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The Rainforest Web Trek |
for grades 3 - 6 | |
A. TEACHER'S INTRODUCTION This Web Trek on the rainforest provides an introductory overview for students in grades 3 - 6, where they will be introduced to the layers and physical properties, the plants, animals, and conservation issues involved. Some guided questions are included with each section, but the main project involves designing a rainforest mural to show what students have learned. Printable notecards are available to jot down notes, as well as rainforest mural coloring pages for younger classes. Also, if you do not wish to take on a larger wall mural, students can work in groups to create large posters instead. Students will also be creating "Did You Know?" cards, with facts identifying different plants, animals, and rainforest trivia, which they will incorporate into a board game. A "Did You Know?" printable card template is included. You may wish to assign student teams to be responsible for the different sections, one for the physical properties, another for plants, another group for animals, and the last group for conservation issues, though it's recommended that all students complete the general guided questions before going onto group projects for the mural and board game. An optional class poetry book on the rainforest is included as an extension activity. Forms used and student handouts follow directly below. The K/L (no "W" for this one!) charts can be used for activity warm-ups, and follow-up assessments. PRINTABLE K/L RAINFOREST CHART PRINTABLE RAINFOREST NOTECARDS DID YOU KNOW? RAINFOREST CARDS RAINFOREST POETRY PLANNING TEMPLATE *All sites used in this Web Trek have been carefully selected. However, as links change, please check all sites just before use to ensure they are appropriate before allowing student access. |
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B. STUDENTS' INTRODUCTION Welcome to the rainforest! You are going to visit several sites online to learn more about these special places, what kinds of plants and animals can be found there, and what is happening with rainforests today around the world. First though, it's a good idea to ask what you might already know about them. Fill in the chart your teacher will give you, listing what you know about rainforests. You will fill in the 2nd part of the chart after you complete this Web Trek. You will be creating a large rainforest mural with your class, planning what should be included and then drawing and painting the plants and animals. You will also be making "Did You Know?" cards, each one identifying and illustrating an animal, plant, or fact about the rainforest. You will then use these cards to create a board game. You also have the option of writing a poem about a rainforest topic, and creating a class poetry book. Ready? Your first stop takes you to the layers of the rainforest.. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |
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C. PROCESS 1. FIRST STOP - THE LAYERS OF THE RAINFOREST. . . Your first stop today is to take a virtual voyage into actual rainforests, seeing what the different layers look like and understanding the adaptations of plants and animals to each layer. You will visit the emergent layer, the canopy, the understory, and the forest floor, learning what each of these layers is composed of and how they function together. When you have finished reading, use the rainforest note cards to make your own notes about each layer. Take good notes because you will come back to this information later, when you are designing a rainforest mural. More sites are included below for further research, as well as a Rainforest Layer Game - once you're sure you know the structure of the rainforest! ENTER THE RAINFOREST: a.) What are two types of epiphytes, and how do they function in the rainforest canopy? What is an "epiphyte" (Hint: it's defined under "Rainforest Plants: Adaptation for Survival" on a center page click button.) b.) Which kind of plant has an advantage in the understory layer, and why? c.) Describe the bill of the toucan, and how this bird uses it. d.) How and why do ants form a relationship with plants, such as the acacia, in the understory of the rainforest? e.) Describe three insects found on the forest floor, and how their adaptations protect them from predators and otherwise help them to survive. MORE RAINFOREST SITES: 2. NEXT STOP - THE PLANTS OF THE RAINFOREST. . . a.) What family do bromeliads belong to? What is unique about these plants? b.) What is a "buttress root", and how does it assist rainforest trees? c.) Who can resist a carnivorous plant?! Apparently, not a lot of insects, and even some mammals and reptiles. What is the latin name for the pitcher plant, and how big can it grow? d.) How does the strangler fig vine work to avoid competition from other plants for light and nutrients? e.) Describe lianas. What kinds of plants does this category include? How do they grow, and how large can they grow? What is one famous poison coming from this group of plants? MORE RAINFOREST PLANTS SITES: 3. AND THE ANIMALS . . . Of course your rainforest needs animals! What kinds of animals live there? Learn more by visiting the sites below and answering the following questions, and don't forget to take notes and draw any pictures you might want later, on your notecards. RAINFOREST ANIMALS: b.) How would you like to be a sloth, and stay in the same tree for years at a time? It might depend on what they eat, so find out what their diet is. Also, how do they sleep? c.) They're colorful and cute - but they're also poisonous! Just how poisonous are they? You tell me, and also state how they got their name. While you're at it, discuss how these amazing frogs are born. d.) Which layers of the rainforest do macaws live in? Why are they listed on the endangered species list? e.) How many different species of toucans are there? Describe their beaks and how they use them. MORE RAINFOREST ANIMALS: 4. RAINFOREST CONSERVATION A STUDENT GUIDE TO TROPICAL FOREST CONSERVATION: b.) Name three kinds of rainforest animals that are threatened with extinction due to deforestation, discussing how potential habitat loss is closely associated with their survival. c.) What is sustainable forestry? d.) Describe the role of forests in our modern world. e.) What are three practices that this government site suggests for long-term solutions to deforestation and threatened rainforests? MORE RAINFOREST CONSERVATION SITES: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |
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D. YOUR TURN! STUDENT RAINFOREST PROJECTS 1.) DESIGN & PAINT A RAINFOREST MURAL It's time to gather all the knowledge that you have learned from visiting these sites about the rainforest, and to create your own rainforest mural. You will need a great deal of paper, because it will cover most of a wall or door - try a roll of art paper. The whole class will need to work on this mural together, first designing the background - remember all the rainforest layers! - and then adding plants and animals in their proper locations. You can use the downloads below to help you plan your mural. JAN BRETT'S RAINFOREST UMBRELLA COLORING MURAL TOUCAN, CHAMELEON, BUTTERFLY, AND FROG: 2.) DID YOU KNOW? RAINFOREST CARDS & RAINFOREST BOARD GAME You will also be creating Rainforest Did You Know? Cards, using the information you learned about animals, plants, and conservation issues throughout this Web Trek. The front of your card should have a title, an illustration, and a question about the rainforest, while the back of the card should give the answer to the question and more information about the animal, plant, or rainforest topic. Make lots and lots of these cards, because you are going to use them to create a board game! Design your board game with a rainforest illustration, showing the different layers of plants and including pictures of animals. A path should wind through the rainforest, made of a line of separate squares with numbers on it - make this like a Snakes and Ladders game. Each square then is numbered in order, one to one hundred, and you should attach ladders (or better yet, rainforest vines!) to some numbers where students will be able to advance ahead if they land on that square, or slide down the snake (make it a rainforest snake!) if they land on another square, going back. Also include several "Did You Know?" stops on your squares, where students can collect the cards if they answer the question correctly. The student who advances 1st through the game with a required minimum number of Did You Know? cards (you decide how many) wins the game. You can use the example below to see what a Snakes and Ladders game board looks like, and how it works as a game. INTERACTIVE SNAKES AND LADDERS 3.) OPTIONAL RAINFOREST POETRY BOOK The Rainforest I might never see it; It's part of my planet, ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |
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