Grade Level: 4th Grade
Time: 3, 1-hour sessions
Objectives:
Using the materials and information provided the students will be able to, in their own words, describe the four layers of the rainforest, with no errors.
Using the materials and information provided the students will research two animals of the rainforest, and following research they will choose one animal to create, this should be done with no errors.
Using their 3-D animal and discovered facts the students will present to an audience about their animal with no errors.
Materials:
Sticks
Vines
Construction Paper
Glue (12)
Scissors (12)
Tape (3)
Wiggle eyes
Pipe cleaners
Miscellaneous containers
Cardboard boxes, cereal boxes and shipping boxes
Toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls
Books
Internet
Velcro
Procedures:
Day 1
Getting to know you, we will talk about ourselves and let them know who we are briefly. Then we will do some fact-finding and figure out what they know about rainforests and especially the animals of the rainforest..
Can the students add the labels to the display?
Can the students critically think about what is in each layer?
Can the students depict the type of animal that lives in each layer.
Can they name some plants of the rainforest.
Put students into their groups and give them their animals?
Wrap up--Have them start filling out their packets.
Day 2
The student will research their animals and find four unique facts on each animal that you cannot tell by looking at it. This should be written nicely on a piece of paper and turned into the drake students. Once they have finished with their research they can choose which animal they want to construct. They can begin to construct their animals using the provided materials.
Clean up time will begin ten minutes before class is over. The animals will be stored in boxes until the next day. Each child is responsible for cleaning the floor where they were working.
Day 3
The students will use the first twenty to thirty minutes of class to finish creating their animals. Then we will go into the hall and sit infront of the display and present to the class and other audience members. Each group will share their animal and facts. The animals will be left in the rainforest as a display. We will use velcro to hang the animals in the forest. They should be sure to include where their animal lives and why and tell that to the audience.
Following the presentations we need to come into the classroom and pick up materials. Any extra time will be spent going over the packets and further discussion.
Assessment:
The assessment for this lesson was formative and ongoing. We evaluated the students by observing them working in groups, class participation, filling out thier packets and researching thier animals. At the conclusion of the lesson we evaluated the students presenting thier animal. Each group was required to have one animal, four facts, and knowledge of what layer thier animal is found in the rainforest.