Rainforest Life
Rainforest Life Distance Learning Summary and Goals Students will learn to identify and map animal species and the layers of the rain forest in which they live. Grade Levels Grades K-2 Engage This activity is designed to start your students in recognizing themselves as researchers and thinking critically about problem-solving. The goal is to teach concepts through discovery and to encourage using scientific thought processes. As with all lessons provided, please feel free to adapt them according to your students’ abilities. Some of your students may be early readers, in which case you may find it more successful to lead activities and discussions as a whole group rather than using individual Research Plan sheets. Certain scientific vocabulary may or may not be appropriate for your students’ level of understanding. Take these ideas, make them your own and your students will have a greater chance at success. Which rainforest layer contains the animals most favored by the students in our class? 1. Begin this lesson by telling students that they will be investigating animals and layers of the rain forest. 2. If your students are familiar with brainstorming and recording their ideas, break them into small groups. If your students need more guidance, work with them as a large group. Engage your students in a discussion of what they predict the answer to the question to be. More importantly, why do they think this? 3. Do different classifications of animals live in different layers? How might you gather data about which animals are favored more? Is there one classification that is favored more than another? Explore 4. Continue with the above discussion and encourage the group to come up with ways they could investigate the question and test their predictions scientifically (all suggestions are welcomed). What tools might they need to carry out their suggested explorations? Are there materials that would help them find the answer? Should they be making observations? What kinds of records will they need to keep? What will they do Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Rainforest life Suggested search terms: Rainforest, Amphibian, Bird, Mammal, Reptile
with the information once they have it? And how will they know that they’ve successfully answered the question? Allow a wide variety of ideas and encourage conversation amongst the students to refine the details of their ideas. 5. Ideas should be recorded on the Research Plan sheets. Small groups can record their own answers or you can record ideas as a group. 6. A Rain Forest Animal a. Have student’s research characteristics of a tropical rain forest habitat. See list of related books that include information about rain forest habitats and animals. b. Divide class into small groups and have each group design an animal based on the tropical rainforest habitat characteristics. Explain 7. Explain to the group that they will be participating in our Distance Learning program “Rain Forest Life” that might help to give them some insight into the situation. 8. This program covers the topics of where in the world are the rain forests, animals in the rain forest and the layers of the rain forest. Expand 9. Ask students to reflect on what they have learned and review their ideas of how to get the information they would need to answer the original research question. 10. Allow students to discuss and plan how they could make the activity more successful. Do they need to gather any additional information before they can answer the research question? Did they think of additional ways to gather information based on the activities they have just completed? 11. Have each student identify their favorite tropical rainforest animal and have them draw or print out a picture of each. Build a rain forest mural with each layer identified, then place each animal in the layer they belong in to see which layer contains the most. 12. Feel free to repeat any of the activities in any number of ways. Assess 13. Monitor your students as they continue to research and develop their method for communicating their results. Make sure to help them continue their discussion on the rainforest habitat. Have your students share their results with the rest of the class. Allow time for student critique and comments. 14. Was the outcome the same as what they had predicted? Were there differences and similarities between the different layers of the rain forest? Is there any layer that contains the more favored animals? 15. If the students are working in small groups, observe their work and review what they are writing on the Research Plan. If working as a whole group, fill in the Research Plan together.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Rainforest life Suggested search terms: Rainforest, Amphibian, Bird, Mammal, Reptile
Standards Ohio Academic Content Standards Grades K-2 Life Science Topic: Physical and Behavioral Traits of Living Things Living things are different from nonliving things. Living things have physical traits and behaviors, which influence their survival Life Science Topic: Basic Needs of Living Things Living things have basic needs, which are met by obtaining materials from the physical environment Living things survive only in environments that meet their needs
National Science Education Standards Grades K-4 Science as Inquiry Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry Understandings about scientific inquiry Physical Science Properties of objects and materials Position and motion of objects Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism Life Science Characteristics of organisms Life cycles of organisms Organisms and environment Earth and Space Science Properties of earth materials Objects in the sky Changes in earth and sky Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Personal health Characteristics and changes in populations Types of resources Changes in environments Science and technology in local challenges
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Rainforest life Suggested search terms: Rainforest, Amphibian, Bird, Mammal, Reptile
Rain Forest Life Supplemental Materials
My Research Plan 1. What is my research question? Is it a good question?
Which rainforest layer contains the animals most favored by the students in our class?
2. How can I get my information?
3. What will I do with this information?
4. How will I know I did my job well?
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Rainforest life Suggested search terms: Rainforest, Amphibian, Bird, Mammal, Reptile
Rain Forest Life Supplemental Materials
Related Books Journey of the Red-Eyed Tree Frog by Martin and Tanis Jordan Panther Dream by Bob and Wendy Weir Rain Forest Secrets by Arthur Dorros The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry Life in the Rainforests by Lucy Baker Our Endangered Planet: Tropical Rain Forests by Cornelia Mutel Making Your Own Rain Forest by Damian Johnston Inside the Amazing Amazon by Don Lesse
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Rainforest life Suggested search terms: Rainforest, Amphibian, Bird, Mammal, Reptile
with the information once they have it? And how will they know that they’ve successfully answered the question? Allow a wide variety of ideas and encourage conversation amongst the students to refine the details of their ideas. 5. Ideas should be recorded on the Research Plan sheets. Small groups can record their own answers or you can record ideas as a group. 6. A Rain Forest Animal a. Have student’s research characteristics of a tropical rain forest habitat. See list of related books that include information about rain forest habitats and animals. b. Divide class into small groups and have each group design an animal based on the tropical rainforest habitat characteristics. Explain 7. Explain to the group that they will be participating in our Distance Learning program “Rain Forest Life” that might help to give them some insight into the situation. 8. This program covers the topics of where in the world are the rain forests, animals in the rain forest and the layers of the rain forest. Expand 9. Ask students to reflect on what they have learned and review their ideas of how to get the information they would need to answer the original research question. 10. Allow students to discuss and plan how they could make the activity more successful. Do they need to gather any additional information before they can answer the research question? Did they think of additional ways to gather information based on the activities they have just completed? 11. Have each student identify their favorite tropical rainforest animal and have them draw or print out a picture of each. Build a rain forest mural with each layer identified, then place each animal in the layer they belong in to see which layer contains the most. 12. Feel free to repeat any of the activities in any number of ways. Assess 13. Monitor your students as they continue to research and develop their method for communicating their results. Make sure to help them continue their discussion on the rainforest habitat. Have your students share their results with the rest of the class. Allow time for student critique and comments. 14. Was the outcome the same as what they had predicted? Were there differences and similarities between the different layers of the rain forest? Is there any layer that contains the more favored animals? 15. If the students are working in small groups, observe their work and review what they are writing on the Research Plan. If working as a whole group, fill in the Research Plan together.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Rainforest life Suggested search terms: Rainforest, Amphibian, Bird, Mammal, Reptile
Standards Ohio Academic Content Standards Grades K-2 Life Science Topic: Physical and Behavioral Traits of Living Things Living things are different from nonliving things. Living things have physical traits and behaviors, which influence their survival Life Science Topic: Basic Needs of Living Things Living things have basic needs, which are met by obtaining materials from the physical environment Living things survive only in environments that meet their needs
National Science Education Standards Grades K-4 Science as Inquiry Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry Understandings about scientific inquiry Physical Science Properties of objects and materials Position and motion of objects Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism Life Science Characteristics of organisms Life cycles of organisms Organisms and environment Earth and Space Science Properties of earth materials Objects in the sky Changes in earth and sky Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Personal health Characteristics and changes in populations Types of resources Changes in environments Science and technology in local challenges
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Rainforest life Suggested search terms: Rainforest, Amphibian, Bird, Mammal, Reptile
Rain Forest Life Supplemental Materials
My Research Plan 1. What is my research question? Is it a good question?
Which rainforest layer contains the animals most favored by the students in our class?
2. How can I get my information?
3. What will I do with this information?
4. How will I know I did my job well?
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Rainforest life Suggested search terms: Rainforest, Amphibian, Bird, Mammal, Reptile
Rain Forest Life Supplemental Materials
Related Books Journey of the Red-Eyed Tree Frog by Martin and Tanis Jordan Panther Dream by Bob and Wendy Weir Rain Forest Secrets by Arthur Dorros The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry Life in the Rainforests by Lucy Baker Our Endangered Planet: Tropical Rain Forests by Cornelia Mutel Making Your Own Rain Forest by Damian Johnston Inside the Amazing Amazon by Don Lesse
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Rainforest life Suggested search terms: Rainforest, Amphibian, Bird, Mammal, Reptile
