Rainforest
4th Grade
(Submitted by Linda Reining)
TLA-EDAD 518
Objectives:
In
this lesson students:
·
will
recognize that not all of what we use is from the United States..
·
will
understand the interdependence of different countries on one another.
·
will
identify the need for decomposers in lifecycle.
·
will
recognize the need for sunlight and water.
·
will
become aware of the need to educate others that we must work together to save
the rainforest areas.
·
will
be able to distinguish what areas of the earth are rainforest.
Materials
required:
·
Computer/TV
combination
·
Pencil/paper
·
Internet
services
·
Earthworms/jars/dirt/
decomposing materials
·
Plants/Vaseline
·
Index
cards
·
Wall
puzzle
·
Colored
pencils/crayons
Time: approximately one week
DAY
1: Introduce lesson to students by reviewing Power
Point presentation “Let’s Go Where
It’s Green!” Students will get an
overall feel for what they are about to experience in studying the
rainforest. The last slide of the
presentation asks students to make a list of foods, animals, and items in their
homes that are a representation of the rainforest.
Day
2: Using a globe and flashlight, examine the equatorial
region and discuss the heat source.
With
Internet sources, review sights and sounds of the Rainforest. Ask students to identify sounds.
Using KWL, review lists that students
have brought from home, categorizing those things that they already know about
the rainforest.
DAY
3: Begin the review of the rainforest with some
of the animals that live there. Discuss
how they help the rainforest – decomposers, pollinators, etc.
Allow students to join in discussion on
how the rainforest has a lifecycle, which shows dependence of one living thing
on another. How do decomposers work? How does pollination work?
Introduce decomposing materials to
students, along with earthworms. Encourage students to brainstorm how the
earthworms will benefit the soil and what will happen to the materials
provided.
Day
4: Students will work with plants today.
Introduce plants to students and the need
for sun and moisture. Explain the
levels of the Rainforest to the students.
Discuss plants and animals that live in each layer and how they depend
upon each other. Use a wall puzzle to
set up the forest and have students place animals, plants, and insects in each
layer.
Today students will see how plants
breathe. Remind students that plants
are living things and need air just as we do.
Humans have lungs that they use to hold air and help us breathe. Plant leaves have holes for the same
purpose. Students will tag leaves,
putting Vaseline on the tops of some leaves and the bottoms of other leaves. These will be left for several days. Have students d
debate
which side of the leaves will breathe.
Day
5: Review vocabulary that we have learned so far. Write words on the board and have students
identify them. Students should make a
list of the words and definitions to be used at test time.
Return to KWL board. Begin to add, “What we have learned about
the Rainforest”. Students should be
able to be actively involved in a discussion about the knowledge they have
gained about the rainforest.
Students could also be given world maps
to identify areas where the rainforests are.
They can use their colored pencils to color in those areas.
Day
6: Closing on the rainforest. Review vocabulary, information gained about the rainforest, etc.
and give the students the opportunity to express themselves through an art
project.
SCIENCE