Karen K. Middleman, July 2005

AMAZON RAINFOREST FOR THE SENSES

GRADE LEVEL: 4-6
QUESTION: How can we learn about the rain forest without visiting one?
Students will:
• Become familiar with the concept of the rain forest.
• Learn terminology associated with the rain forest.
• Become familiar with the layers of a rain forest.
• Gain knowledge of the animals that live in the rain forest.
• Alert others of the importance of the rain forest.

Lesson Plan Day 1: Opening Lesson Plan
Social Studies Standards
Strand: Geographic Perspective

Benchmark: Describe the ways in which people have changed their environment and the ways their lives are affected by the environment. Describe how people use the environment.

Objective
Students will:
• Use prior knowledge to learn about the rain forest.
• Think of things they want to learn about the rain forest.

Rationale
KWL (What We Know, What We Want to Know, What We Learned)
Knowledge of the Rain Forest

Materials
• Book Inside the Amazing Amazon by Don Lessem

Procedure
1. Have music of the rain forest playing in the background.
2. Show students the book Inside the Amazing Amazon by Don Lessem.
3. On the board have a KWL chart with What We Know, What We Want to Know, What We Learned.
4. Ask students what they know about the rain forest. List responses under the first column.
5. Discuss student responses.
6. Ask students what they want to know about the rain forest. List their responses under the second column. Discuss responses.
7. Tell students what they will be learning about the rain forest.
8. After the unit is over, remember to revisit the KWL chart to fill in the last column.

Evaluation
Students will be evaluated at the end of the unity by being able to tell what they learned about the rain forest. What they learned should be included in what to know about the rain forest.

Lesson Plan Day 2: Science
Science Standards
Strand: Geographic Perspective

Benchmarks: Describe the natural characteristics of places and explain some basic cause for those characteristics.

Objectives
Students will:
• Observe the process of transpiration, condensation, and precipitation.
• Make a mini rain forest.

Rationale
This lesson is designed to show students how rain forests create their own wet climates.

Content
Transpiration: Water returned to the air via the plants.
Condensation: Water droplets on the plastic bag.

Materials
• Book Nature’s Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests by Gail Gibbons.
• 2 liter soda bottles
• Stones or gravel
• Potting soil
• Seeds of the rain forest
• Plastic bags and bag ties

Procedure
1. Read the book Tropical Rain Forests by Gail Gibbons.
2. Have students place a layer of stones on the bottom of a soda bottle.
3. Add a two to three inch layer of potting soil on top of the rocks.
4. Plant a few plant seeds.
5. Water the seeds until the soil is moist.
6. Place the bottles in a warm, sunlit area.
7. After several hours, have students make observations about their bottles.
8. Explain the processes of transpiration, condensation, and precipitation.
9. Observe what happens in the bottle everyday during the unit.

Evaluation
From the experiment and their observations, students will have an understanding of how the rain forest works in our environment.

Lesson Plan Day 3: Multicultural Lesson Plan
Social Studies Standards
Strand: Geographic Perspective

Benchmarks: Describe the natural characteristics of places and explain some basic cause for those characteristics.

Objectives
Students will:
• Recognize the importance of the rain forest to other cultures.
• Know what kinds of foods and products come from rain forests.
• See how many different things they have at home which are from the rain forest.

Rationale
Rain forests are important to people all over the world. Many varieties of foods and other products come from rain forests. Students need to be aware of foods and products.

Content
Different cultures around the world

Varieties of foods and products from the rain forest.

Materials
• Book Amazon Bay by Ted Lewin
• Brown paper lunch bags
• Several rain forest items

Procedure
1. Read the book Amazon Bay by Ted Lewin
2. In several paper lunch bags, place items from the rain forest.
3. Code the bags so only the teacher knows the contents.
4. Fold and staple the top of each bag closed.
5. Introduce one bag at a time and provide the students with clues to its contents.
6. Ask students to lift, pinch, or smell the bags and share their findings.
7. After all the contents of the bags have been identified, remove from the bags and place on display for students to ask questions.
8. Assign homework sheet for students to find their own rain forest products at home.

Evaluation
Students will be able to identify many products that come from the rain forest. This will be done in the classroom and as a homework assignment.

Lesson Plan Day 4: Math
Mathematics Standards

Strand: Geographic Perspective

Benchmarks: Describe the natural characteristics of places and explain some basic cause for those characteristics.

Objectives
Students will:
• Use graphs to determine their favorite foods of the rain forest.
• Become familiar with different fruits from the rain forest.

Rationale
This lesson is designed to integrate math, by graphing, into the rain unit. Students will practice graphing skills while having fun!

Content
Graphs and rain forest foods

Materials
• Several different rain forest fruits
• Construction paper
• Markers/crayons

Procedure
1. Bring in rain forest fruits such as mango, guava, papaya, and coconut.
2. Have each student try each of the different fruits.
3. Ask each student to draw a picture of his/her favorite one.
4. On the board, make rows of the different fruits.
5. Tell students to put their picture in the respective row.
6. After all students have finished, discuss the different qualities of the picture graph.
7. Ask students: Which was the favorite fruit? Which was the least favorite fruit?
8. Pass out a Rain Forest Facts math sheet.
9. Work on the sheet as a class.

Evaluation
Students will be evaluated by being able to read the picture graph of rain forest fruits. They will also be able to recognize fruits of the rain forest.

Lesson Plan Day 7: Language Arts
Social Studies Standards

Strand: Civic Perspective

Benchmarks: Describe ways that individual influence each other.

Objectives
Students will:
• Be able to explain why rain forest is in danger.
• Do various activities to help others become aware of the importance of saving the rain forest.

Rationale
This lesson is designed to have children become aware of the importance of saving the rain forest.

Content
The rain forest is very important to our environment. Understanding why is important can alert others about how it can be protected.

Varieties of foods and products from the rain forest.

Materials
• Book Amazon Bay by Ted Lewin
• Brown paper lunch bags
• Several rain forest items

Procedure
1. Read the book Amazon Bay by Ted Lewin
2. In several paper lunch bags, place items from the rain forest.
3. Code the bags so only the teacher knows the contents.
4. Fold and staple the top of each bag closed.
5. Introduce one bag at a time and provide the students with clues to its contents.
6. Ask students to lift, pinch, or smell the bags and share their findings.
7. After all the contents of the bags have been identified, remove from the bags and place on display for students to ask questions.
8. Assign homework sheet for students to find their own rain forest products at home.

Evaluation
Students will be able to identify many products that come from the rain forest. This will be done in the classroom and as a homework assignment.

Lesson Plan Day 8: Social Studies
Social Studies Standards

Strand: Geographic Perspective

Benchmarks: Describe the natural characteristics of places and explain some basic cause for those characteristics.

Objectives
Students will:
• Use their sense of smell to discover a product or natural resource of the rain forest.

Rationale
Rain forests are important to people all over the world. Many varieties of foods and other products come from rain forests. Students need to be aware of these foods and products.

Content
Different cultures around the world
Varieties of foods and products from the rain forest.

Materials
• 30-32 empty film canisters
• Vanilla
• Chocolate
• Cotton balls
• Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Black pepper

Procedure
1. Assign parts for each child: the Kapok tree, the man, the animals, and possibly a narrator.
2. Send home a copy of the students’ speaking parts so they can practice at home.
3. In class work on the costumes, creating the props, and practicing each character’s acting part. Using the illustrations from the book, students can discuss, plan, and modify the costumes and props.
4. Conduct several dress rehearsals.
5. Invite parents, other classes, and/or the school for the performance.

Evaluation
Students will be informally evaluated on the effort, participation, and cooperation in the preparation for the play and its presentation.