EngageNY
Science Talk
Talk like a scientist. Pupils engage in a science talk about rainforests, using a note-catcher worksheet to record important points. Next, they work in triads to synthesize their ideas about the rainforest, adding notes to a KWL anchor...
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Birds and Coffee
Fifth graders identify the changing seasons with how they affect animal and human behavior. They explain what migration is and why many birds migrate south for the winter. They then trace the coffee sold in their neighborhood and in...
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Tropical Treehouse
Students examine the tropical rainforest and issues involving the uses of rainforests. They explore the plants and animals that live in each level of the tropical rainforest. Students examine and discuss a case study involving the rights...
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Coming to Terms
Students explore the rainforest. In this environmental lesson, students work in small groups to conduct online research of various topics having to do with the rainforest. The groups construct a large poster to illustrate the concepts...
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The Earth's Rain Forests
Learners study the importance of the world's rain forests. In this rain forest instructional activity, students read about the role of the rain forests in the world's environment. Learners then write a formal letter to a member of...
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How Can We Keep Our Forests Intact and Have Our Chocolate Too?
Fourth graders explore various methods of growing and harvesting rainforest foods in order to sustain its biodiversity. They discuss the various uses for trees from several viewpoints. Students research chocolate demand and land use...
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Whose Breakfast isn't for the Birds?
Students explore coffee production. In this cross-curriculum rainforest ecology lesson, students research regions where coffee comes from and investigate how the native birds in the rainforest are effected by coffee...
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RAINFOREST Mini-Unit
Learners engage in a variety of activities to investigate the subject of rainforests. The instructional activity focuses on the different floors of the rainforest and the types of life that exists on each.
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Stewardship and the Rainforest
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning instructional activity, students explore literature in order to understand the flora and fauna of the rain forest. Students investigate how stewardship is necessary...
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Why Does the Cocoa Tree Need a Tropical Rainforest to Grow?
Fourth graders explore the requirements a cocoa plant needs to survive. They research where chocolate comes from and how humans can affect the growth of cocoa trees. Students create a 3-D model of a cocoa tree and compare and contrast...
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Attack of the Raging River
Learners explore mass and volume. In this mass and volume lesson, students pretend to be on a hike and have lost their way. Learners must cross a river get back on track. Students must use mass, volume, surface area, density, property...
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It's A Jungle in Here!
Fifth graders research rainforest destruction. In this geography and ecology lesson, 5th graders work as a group to research the effects of logging, farming, and mining on the rainforest. Students gather and display data and information...
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Case Study - An Ecotour
Students plan an ecotour of the Australian rainforest. They prepare fact sheets about animals, create a mural, prepare a advertising brochure and a guided tour of the rainforest.
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Balanced Literacy Project
Fourth graders review all the materials they've studied about the rain forest and begin to organize their research paper by choosing a topic. They begin by rereading the introductory book, "The Great Kapok Tree," by Lynne Cherry as well...
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A Geography and Ecology Lesson for Grades 4-7
Young scholars explore many of the unusual geographical features of the Amazon River region, and explain the importance of preserving the tropical rainforest.
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Rain Stick
Young scholars create a rain stick. In this rain stick lesson, students construct their rain stick using a cardboard tube, stickpins, a cup of rice, and decorative paper. Young scholars follow given instructions and...
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The Kapok (Ceiba) Tree
Students explore the rainforest. They listen to The Great Kapok Tree and create a web using Inspiration software. They research kapok trees and create posters to make others aware of the plight of the rainforest. They role-play the...
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Rain Forest Reporters
Students work as magazine reporters to produce a print or multimedia magazine about rain forests.
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Unit 5 - Food
Students study the biodiversity existing in the Amazon rainforest. In this Amazon biodiversity lesson, students study diagrams, maps, and information about the biodiversity in the Amazon.
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Investigating Tropical Birds
Students investigate tropical birds. They write letters for rain forest preservation to protect tropical birds. They interview a bird professional from a local bird store or a zoo and discuss how to take care of a parrot. They use Kid...
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Layers of the Rainforest
Third graders identify, compare, and contrast the rainforests' climates. After reading Jane Yolen's Welcome to the Green House, they create a rainforest bulletin board.
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Radical Rainforest
Third graders examine rainforests and the four different layers that make up a rainforest. They create an advertisement poster advertising a trip to the rainforest, including information concerning why people should visit, as well as,...
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Rainforests of Madagascar: Role Playing and Decision Making
High schoolers examine reasons for deforestation and become familiar with Madagascar and its culture, while describing biological and abiotic components of a rainforest, and looking at aspects that must be addressed to resolve the issue...
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The Need For Shelter
Fifth graders build a shelter to protect themselves from rain. They perform durability and water proof testing on the shelters. They make observations of plants found in the Amazon rainforest.