Jessica Lin
Rainforests provide many benefits to humans and play a significant role in Earth’s ecosystems. Despite their importance, rainforests are in danger of being destroyed due to agriculture, logging, and even tourism. This lesson helps to show the importance of rainforests and how they work.
Grade Level & Subject : Grades K-4, Science
Length: 1-2 class periods
Objective:
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
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Describe rainforest layers and common species.
•
Understand the interconnectedness of animals and plants.
•
Consider the issues regarding the destruction of the rainforest.
National Standards Addressed:
This lesson addresses the following National Education Standards: 1
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Content Standard: NS.K-4.3
LIFE SCIENCE
As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop understanding of:
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The characteristics of organisms
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Life cycles of organisms
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Organisms and environments
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Content Standard: NS.K-4.6
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES
As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop understanding of:
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Personal health
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Characteristics and changes in populations
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Types of resources
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Changes in environments
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Science and technology in local challenges
1 http://www.educationworld.com/standards/
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Materials Needed:
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Green wallpaper or butcher paper
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“Vines” made from rope, string or other materials
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Rainforest products such as coffee, mangos, bananas, cola nuts, etc.
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World map
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Paper plates
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String
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Construction paper
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Scissors
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Glue
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Coloring supplies
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Other art supplies for making animal masks (feathers, glitter, etc.)
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Tape, staples, paperclips etc. for hanging masks
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Computers with internet access and/or research materials (optional)
Assessment: Students will be assessed through the following activities:
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Participation in class
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Creation of plants and animals
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Contribution to discussions and class brainstorming
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Group work and presentation (optional)
Relevant Vocabulary:
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Biodiversity : the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or for the entire Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of an ecosystem, with healthy ecosystems having greater variety and variation in plant and animal life than unhealthy ones.
2
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Canopy: the layer of the rainforest with the trees packed closely together, creating a
“canopy.” The layer shades the forest floor from sunlight, using the sunlight in photosynthesis. The canopy consists of different trees, plants, fruits, seeds and animals.
3
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Deforestation: the logging and/or burning of trees and plants in the forested area.
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Forest floor: the bottom layer of rainforest; has high humidity and darkness.
Humidity: Moisture in the atmosphere
2 http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4390
3 http://www.rainforestsos.org/pages/structure-of-a-rainforest
Earth Day Network
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(P) 202-518-0044 (F) 202-518-8794 www.earthday.net/education education@earthday.net

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Photosynthesis: the process by which plants convert atmospheric carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and glucose. In the rainforest, photosynthesis most widely occurs in the canopy layer because the most sunlight is captured here.
4
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Rainforest: multi-layered, closed, broad-leafed forest vegetation with biodiversity of species and life forms.
5
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Understory: the forest layer where little sunlight (about 3%) penetrates; the dark and humid weather best serve the birds, butterflies, frogs and lizards that inhabit the layer.
Information:
Rainforests are often described as the Earth’s lungs, only in reverse, converting carbon dioxide into breathable air through the process of photosynthesis. Rainforests are also home to over 2/3 of living species on Earth, despite their small relative territory.
6 These forests’ plants and trees account for over 20% of oxygen in the world: 7 yet, despite their importance, rainforests are being continuously destroyed at an alarming rate.
Deforestation is the destruction of trees in forests. In the rainforest, loggers destroy the forest in order to collect the valuable wood to sell for profit. Logging demolishes the rainforest not just by the felling of trees but also by the creation of the roads and paths created to get large machinery into the forest and to transport the wood. It takes hundreds of years for trees to regenerate and the weighty machinery leaves extreme soil disturbances that erode in the heavy rain.
Resources:
• http://www.savetherainforest.org/
• http://www.rainforestsos.org/
• http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0401.htm
• www.rainforestsos.org/
Preparation:
For a classroom 3-D rainforest model, prepare your room ahead of time by creating a rainforest atmosphere. Add green wallpaper or butcher paper around the room, create a
“canopy” using nets or string (on which students can later hang their vines and animals), and put up pictures of trees, waterfalls, rivers, etc. around the classroom. For a simpler, 2-D
5
4 http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0401.htm
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/background/rainfwld.htm
6 http://www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_007.htm
7 http://www.savetherainforest.org/
Earth Day Network
1616 P Street NW, Suite 340 Washington, DC 20036
(P) 202-518-0044 (F) 202-518-8794 www.earthday.net/education education@earthday.net

rainforest, cover one wall of the classroom with green paper (with additional areas representing sky, trees and/or water).
Warm-Up: Travel to the Rainforest!
1.
Hold up rainforest products (or images of these products) and ask students what they all have in common. They are all grown in rainforests.
2.
Ask students what they know about the rainforest. What comes to mind when they picture or hear about rainforests? Answers will vary, but likely include jungle animals, trees, rain, plants, foods, medicines, etc.
3.
Ask students if they know where rainforests are? They are in tropical areas along or near the equator.
a.
Use map to show where tropical areas exist. Point out that they are all located in different continents on or near the equator.
4.
Ask if anyone knows why rainforests are important? Answers may vary but should include the fact that 2/3 of all living species are found in rainforests, even though it only covers 2% of the
Earth’s surface. Rainforests contribute to the health of the planet by cleaning the air and balancing gases in the atmosphere. Many important resources are also derived from the tropics.
5.
Also point out that these everyday products come from those areas (and others): i.
the Amazon – coffee ii.
West Africa – cola nuts iii.
East Africa – bananas iv.
parts of Asia (Indo-Malaysia) – mango
Activity One: Know the Rainforest
Students will learn what a rainforest is, the biodiversity of plants and animals living there, and why it is important through class discussion.
1.
What is a rainforest? A rainforest is a tropical forest located along Earth’s equator with high humidity, rainfall and moisture levels.
2.
Why is it called a rainforest? Because it is an area of dense vegetation with high rainfall and moisture levels.
3.
What makes up a rainforest? A rainforest has many layers, each with unique plants, animals, habitat and place in the forest system.
a.
The canopy is the uppermost layer of the forest, where many animals and plants live because they can access sunlight. b.
The understory is the lower canopy and is more shaded and humid than the canopy.
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c.
The forest floor is the bottom layer of the rainforest, made up of organic matter absorbed by trees’ roots. It is completely shaded and very humid.
4.
Has anyone heard the term “biodiversity”? Can anyone guess what it means? “Bio” indicates living organisms, and “diversity” means variety. Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or for the entire Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of an ecosystem, with healthy ecosystems having greater variety and variation in plant and animal life than unhealthy ones.
a.
How many different species are found in rainforests? Around 2/3 of all living species are found in rainforests, even though it only covers 2% of the Earth’s surface.
b.
Talk about how many different plants and animals there are in the rainforest community. Can students name any? Answers will vary but could include: birds, parrots, monkeys, jaguars, frogs, iguanas, fish, insects, sloths, bats, orchids, palms, cocoa trees, banana trees, etc.
Activity Two:
1.
Discuss plants in the rainforest. a.
Why are plants important? They provide food and homes for animals, they create clean air and oxygen through photosynthesis, and they provide many resources to humans such as medicines, crops, and wood.
b.
What kind of plants are in the rainforest? Trees and plants that grow in tropical climates such as orchids, palms, cocoa trees, banana trees, etc.
c.
Remind students about the biodiversity of rainforests. Biodiversity is the many diverse groups of plants and animals in one habitat.
2.
Many rainforest plants have thick, broad leaves and long vines. Why might this be?
Vines are a good way for a short plant to get from the forest floor up to the canopy to get more sunlight. Broad leaves help plants capture sunlight and moisture in the different layers of the rainforest.
3.
Add plants to your classroom “rainforest.” a.
3D – Have students create vines from string and rope or provide preproduced vines. Students should add color, flowers and leaves to preproduced vines and hang them in the “rainforest,” stringing them around the walls and ceiling.
8 Add other plants and/or add leaves to trees. b.
2D – Instead of hanging the vines, leaves and plants, tape/staple them onto the wallpaper.
Activity Three:
1.
Discuss animals in the rainforest.
8 http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/strings/rainforest/
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a.
What animal species are in the rainforest. Monkeys, apes, parrots, jaguars, frogs, iguanas, birds, fish, insects, etc.
b.
How do plant and animal species interact? Explain that all species on Earth are interconnected. Animals need other animals and plants to survive and vice versa .
9
For example: Brazil nut trees dependent on animal species to open the seed pods and further spread Brazil nut trees around the rainforest. They are also dependent on bees for pollination.
2.
Create 3-D animal masks. a.
Using paper plates, have students color in animal faces. You may want to pre-draw some faces and have students glue them onto paper plates. b.
Make sure paper plates have holes on both sides of the face to insert the string. You may also cut out eye holes so students can wear the face masks before hanging them up.
3.
Add animals to your classroom rainforest. Have students tape, hang or staple their masks to the wall, trees or vines. a.
Can students guess where in the rainforest each of these animals might live?
For example, parrots and monkeys are in the canopy while fish and insects are on the forest floor.
b.
Be sure students are hanging their animal in the proper place in the forest.
Activity Four:
1.
Discuss why we are talking about the rainforest a.
Tropical rainforests are being destroyed incredibly quickly, more than an acre-and-a-half is lost every second of every day.
(Comparison: twice the size of Florida in a year).
2.
Why is this happening? a.
Deforestation from logging – Explain that people are cutting down trees to use for building, paper and other products. In addition, the machinery they use destroys rainforest’s ground and layers, including extreme soil disturbance. b.
Deforestation for roads and agricultural land – Some people are clearing areas of the rainforest to make room for development, roads, and fields to graze animals and grow crops. c.
Deforestation destroys the ecosystem, killing the homes and food of many different species. Trees take hundreds of years to regenerate.
3.
Take down a “tree” from your classroom rainforest and/or cover a set up trees on wall with a “road.”
9 http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/rainforest_ecology.html
Earth Day Network
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4.
If trees and plants are being destroyed, what will happen to the animals and other living species of the rainforest? a.
Many of the animals have special adaptations that allow them to live in the tropical conditions, but they would not survive outside of this ecosystem.
6
Wrap-Up:
3.
Brainstorm ideas that students can do to help preserve the rainforest (learn more, use less paper, recycle, hold fundraisers, purchase and consume responsibly, etc.)
Extension:
1.
Independently or in groups, assign students a different rainforest species to research.
They should create a poster or collage of that plant or animal, representing its food, habitat, environment, range, etc.
2.
For more advanced work, divide students into groups and assign them different rainforests (ex. The Amazon River Basin, Congo River Basin, Cuyabeno,
Monteverde Cloud Forest, etc.). Have them look online or in textbooks to research interesting facts about their forest. Students can give group presentations. They could present the different species particular to those rainforests, highlighting a few special interdependent plants and animals in the different rainforests.
1.
What is special and important about the rainforest? Rainforests are special because of the biodiversity of species, its generation of fresh air and crops and the unique interdependence of species.
They are an integral part of today’s air supply; they convert carbon dioxide into breathable air through photosynthesis. They also provide resources and products for humans to use.
2.
What are some reasons that they are in danger? Deforestation, development, logging, agriculture, etc.
At the conclusion of this lesson, students will understand biodiversity in the rainforest and the interconnectedness of plants and animals. They will further comprehend the importance of protecting rainforests from further destruction and will think of actions they can take to help save the rainforest.
Earth Day Network
1616 P Street NW, Suite 340 Washington, DC 20036
(P) 202-518-0044 (F) 202-518-8794 www.earthday.net/education education@earthday.net