Theme: Rainforests
Subject:
Geography
Term: Autumn 1
Unit overview:
In this theme the will children learn about what a rainforest is and where in the world they can be located. They will learn about: the rainforest itself including climates, weather and the 4
different layers; about deforestation and its impacts on people and places; about different plant and animal life that can be found in the rainforest and about people that live in rainforests.
The children will be visited by the ‘BUG Man’. Through this visit they will have the chance to see some insects and reptiles that can be found in rainforest habitats.
Key Objectives/Skills:
• Ask geographical questions, for example, 'What is this landscape like?', 'What do I think about it?'
• Compare and contrast a small area of the United Kingdom with that of a non-European country.
• Describe where places are, for example, in a hot or cold part of the world, whether they are near rivers or hills, what the nearest towns or cities are.
• Explore weather and climate in the United Kingdom and around the world.
• Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to and describe key physical and human features of locations for example, rainfall and climate
• Use world maps, atlases and globes.
• Use secondary sources of information, including aerial photographs, for example, stories, information texts, the internet, satellite images, photographs, videos and artefacts.
• Use fieldwork and observational skills.
Vocab:
Rainforest, Forest Floor, Understory, Canopy, Emergent, Habitat, Humid, Species, Deforestation, Equator, Species, Predator, Prey
Session
Main teaching
Session 1
LO: To learn where rainforests are located.
To describe
where places
are.
AfL – mind map. Begin this, add to it over the course of the following
lessons. “What do we know about Rainforests?”
To use world
maps, atlases
and globes.
Vocab:
Rainforest
Equator
Regions
Amazon
Session
Independent/Group Learning
Independent; Children to use library books, photos, sound
clips from Youtube to find out about rainforests and
http://resources.woodlandsjunior.kent.sch.uk/homework/Grainforest.html.
At the start of the lesson play the picture slideshow and music (sounds
of the rainforest; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg3W11G4In0) to
set the scene, ask the children to talk about the following;

What they think a rainforest is?

What makes a rainforest up?

Where they think rainforests are located?
Building on the initial discussions, show the children a world map or
Google earth. Ask the children to decide where in the world we might
find a rainforest based the following 3 key facts:

They are found where it is hot; the daily temperature is
around 25oC.

They are near the equator. (discuss the meaning of equator)

They are found in Africa, Asia and Central and South America.
(Do we know where these countries are?)
Give them a time to think about each fact and then decide upon a
location.
Children to write some interesting facts down onto paper for
Working wall or role play area.
Main teaching
Independent/ Group Learning
Supported – Name the contents of the world label on map.
Locate the Amazon rainforest, Congo Rainforest and the
Indonesian Rainforest. Colour the location onto a blank map.
Look where it is/ near to/ suggest how we would get there?
Is it a hot or cold place; how do they know or deduce that?
Ext: Why are they called Rainforests? What makes them
different from our forests?
Plenary
Refer back to mind
map from the
beginning of the
lesson. Ask children
to add new facts.
(take response from
LA children first)
Show Video clip from
BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/
education/clips/zrx76
sg
“green plants and
animals”
Plenary
Theme: Rainforests
Subject:
Geography
Term: Autumn 1
Session 2
LO: To identify and label the 4 layers/strata of a rainforest.
4 or 8 mixed ability groups;
To identify the
different parts
of a rainforest.
Talk to children about what they already know about rainforests,
location, temperature, how much it rains etc.
Each group to be given 1 of the four layers of the rainforest.
To ask
geographical
questions.
Vocab:
Layers
Strata
Forest floor
Understory
Canopy
Emergent
Explain that rainforests are very old, they were there thousands of
years ago, even when the dinosaurs where around!
They contain the largest variety of plant & animal species anywhere on
earth. Scientists are discovering new ones all the time. There are 50200 different types of tree in 1 hectare of rainforest! 1 hectare is
roughly the same size as a football pitch.
They will need to find out information about their section
including how much sunlight it gets or doesn’t; type of plants
found there and animals. Children to read information given
to them. Support given where necessary. Peer support
encouraged.
Children will need to match and stick the heading,
descriptions of the layer, and animals that live in that
section of the rainforest.
Use IWB to display the 4 layers.
Begin at the top & explain what each layer is called and give the brief
details below.
EXT: Children to add their own information to the sheet via
strips of paper or post it notes ready for their group
presentation.
Emergent – are giant trees that reach up much higher than the trees
from the canopy.
Canopy – is the upper parts of the trees of the rainforest.
Understorey – is the dark cool part under the leaves of the trees but
over the ground.
Forest floor – is the floor of the rainforest which is teeming with life
Children to be given an
opportunity to
feedback some
interesting things
they found out. Start
with LA children.
Put all four sections
together to create a
large image of the
rainforest.
Go over the
vocabulary with the
children. Say a word
and then ask them to
explain what the word
means using resources
to support them
where needed.
Watch the British
Council song video of
the animals of Brazil.
Give them a brief explanation of how the layers vary but explain to
them that they will be finding out about the layers and will be asked to
feed back as a group to the class at the end of the lesson.
Session
Main teaching
Independent / Group Learning
Plenary
Theme: Rainforests
Subject:
Geography
Session 3
LO: To identify at least 3 animals that live in the Amazon Rainforest.
To identify
some animals
that live in the
rainforest.
Do you think that the animals in a rainforest are the same/different as
our forests or maybe a bit of both?
To use
secondary
sources.
Vocab:
As previous
plus:
Habitat
Predator
Prey
Food chain
Food source
Diet
Carnivore
Herbivore
Omnivore
Session
Session 4
Compare and
contrast a small
area of the
United Kingdom
with that of
a non-European
country.
Vocab:
As previous
lessons + climate.
Session
Can anybody name animals that they think live in a rainforest? Discuss
children’s answers. Talk about the word HABITAT, explain what it
means and then refer it to an animal they have said. Why do we think
this animal would live here?
Term: Autumn 1
Mixed ability grouping:
Children to work in small groups and find out about the
different animals and birds that live in the rainforest.
Children will need to find out the name of the animal, what it
eats – does that make it a vegi, carni or omni?
Children will need to use secondary resources to research
the animals that live in the rainforest. Website, books,
pictures, fact sheets (Rainforest action pack – PDF) etc.
Show Children clip; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj730YQYKus
(Start at 04:20! And stop at 14:25 – watch the rest during the plenary)
This shows and explains about animals that live in the rainforests
and what part of the strata.
Children to write information onto post-it notes or strips of
paper to add to the strata or rainforest display.
Stop it at points to record some of the animals and ask the children to
talk about what they know about that animal;
What Layer of the strata does this animal live in?
Is it a predator or is it prey?
Is it a vegi, carni or omni?
What part of the rainforest do you think it lives?
Do you think that every rainforest in the world will have the same
animals living there? Can they justify their answers?
Main Teaching
LO: To compare our local woods with the Brazilian rainforest.
Re-cap where we find rainforests and the different layers to a
rainforest. Talk about animals that live in the rainforest and where
about within it. Refer to display for both children and adults to
remember some of the facts that we have learnt so far.
Go to the forest. Look at the trees and plants that are in our forest.
Are these trees different or the same to the ones you would find in
the rainforest? Look for animals, what can we find?
Main Teaching
Questions for the more able;
Ask children to talk
about an animal that
they have found out
about. Where do we
think it will live? Add
post-it notes/ sheets
of paper to display.
Watch the rest of
youtube clip. Pause to
discuss.
Introduce food chains
and show them a
couple of simple ones
for the working wall.
Why do you think ___ lives in the ____ layer of the
Rainforest?
Do you think a ___ could survive in the ___(section of the
rainforest)? Why? Why not?
Independent/Group Learning
Adult lead activity;
Find UK on the Map and then the Rainforests. Colour them
in. Talk about the location, how this would affect the
climate? Do we think we would find a monkey in our forest?
Why not?
Children lead activity;
On A3 Sheet in the form of a Venn – The Rainforest/ Our
Forest/ Both.
Have real objects; leaves, soil, flower, apple, banana, pine
cones.
And pictures; animals – bat (both), plants, foods, seasons +
weather – rain and lightening, sun.
Children to add their own animals, foods etc using strips of
paper.
Independent/Group Learning
Plenary
Plenary
Theme: Rainforests
Subject:
Geography
Session 5
LO: To compare our way of life to those who live in the rainforest.
Vocab:
Routine
similarities
Differences
Tribe
Despite all the rain and the wildlife, about 1 million people live in
rainforests around the world.
Why do the tribes respect the Rainforest so much? (It’s natural
resources keep them alive!)
Why might someone live in a rainforest, link back to conditions, animals
and plants?
Watch BBC video;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zwycd2p
Discuss with the children what they saw.
Look at different tribes/a day in the life of a tribe/tribal child.
http://picturemyworld.cafod.org.uk/
website of photographs taken by children for children. Depicting life
in different parts of the world. Focus on Cambodia/Cambodian
Rainforest.
Session
Session 6
Vocab:
Logging
industry
Profit
Clearing
Main Teaching
LO: To understand how human needs are effecting physical features.


Understand and explain what deforestation is.
Understand and describe the reasons for the destruction of
the Rainforest
Support discussion and introduction with BBC video and visual
resources on tables.
What’s happening to rainforests?
How are they changing?
What is the impact of these changes?
What can be done to maintain them?
http://environment.nationalgeographic.co.uk/environment/photos/rainf
orest-deforestation/ photo gallery for deforestation images (National
Geographic)
Term: Autumn 1
Children to read the daily routine of a tribal child. Then
they need to write their daily routine. Finally they will need
to compare routines. What do they think is the greatest
difference?
Children to then think about things that are the same and
things that are different between their lives and that of a
child in a tribe. On each table; line down the middle and
children write on small cards or post it notes. Title each half
of the table ‘Things that are the Same’ and the other half
‘Things that are different’’. See also ‘key Questions’
Invite children to
comment on
similarities and
differences. Plus
cover key questions.
Key Questions
How is jungle life harder/easier?
Who would swap their life for a life living in a Rainforest?
Why? Why not?
What aspect of life do you like most? What do you think
Amazonian children enjoy?
Do you think they would like life here?
Independent / Group learning Inc. Adult Support
Look at the two pictures, what do you notice has happened
(before and after).
Discuss and decide, what is happening to the rainforests
around the world, looking specifically at the Amazon. Can
children begin to understand why this might be happening e.g.
agriculture, land for farming and logging – making furniture.
Ext:
What might the effect of deforestation have on the wider
world?
Plenary
Debate?
Children consider the
views of the logging
industry and the local
tribe.
Theme: Rainforests
Subject:
Geography
Term: Autumn 1