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Language Arts Lesson on Rain Forests

Sara Broughton

Title: Creating a Rain Forest

Objective: Students will be able list and explain the layers of a rain forest and then create their own.

Content Area: Language arts (listening), fine arts

Materials: Books on the layers of rain forests, transparency of layers of rain forests, list of animals, "People and Tropical Rain Forests", large rectangular, white sheets of butcher paper, scissors, markers, pencils, construction paper, and tape

Directions: Begin this activity by reading to the class a book on layers of the rain forests. Encourage the students to listen because they will need to discuss the book after it's read. Share with the class the layers of the rain forest transparency and the list of animals. Talk about what each layer is like and what its purpose might be. Also discuss what types of plants and animals might be found in each layer. The next part of the activity consists of the actual making of the rain forest. Divide the class into groups of three or four and assign a layer of the rain forest to each group. Give each group a piece of butcher paper. Have students recreate that layer of the rain forest using construction paper and markers. They should include the different plants and animals that would be found in their layer of the rain forest. After the groups are finished attach each rain forest layer together using tape and then hang on a wall in the classroom or hallway. Use a black marker to label the layers of the rain forest. The class can choose a name for their rain forest if they wish. Discuss what type of relationship the rain forest has with society (medicinal goods and food). Also discuss with the students the deforestation of rain forests.

Assessment/Evaluation: Students can be assessed during their group work on their knowledge of the layers, animals, and plants of the rain forest using a checklist.

Adaptation: Students could learn about a field of science called Ethnobotany which is the study of the products that an environment might naturally create. Students could study a particular group of indigenous people to the rain forest.