Amazon Rainforest

Subject: Geography Grade Level: 2nd grade

NCSS
People, Places and Environment Culture Individuals, Groups, and Institutions Global Connections

Unit Goals
Students will become familiar with the concept of the rain forest. Students will learn terminology associated with the rain forest. Students will become familiar with the layers of a rain forest. Students will gain knowledge of the animals that live in the rain forest. Students will alert others of the importance of the rain forest.

Pre-requisite Skills
Students should be able to identify various animals. Students should be able to follow directions. Students should be able to cut, color, and paste. Students should reading and writing skills

Day 1
Objectives: Students will use prior knowledge to learn about the rain forest. Students will think of things they want to learn about the rain forest. NCSS 3 Strand H: examine the interaction of human beings and their physical environment, the use of land, building of cities, and ecosystems changes in selected locales and regions.

Procedures
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 these 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.

Day 2
Objectives

Students will observe the processes of transpiration, condensation, and precipitation. Students will make a mini rain forest. NCSS 3 Strand F: decribe and speculate about physical system changes, such as seasons, climate and weather, and the water cycle.

Procedures
Tell students how they are going to create their very own mini rain forest and learn about transpiration, condensation, and precipitation. 1. Have students place a layer of stones on the bottom of a soda bottle. 2. Add a two to three inch layer of potting soil on top of the rocks. 3. Plant a few plant cuttings making sure all roots are covered. 4. Water the plants until the soil is moist. 5. Demonstrate to students how to cover one of their plant cuttings, from the base to the top, with a plastic bag. Use a bag tie to secure the bag at the stem. 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.

Day 3
Objectives: Students will recognize the importance of the rain forest to other cultures. Students will know what kinds of foods and products come from rain forests. Students will see how many different things they can find at home that are from the rain forest or are made from the rain forest. NCSS 1 Strand A: explore and describe similarities and differences in the ways groups, societies, and culture address similar human needs and concerns.

Procedures
Discuss with students things that are in the amazon rain forest. Discuss why these things are important 1. In several paper lunch bags, place items from the rain forest. (banana, avocado, chocolate, tea, chewing gum, erasers) 2. Code the bags so only the teacher knows the contents. 3. Fold and staple the top of each bag closed. 4. Introduce one bag at a time and provide the students with clues to its contents. 5. Ask students to lift, pinch, or smell the bags and share their findings. 6. After all the contents of the bags have been identified, remove from the bags and place on display for students to ask questions. 7. Assign homework sheet for students to find their own rain forest products at home.

Day 4
Objectives Students will use graphs to determine favorite foods of the rain forest. Students will become familiar with different fruits from the rain forests. NCSS 3 Strand C: Use appropriate resources, data sources, and geographic tools such as atlases, data bases, grid systems, charts, graphs, and maps to generate, manipulate, and interpret information.

Procedures
1. Bring in rain forest fruits such as mango, guava, papaya, lemon, lime, orange, banana and coconut 2. Have each student try each of the different fruits. 3. Ask each student to draw a picture of their 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? And so on 8. Discuss with students how a graph was helpful for this activity they just completed.

Day 5
Objectives Students will be able to explain why the rain forest is in danger. Students will do various activities to help others become aware of the importance of saving the rain forest. NCSS 4 Strand B: describe personal connections to placeespecially place as associated with immediate surroundings.

Procedures
1. Read the book It Zwibble and the Hunt for the Rain Forest Treasure by WereRoss and WerEnko. Discuss what has happened to the rain forest and to the animals in the rain forest. 2. Ask students how they think we could help to save the rain forest. Write suggestions down for students to see. 3. Hand out a post card to each student. 4. Explain that we are going to write a post card to our senator to help save the rain forest. 5. Students can design the front of their post cards by drawing pictures of trees, animals, or something else that represents the rain forest. 6. They will then write their messages as to why we should save the rain forest. They could write it from their own perspective or from the perspective of a tree or animal in the rain forest. 7. Have students share their post cards with the class.

Day 6

Objectives Students will present findings of an animal or plant they are given to research Students will give four facts about their animal or plant NCSS 3 People, Places, and the Environment

Procedures
1. Introduce the website www.rainforest-alliance.org 2. Tell student about the kids corner on this website 3. Inform students that they will be assigned an animal or plant to research from this website (work in groups of 4) 4. Assign animals and plants to students 5. Have students come up with 4 facts they can share with the class about their animal or plant 6. After researching time is up, have each group present findings to the class

Day 7
Objectives Students will dramatize The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry. NCSS 3 Strand H: examine the interaction of human beings and their physical environment, the use of land, building of cities, and ecosystems changes in selected locales and regions.

Procedures
Read The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry Discuss with students what the book was about. Ask questions that will access knowledge they have obtained from the previous lesson Tell students that they are going to do a Readers Theater with this book! Assign parts for each child: the Kapok tree, the man, the animals, and possibly a narrator. Send home a copy of the students' speaking parts so they can practice at home. 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. Conduct several dress rehearsals. Invite parents, other classes, and/or the school for the performance.

Day 8 and 9

Students will use these days to prepare for their Readers Theater by creating costumes and props and practicing their lines!

Day 10
Students will perform the play! After their performance, each student will reflect on this unit and finish their KWL chart In their journal they must write... 5 things they have learned What they liked about this Unit What they didnt like about this Unit Confusions or things they are still interested in learning about the Rain Forest

Assessment
Informal- Take notes on how students behavior and participation in class Worksheets done in class or at home will be collected and counted for participation (if 100% completed) Reflections- Students will reflect on Day 5 on things they understand and dont understand- (I will make adjustments to my next lessons regarding students reflections) Final Day Reflection

Differentiation
Day 1: Struggling students: Receive a KWL chart with one example of a K, W, and L to help them understand how this char works. Advanced Students: They will have to write two things they found interesting from the book the teacher read to the class Day 2: Students will be working in pairs (Struggling student with advanced student) Struggling student will be in charge of getting all of the materials ready, while advanced student will write down the observations. Day 3: Worksheet- Struggling students will be given examples of things they can look for in their room. Day 4: Struggling students will be given pictures of fruits to look at if having trouble drawing a picture of a fruit. Advanced students will be asked to write down which fruit was the most popular and how you can tell by using the picture graph. Day 5: Struggling students will be given a template of how to write to the senator. Advanced students will be asked to write in a different perspective other than themselves to encourage higher level thinking. Day 6: Struggling students and advanced students will be grouped together to reasearch a plant or an animal. The advanced student will be in charge of reading what the facts are on the website. Stuggling students will take notes on important things advanced student reads. Teacher will be sure to go to each group to check on their progress and help struggling students write down the facts the advanced student is reading off. Day 7, 8, 9: Struggling students will be given parts with not as many lines. Teacher will spend time working on their lines with them. Advanced students will be given bigger parts in the play.

Resources
A teacher at home helped me put together this Unit Plan! The books used in this Unit Plan are: Inside the Amazing Amazon by Don Lessem It Zwibble and the Hunt for the Rain Forest Treasure by WereRoss and WerEnko. The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry. I found a great readers theater script that could be used in class at this website www.surfcitydelux.com/readerstheater/GreatKapokTree .html