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.