective:  Review vocabulary and concepts learned through out unit.

Summary:  Students will play a jeopardy game.

 

Read, Read, Read

Objective:  Students will read a genre of material about the rainforest.

Summary: Students will read various materials on the rainforest and write summaries and book reviews.

 

Inclusionary Activities:

Create a Flip Book

Objective:  Students will show an understanding of the rainforest

Resource:  Student will create a flipbook with repetitive vocabulary.

 

Sloth Math

Objective: Counting to 18

Summary:  Counting to 18

 

Ant Hill

Objective: Do ant math, cut and paste activities.

Summary:  Read “Ant Cities” by Arthur Dorros

 

Toucans

Objective: Name the parts of birds

Summary:  Students will color toucan headbands.

 

Resources

Edmark:  Imagination Express:  Destination Rainforest

Vocabulary

Threatened

 

 

 

Endangered

 

 

 

Extinct

 

 

 

Producers

 

 

 

Biome

 

 

 

Biodiversity

 

 

 

Biomass

 

 

 

Buttress

 

 

 

Camouflage

 

 

 

Canopy

 

 

 

Carbon dioxide

 

 

 

Cash crops

 

 

 

Clearcutting

 

 

 

Conservation

 

 

 

Consumers

 

 

 

Deforestation

 

 

 

Development

 

 

 

Decomposer

 

 

 

Ecology

 

 

 

Ecosystem

 

 

 

Emergent

 

 

 

Endangered

 

 

 

Equator

 

 

 

Extinction

 

 

 

Erosion

 

 

 

Food chain

 

 

 

Forest floor

 

 

 

Global

 

 

 

Greenhouse effect

 

 

 

Habitat

 

 

 

Humidity

 

 

 

Indigenous

 

 

 

Invertebrates

 

 

 

Vertebrates

 

 

 

Jungle

 

 

 

Organic

 

 

 

Cocoa bean

 

 

 

Mammal

 

 

 

Reptile

 

 

 

Amphibian

 

 

 

Nocturnal

 

 

 

Oxygen

 

 

 

Moisture

 

 

 

Precipitation

 

 

 

Canopy

 

 

 

Understory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Rainforest Contract:                                         Name:  

Magazine entries that must be completed:

 

title page

 

glossary

 

table of contents

 

informational (feature) articles

 

persuasive (editorial) articles

 

how to articles (Science experiments, recipes)

 

maps

 

graphs

 

pictorial layout

 

survey/questionnaire

 

advertisements

 

story reviews about the rainforest

 

global involvement

 

web resources

 

   

Optional Magazine entries

     Date Completed:

human interests

 

compare and contrast graphs

 

fictional story

 

skits

 

cartoons

 

investigate rainforest preservation groups

 

 


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