Teacher Resources

Teacher's Resources

Overview:
Students will learn about the destruction of the rainforest and how it affects the animals in the rainforest and the world. They will learn ways that they can help to prevent its destruction. Students will take on the identity of an animal from the rainforest. Students will research and learn about their animal and its rainforest habitat. They will learn about how the destruction of the rainforest affects them as an person and their selected animal of the rainforest. Students will learn these concepts through Internet technology activities to create a PowerPoint presentation and an oral presentation to convince people to protect the rainforest. Students will write a letter to the company that has come to harvest their rainforest and then try to persuade them to stop. Students will create a environmental poster in support of protecting the rainforest. Students will be allowed to work alone or groups on the PowerPoint and oral presentation.

Subject/Area : Science and Social Studies
Grade Level : 3-4

Purpose: Students will learn about characteristics of animals that live in the rainforest. Students will learn about why the rainforest must be protected. Students will learn how to write a persuasive letters.

Objectives:

The student will :

research information on their animal and the rainforest.
research information on the destruction of the rainforest and the habitat of their animal.
create a conservation poster.
write a persuasive letter.
label the rainforest on a world map and mark where their animal lives on the map.
present information learned about their animal and the protect of rainforest.
create a mask of their rainforest animal.

Time/Class Management

6 sixty minute classes

Louisiana Content Standards

G-1A-E1	identifying and describing the characteristics and uses of geographic representations, such as various types of maps, globes, graphs, diagrams, photographs, and satellite-produced images
G-1A-E2	locating and interpreting geographic features and places on maps and globes
G-1A-E3	constructing maps, graphs, charts, and diagrams to describe geographical information and to solve problems
G-1B-E1	describing and comparing the physical characteristics of places, including land forms, bodies of water, soils, vegetation, and climate
SE-E-A1	understanding that an "ecosystem" is made of living and non-living components
SE-E-A3	identifying ways in which humans have altered their environment, both in positive and negative ways, either for themselves or for other living things
SE-E-A5	understanding that most plant and animal species are threatened or endangered today due to habitat loss or change
LS-E-C1	examining the habitats of plants and animals and determining how basic needs are met within each habitat
LS-E-C2	describing how the features of some plants and animals enable them to live in specific habitats

Materials:

Map of Africa
Graphic Organizers
Masking materials
Poster board

Technology Connection:

Software:

Microsoft PowerPoint

Hardware:

Internet-ready computer
Printer

Lesson Procedures:

Day 1: The teacher will introduce and go over parts of the Webquest, Save the Rainforest - Mission Impossible or Not? The teacher will setup classroom procedures for computer use.

Day 2: The students will follow through the step of the Webquest.

Day 3: Students that finished the research part of the Webquest will begin work on their PowerPoint or work on their poster, letter and animal mask. The teacher might want to set up a rotating system in a center type of format.

Day 4: Students will continue to rotate through the process. If you have a computer lab the research and PowerPoint activities will not take long to complete. If you do not have a computerlab you my want to require partners for the PowerPoint activity because of the time element.

Day 5: Students will continue to work on posters and mask.

Day 6: Project presentations will be given. It is best to spread out the presentations over a few days. This will help keep the audience from getting restless.

Note: The number of days to complete the PowerPoint presentations will depend upon how many computer you have access to in your school.

Student Products

Animal Mask
Letter to the President of the Rainforest Country
Rainforest Conservation Poster
PowerPoint presentation
labeled rainforest map
Journal Entry

Extensions/Related Activities

You might want to have your students email the President of the United States to ask for him to help save the rainforest. This a site were they can email the White House. Ask President Bush to Acknowledge the Global Warming and Forest Destruction Crises -Tell President Bush to stop rolling back environmental laws to increase corporate profits and to face the crises of global warming and forest destruction.

Make a virtual postcard at Rainforest Postcard to send to someone. Tell them about what you have learned about the rainforest.

Online Activities

Online Rainforest Games

Video Clips

Rainforest Fieldtrip

Rainforest Sounds

Rainforest Postcard

Interactive Rainforest Activities

Lesson Plans/Materials

Teacher Packets - The Rain Forest Alliance provides information packets for teachers on rainforest conservation.

Creative Writing Lesson -This link has an interesting language arts lesson.

Scholastic Rainforest Activities -This Scholastic site has curriculum activities and links for teaching lessons on the rain forest.

Rainforest Theme Unit - A complete unit for use in teaching about the rain forest.

Rainforest Rainbird Curriculum Activities -Activities are provided here to teach the rain forest across the curriculum.

Rainforest Biome Lesson - This link provides lessons to link science and social studies.

The Tropical Rainforest Workshop Page -This site has a variety of links to use to enhance a rain forest unit.

PBS Rainforest Site - This PBS site provides links and informaation on rain forest conservation and development.