Rainforest Plants
Grade 1
Cami Bohn
Dear Family,
I am very excited to embark on a new educational journey with your child! This week we
will be completing a fascinating and interactive science unit on Rainforest Plants. This
unit will implement California Science Standards with a STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, Math) focus. The growth of careers in STEM fields throughout the 21st
Century has led to increased academic emphasis on these areas of education, and I
believe that your children are never too young to begin to build a foundation of
knowledge in these valuable and practical subjects.
This unit will entail three STEM-focused lessons, in which the students will build a
model of the four layers of the rainforest, create a rainforest in a jar to observe
transpiration, and participate in an experiment to understand how leaf shape can help
plants survive in this environment. Students will also enjoy one math-based graphing
assignment after tasting rainforest fruits, and undergo a plant research project. The unit
will wrap up with a presentation-based performance assessment in which your child will
be required to research and give a brief oral presentation on a rainforest plant to the
class. More details on this presentation will be sent home later this week.
This weeks goal is for students to understand how plants adapt in order to get the water
and light that they need to survive in the unique environment of the rainforest. I will
provide the support your child needs to construct meaningful questions and conduct
careful, hands-on investigations, while recording observations through graphs,
numbers, pictures, and written statements.
It is my goal that your child will come home each day with exciting new discoveries to
share with you. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions throughout the
week, and remember you are always welcome to join us in the classroom to participate
in our exciting Rainforest Plants unit!
All the best,
Miss Bohn
Lesson 1: Four Layers of the Rainforest
Subject: Science
Grade Level: 1
1. STANDARDS Include number and text for each standard
2.a. different plants inhabit different kinds of environments and have external
features that help them thrive in different kinds of places
2.b. plants need water and light
2. OBJECTIVES
Content: The students will be introduced to the four layers of the rainforest
and what types of plants inhabit each layer through a video and building their
own visual model
Key Vocabulary: Rainforest, Forest Floor, Understory, Canopy, Emergent
Layer
3. ASSESSMENT
Informal or Formative: Whole class and small group discussion,
construction of an individual model
Formal or Summative: Lesson 1 Worksheet completed individually after
finishing the model (attached)
4. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND LEARNING TASKS
To support student learningwhat you and the students will be doing
I. ANTICIPATORY SET
Motivation: Teacher says: What is a rainforest? [Brief class discussion] Today
we will be taking a trip to the Amazon rainforest in our minds, and exploring the
four layers of the rainforest and what types of plants live there.
Activate Prior Knowledge: Teacher says: Last week we talked about how
plants are living things that need water and sunlight in order to survive. Today we
will learn about how different types of amazing plants survive in the rainforest
habitat.
II. INSTRUCTION AND MODELING
Teacher distributes a KWL chart to each student (see Lesson 1 Worksheet,
attached). Students are given some time to fill out what they already know and
what they want to learn about rainforest plants. The teacher asks for volunteers
to share, and writes some facts on a large class KWL chart at the front of the
room. Teacher then shows a video about the layers of the rainforest
([Link] Teacher demonstrates the
steps of creating the model of the four layers of the rainforest.
III. GUIDED PRACTICE
Teacher passes out materials to the students (construction paper, ruler, art
supplies, glue sticks) and demonstrates each step of how to create the model
while students do the same task at their desks. With modeling and assistance
from the teacher, students use the ruler to measure and draw a line at 2, 7, 13,
and 17 on the construction paper. Promoted by the teacher, students label each
layer with the correct name. For each layer, teacher leads a class discussion
about what types of plants live in that layer, using inspiration from the video.
Students have the opportunity to draw, paint, or use other art materials to show
those plants in the corresponding layer. For example, the Forest Floor is home to
some mosses and ferns. The Understory is home to shrubs and bushes with
large leaves to soak up as much sun as they can in this dark layer. The Canopy
is the largest layer, and home to trees, branches, and vines that form an umbrella
over the lower layers. The Emergent Layer is the highest layer where the highest
and oldest trees poke out of the canopy.
IV. CLOSURE (Student summary of learning)
Students are given the chance to add to their What I learned column of their
personal KWL chart, and teacher asks for volunteers to share, and writes some
new facts in the What I learned column of the class KWL chart
V. INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (Summative assessment)
Students complete a worksheet explaining what they learned in this lesson and
writing down the four layers of the rainforest (See Lesson 1 Worksheet)
5. DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES
To support learning differences, English Learners, IEPs, 504, GATE, etc.
ELL: Pass around teachers model to use as a visual example, with the four
layers with the names of each layer already labeled. This strategy will give a
visual representation of the vocabulary words and something to refer to if they
did not understand all of the oral instructions.
IEP/504: Students can be given a sheet of construction paper with the layers of
the rainforest already measured and marked. This would help students who have
trouble with fine motor skills or have difficulty following directions.
GATE: Students can be given sticky tabs to write and label the specific plants
that they drew. This will give more experience with writing and let these students
go the extra step to recall names and concepts from the video.
6. INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND MATERIALS
Virtual Field Trip Amazon Rainforest video
([Link] construction paper, pencils,
rulers, glue sticks, art supplies (green tissue paper, pipe cleaners, markers, paint,
etc.), class KWL chart, Lesson 1 Worksheet
Lesson 1 Worksheet: 4 Layers of the Rainforest
What are the 4 layers of the rainforest?
1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
4. _________________________________
What did you think abut this activity? (Circle one)
Easy
Just Right
Hard
Lesson 2: Rainforest Jars Experiment
Subject: Science
Grade Level: 1
1. STANDARDS Include number and text for each standard
2.a. different plants inhabit different kinds of environments and have external
features that help them thrive in different kinds of places
2.b. plants need water and light
4. Students should develop their own questions and perform investigations
4.b. record observations and data with written statements
2. OBJECTIVES
Content: The students will learn how rainforests reuse water to create their
own wet climates. They will observe condensation and precipitation of water,
and how water is used by the plants and then returned to the air through
transpiration, by building a rainforest in a jar.
Key Vocabulary: Condensation, Precipitation, Transpiration
3. ASSESSMENT
Informal or Formative: Observation as students build their models, group
discussion
Formal or Summative: Lesson 2 Worksheet completed individually after
observing the effects of the Rainforest Jar
4. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND LEARNING TASKS
To support student learningwhat you and the students will be doing
I. ANTICIPATORY SET
Motivation: Teacher says: Today we will be building our very own rainforests in
a jar so that we can see how water is reused in a real rainforest.
Activate Prior Knowledge: Teacher says: Yesterday we watched a video on
the layers of the rainforest and some of the plants that live there. We created a
model of the layers of the rainforest. Today, we will be able to see how some of
these plants are able to get the water they need to survive in their rainforest
habitat.
II. INSTRUCTION AND MODELING
Read Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests by Gail Gibbons aloud to
the class to activate prior knowledge on what a rainforest is and it functions.
Model how to create a rainforest in a jar for the students. Take a glass jar, place
a layer of gravel at the bottom of the jar, and add two to three inches of potting
soil on top of the rocks. Add some plant cuttings (moss, ferns, etc.) and make
sure all roots are covered by the soil. Pour in enough water to make the soil
moist. Put the lid on the jar. Ask students for predictions What will happen
when we put these jars outside in the sun?
III. GUIDED PRACTICE
Students create their own Rainforest Jars with appropriate assistance from the
teacher. After the jars are complete, they are labeled with the students name
and placed in a warm, sunlit area, either outside or by the window, and left for
several hours. Later that day, students check their jar to see how the water cycle
has begun, as evidenced by the condensation on the inside of the jar.
IV. CLOSURE (Student summary of learning)
Teacher leads a class discussion on how the sunlight gets trapped inside the jar
and turns into water vapor (condensation). That condensation eventually falls
back down onto the plants (precipitation). The plants take in the water through
their roots and then release it through the leaves (transpiration), starting the
process over again. Vocabulary words are written clearly on the board. Students
turn to a partner and discuss the following question: How do plants get the water
they need to survive in the rainforest?
V. INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (Summative assessment)
Students complete a worksheet on what they learned from this experiment,
including a matching section for vocabulary, what they observed after leaving
their jar in the sun for a few hours, and what they have learned about rainforest
plants. (See Lesson 2 Worksheet, attached)
5. DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES
To support learning differences, English Learners, IEPs, 504, GATE, etc.
ELL: Ensure ELL students are seated in the front of the room during the story so
they are able to use the illustrations to scaffold their understanding of the story,
as well as during the modeling, so they can see visually what steps they need to
carry out this experiment. Ensure that vocabulary words are written clearly on the
board, and ask each ELL student to explain the vocabulary words to you verbally,
in their own words.
IEP/504: Provide heavy assistance during the construction of the rainforest jar,
for children who struggle with fine motor skills or following directions. Option to
do this activity in pairs and allow IEP student to work with a high functioning
student to provide scaffolding.
GATE: Include an additional question on the worksheet for GATE students for an
increased challenge. Where else do you see the process of condensation and
precipitation in nature? This will provide an opportunity for students to draw a
connection to the water cycle and/or weather.
6. INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND MATERIALS
Jars, gravel, potting soil, water, plant cuttings, labels, Nature's Green Umbrella:
Tropical Rain Forests by Gail Gibbons, Lesson 2 Worksheet
Lesson 2 Worksheet: Rainforest Jars
Draw a line from each vocabulary word to the correct definition.
1. Condensation
2. Precipitation
3. Transpiration
Water released from plants
Water turning into water vapor
Water falling down onto plants
What did you observe after leaving your Rainforest Jar in the sun
for a few hours?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
What did you learn about rainforest plants from doing this
experiment?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
What did you think abut this activity? (Circle one)
Easy
Just Right
Hard
Lesson 3: Leaf Shapes Experiment
Subject: Science
Grade Level: 1
1. STANDARDS Include number and text for each standard
2.a. different plants inhabit different kinds of environments and have external
features that help them thrive in different kinds of places
2.b. plants need water and light
4. Students should develop their own questions and perform investigations
4.b. record observations and data with pictures and written statements
2. OBJECTIVES
Content: Students will learn how leaf shape can help some leaves stay dry in
a rainforest, by cutting out paper leaf shapes, dipping them in water, and
recording their observations.
Key Vocabulary: leaf, pointed, non-pointed, narrow, wide, drip-tip
3. ASSESSMENT
Informal or Formative: Observing students taking part in the experiment in
small groups, recording observations, class discussion after the experiment
Formal or Summative: Worksheet that tests student knowledge on what
they observed in the experiment (See Lesson 3 Worksheet, attached)
4. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND LEARNING TASKS
To support student learningwhat you and the students will be doing
I. ANTICIPATORY SET
Motivation: Teacher says: Today we will be making our own rainforest leaves
and testing to see which type of leaf drips water fastest.
Activate Prior Knowledge: Teacher says: Yesterday we made Rainforest Jars
that showed condensation, precipitation, and transpiration. We saw how water is
reused in a rainforest environment. We talked about how leaves need water to
survive, but what happens when leaves get too wet for too long? [They can rot
and die]. A leafs shape can help it dry faster and help it to survive. Todays
science question is, Which shapes of leaves drip water the fastest: pointed or
non-pointed, narrow or wide? Teacher shows class photos of different types of
leaves on the plants that live in the rainforest ([Link] and uses these images to illustrate the vocabulary words, which will
be written and defined on the board.
II. INSTRUCTION AND MODELING
Teacher models how to cut out the different leaf shapes, which are outlined on
green construction paper (one pointed, one non-pointed, one narrow, one wide).
Teacher demonstrates how students will dip the leaves into a basin of water, and
use a paper clip to hang them over the basin on a piece of string.
Teacher asks: Which leaf do you think will drip fastest? Why? Gather
predictions from the class and write them on the board. Pass out a worksheet
(See Lesson 3 Worksheet) with a table for recording data.
III. GUIDED PRACTICE
Students are put into groups of 4. Each student draws the shape of each of the 4
leaves in their log (See Lesson 3 Worksheet). Each student is responsible for
dipping and hanging one leaf on the string with a paperclip, one at a time. The
group observes how quickly the water drips off each leaf, and records their
observations in their log (See Lesson 3 Worksheet)
IV. CLOSURE (Student summary of learning)
Small group discussion about what each group observed in the experiment,
followed by a teacher-led class discussion about how leaf shapes can help plants
survive in the extremely wet environment of the rainforest. Teacher points out
that many rainforest plants have narrow, spout-like tips called drip tips, which
point downward so that rain can easily run off onto the plants below.
V. INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (Summative assessment)
Students finish Lesson 3 Worksheet by answering questions about what they
observed and what they learned in this experiment.
5. DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES
To support learning differences, English Learners, IEPs, 504, GATE, etc.
ELL: Make sure teacher modeling is clearly visible to these students. Small and
large group activities provide additional scaffolding.
IEP/504: Provide an observation chart with the shapes of each leaf already
drawn in and leaves that are already cut out to assist children who struggle with
fine motor skills. Allow students to conduct the experiment two times to have a
second opportunity to make observations if necessary. Small group activities
provide additional scaffolding.
GATE: Give students printed out photos of rainforest plants, ask them to
organize them based on leaf shape, predict which types of plants will survive
best in the rainforest.
6. INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND MATERIALS
Green construction paper, scissors, basin, water, paper clips, string, images of
rainforest leaves ([Link] Lesson 3 Worksheet
Lesson 3 Worksheet: Leaf Shapes Experiment
Leaf Shape
(Draw each one below)
Observations
Pointed:
Non-Pointed:
Narrow:
Wide:
Which leaf dripped the fastest? Which leaf dripped the slowest?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What type of leaf do you think will survive best in the rainforest?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What did you think abut this activity? (Circle one)
Easy
Just right
Hard
Lesson 4: Rainforest Fruit Taste Test & Graphing (Math)
Subject: Science
Grade Level: 1
1. STANDARDS Include number and text for each standard
2.a. different plants inhabit different kinds of environments and have external
features that help them thrive in different kinds of places
2.b. plants need water and light
4.b. record observations and data with numbers and written statements
4.c. record observations on a bar graph
[Link].C.4 Organize, represent, and interpret data with
up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data
points, how many in each category
2. OBJECTIVES
Content: Students will learn how to graph data, record observations, and
learn about different types of rainforest fruits through a taste test and
graphing activity
Key Vocabulary: banana, pineapple, mango, bar graph
3. ASSESSMENT
Informal or Formative: Teacher observes students, asks questions
throughout activity
Formal or Summative: Students graph the results of the taste test
independently and answer questions about the results (See Lesson 4
Worksheet, attached)
4. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND LEARNING TASKS
To support student learningwhat you and the students will be doing
I. ANTICIPATORY SET
Motivation: Teacher holds up each fruit (banana, pineapple, mango) and asks
students to identify each one.
Activate Prior Knowledge: Teacher says: Yesterday we learned about
different types of plants in the rainforest. Today we are going to talk about, and
eat, different types of edible plants in the rainforest. Everyone will be able to vote
on their favorite fruit, and we will graph the results as a class and individually on
a bar graph.
II. INSTRUCTION AND MODELING
Teacher poses the question, Which layer of the rainforest do you think these
fruits grow in? [Canopy layer, where they get plenty of rain and sunlight]. Do any
of these fruits have characteristics that would help the rain run off them, like a
drip-tip leaf? [Example: waxy peels like mango and banana, pointed leaf like a
pineapple]. Teacher shows students a large graph drawn on poster paper at the
front of the room, with each axis labeled (x-axis: Type of Rainforest Fruit (with a
picture of each), y-axis: Number of Students Who Like This Fruit the Best).
Teacher explains that a bar graph is used to show data visually and that the
class is going to make one together based on which tropical fruit they like best, to
see which fruit is the class favorite. Teacher asks the class to choral skip count
by twos to help her label her bar graph with numbers (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12). Lines
are pre-measured based on the size of the post-its.
III. GUIDED PRACTICE
Teacher puts students into groups of 4. Each group is invited to examine the
whole pieces of tropical fruit and discuss their similarities and differences. Each
student makes a hypothesis about which fruit they think they will like the best.
The fruits are then cut into pieces and each student is allowed to taste each one.
Students record their favorite fruit on a corresponding colored post-it (Example:
yellow for banana, blue for mango, pink for pineapple). Each group is invited up
one by one to stick their post-its on the graph in the corresponding column, one
on top of the other.
IV. CLOSURE (Student summary of learning)
Teacher then asks which bar represents the fruit that the students like the most?
[The tallest bar]. Which bar represents the fruit that the students like the least?
[The shortest bar].
V. INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (Summative assessment)
Students are given a worksheet with an empty graph. Using the class bar graph
as an example, students label each axis, with words and numbers, count the
number of post-its in each column of the class bar chart, and draw in the bars on
their individual graph, using the corresponding color for each. Students then
answer questions based on their bar graphs. (See Lesson 4 Worksheet,
attached)
5. DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES
To support learning differences, English Learners, IEPs, 504, GATE, etc.
ELL: Pass around each whole fruit, labeled clearly with the name. ELL students
may not be familiar with the names for these tropical fruits.
IEP/504: Students are given bar graphs with the axes and numbers already
labeled, so that they can focus on counting the number of post-its and drawing
their bars.
GATE: Give students a second empty bar graph and ask them to re-create the
graph, this time ordering the bars from lowest to highest, to give more practice
with ascending and descending numbers and how to represent them visually in a
bar graph.
6. INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND MATERIALS
Bananas, mangos, pineapples (some for eating and some for examining), poster
paper, 3 different colored post-its, colored pencils, Lesson 4 Worksheet
Lesson 4 Worksheet: Rainforest Fruit Taste Test & Graphing
How many students liked banana? _____ How many students liked
mango? _____ How many students liked pineapple? _____
Which rainforest fruit did the class like the best?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Which rainforest fruit did the class like the least?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What did you think abut this activity? (Circle one)
Easy
Just Right
Hard
Rainforest Plants Research Project
For this project, students will become Rainforest Detectives and learn
more detail about the many diverse types of plants that live in the
rainforest. Their main research question is, How do different types of
plants survive in the rainforest? with a focus on how they get water and
sunlight. Other research questions are based on questions that the
students generated on the KWL chart on the first day of the unit, as long as
they are limited to questions about rainforest plants.
The teacher distributes Science Detective Notebook to each student
(See Science Detective Notebook, attached), which they will use to gather
information. Around the room the teacher hangs pictures of different
rainforest plants, such as the Venus Fly Trap, Orchid, Poinsettia,
Bromeliad, and Lianas, with certain facts written below the picture.
Students are invited to visit the pictures around the room and record certain
facts.
Using one iPad per group, students can scan a QR code below the
picture that takes the students to a website with more information about
that plant. Each website will have audio that reads the information aloud to
the students. They then draw a picture of the plant in their Science
Detective Notebook along with interesting facts about that particular plant.
Students are also invited to do additional detective work on the
plants they find interesting by visiting more websites during a trip to the
computer lab, or exploring books and posters throughout the room.
This project could be spread out over several days if necessary. By
the end of the project, each student should have at least 5 rainforest plants
in their Science Detective Notebook.
Standards:
2.a. different plants inhabit different kinds of environments and have
external features that help them thrive in different kinds of places
2.b. plants need water and light
4. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and
conducting careful investigations
4.a. draw pictures that portray some features of the thing being
described
4.b. record observations and data with written statements
Rainforest Plants Research Project
Science Detective Notebook
1. Name of Rainforest Plant ________________________________
2. How does this plant get the water it needs to survive?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
3. How does this plant get the sunlight it needs to survive?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
4. What other facts did you learn about this plant?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
5. Draw a picture of this rainforest plant:
What did you think abut this activity? (Circle one)
Easy
Just Right
Hard
Rainforest Plants Performance Assessment
To assess overall student learning in the Rainforest Plants Unit,
students will be able to choose one rainforest plant to present to the class.
Students have freedom to pick a plant that they are interested in, but the
teacher must ensure that a variety of plants are being presented, without
overlaps.
Students use the information gathered in the research project as the
basis for their presentation. Once choosing their plant to present, they do
additional research in class on iPads, and/or in the computer lab, and write
or type out their information with assistance from the teacher. Students are
encouraged to practice their presentation with their families at home.
During the presentation, the teacher will prompt students with questions as
needed. In their oral presentation they must share the following information:
1. Name of the plant
2. Photo of the plant
3. How does the plant get the water it needs to survive?
4. How does the plant get the sunlight it needs to survive?
5. Which of the 4 levels of the rainforest does the plant live in?
6. What type of leaf does the plant have?
7. The student will also share any additional information that he or she
learned, based on the research questions generated in the KWL
chart, and/or additional questions constructed by the student
Standards:
2.a. different plants inhabit different kinds of environments and have
external features that help them thrive in different kinds of places
2.b. plants need water and light
4. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and
conducting careful investigations
4.b. record observations with written statements
Differentiation Strategies:
1. ELL: Give option to write and draw instead of speak if necessary
for students who are not speaking English yet
2. IEP/504: Modify by requiring different or fewer questions in the
presentation
3. GATE: Require at least two research questions to be answered in
the presentation for additional challenge
Rainforest Plants Performance Assessment Rubric
Teacher Notes:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
