Unit on Rainforest for 2

nd
grade by Jennifer Swain
Day One Day Two Day Three Day Four Day Five
I can describe helpful or harmful
effects of humans on the
environment (garbage, habitat
destruction, land management,
renewable and non-renewable
resources).
I can describe helpful or
harmful effects of humans on
the environment (garbage,
habitat destruction, land
management, renewable and
non-renewable resources).
I can describe how rain
collects on the surface of
the Earth and flows
downhill into bodies of
water (streams, rivers,
lakes, oceans) or into the
ground. Water is a
natural resource and is
found under the ground,
on the surface of the
earth, and in the sky. It
exists in three states
(liquid, solid, gas) and
can go back and forth
from one form to
another.
I can relate
characteristics and
functions of
observable parts in a
variety of plants that
allow them to live in
their environment
(for example: leaf
shape, thorns, odor,
color)
I can relate
characteristics and
functions of
observable body
parts to the ability of
animals to live in
their environment
(for example: sharp
teeth, claws, color,
body covers).
Objective:
Students will be able to participate
in creating a classroom poster that
emulates the layers of the
rainforest, show what animals live
at each level, show plant life, show
climate of the rainforest and the
need for conservation. Students will
be able to answer questions with
75% accuracy.
Objective:
Students will be able to
participate in creating a
classroom poster that
emulates the layers of the
rainforest, show what animals
live at each level, show plant
life, show climate of the
rainforest and the need for
conservation. SWBAT identify
three characteristics of an
assigned layer of the
rainforest with 67% accuracy.
Objective:
Students will be able to
discuss climate in the
rainforest and how it
impacts life worldwide
with 75% accuracy.
Objective:
Students will be able
to define the
different plants that
live at each layer of
the rainforest and
include the
characteristics that
allow the plant to
survive at that layer
with 67% accuracy.
Objective:
Students will be able
to match animals
with the correct layer
of the rainforest
including
characteristics that
allow the animal to
survive in that layer
with 67% accuracy.
Hook:
http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-
Hook: Layers of the rainforest
chart is examined.
Hook:
Read aloud to students
Hook:
http://www.earthra
Hook:
https://www.youtub
shows/other/videos/vanishing-
frogs.htm
the book, Rain Forests by
Nancy Levinson and
Diane Hearn
ngers.com/video/pla
nts/whats-in-a-
rainforest-
video_529496f7e.ht
ml
e.com/watch?v=dWb
qBNDjQlk May watch
only a portion *
Activity:
Discuss what the students know
about the rainforest. Pose
questions from the video.

Tell students that today they will
begin to form the first part of the
classroom poster of the layers of
the rainforest. Teacher will have
prepared a long rolled sheet of
paper with the trunks of various
different trees. Students will be
painting leaves on the trees with
handprints. Teacher will show
students where to place handprints
on the trees. Once complete,
poster will be hung to dry and
students will clean up the paint.

Students will read from their
textbooks on pages 28 and 29
about the rainforest and answer
questions on page 29 in their
journals.
Activity:
Ask students to discuss what
they know about the layers of
the rainforest. What takes
place at each layer? Why
does the rainforest contain
layers, when other forests
may not?

Today, students will label the
poster with the different
layers, and write descriptions
of what takes place at each
layer. Teacher will break the
class into groups and each
group will focus on a
particular layer. Each student
will be responsible for
contributing one characteristic
to the layer they are focused
on adding to the poster.

Students will read pages 32-
33.

Students will write three
characteristics of the layers of
the rainforest they focused on
in their journals.
Activity:
Discuss what students
know about the weather
in the rainforest?
(Define the terms
Ecosystem and Climate)
Ask students how
climate in the rainforest
can impact other parts of
the world.

Teacher will first break
students into groups and
have each group focus
on a specific aspect of
the water cycle.
Students will add the
water cycle to the
classroom poster
following a visual
diagram. They will
include sunlight,
evaporation, cloud
formation, rainfall, water
collection, and use by
plants and animals
(including humans). Also,
students will add
information about the
Activity:
Find out what
students know
about plants and
what they need to
survive. Discuss
how long it takes for
different kinds of
plants to grow and
what they do for
humans (food,
lumber for housing,
oxygen to breath).

Students will add
various plants to the
layers of the
rainforest. Teacher
will place students in
groups to focus on a
specific layer and
type of plant to add.
They will color their
plants, cut out and
glue them to the
poster.

Students will write
in their journals why
Activity:
Discuss different
kinds of animals and
which ones students
think they might find
in the rainforest.
Discuss the
characteristics of
animals, and why
those characteristics
might help them to
live in different layers
of the rainforest.

Students will be
grouped to focus on a
particular layer of the
rainforest. Students
will match the correct
animals to their layer,
color, cut out and
prepare to add them
to the classroom
poster. After they
are all cut out,
teacher will share the
correct animal
placement so that
students can place
Lungs of the World,
and how photosynthesis
provides oxygen to the
atmosphere.

Students will write in
their journals 4 aspects
of the water cycle in the
rainforest.
the plant they added
to the poster
belongs to the layer
where they placed it
on the poster citing
3 reasons.
their animals in the
correct layer on the
poster.

Students will write in
their journals why
one animal they
added to the poster
belongs to the layer
where they placed it
on the poster citing 3
reasons.


Day 6 Day 7
I can describe helpful or harmful
effects of humans on the
environment (garbage, habitat
destruction, land management,
renewable and non-renewable
resources)
I can communicate and
present findings of
observations.

Objective: SWBAT identify ways to
conserve the rainforest for future
generations with 67% accuracy.
Objective: SWBAT respond to
assessment with 80%
accuracy.

Hook: Read The Great Kapok Tree,
by Lynne Cherry
Hook: Prep time given to
study notes before the
assessment.

Activity:
Discuss with students what they
know about conservation? (Define
conservation) Ask students ways
we conserve through reducing,
Activity:
Assessment given. Following
assessment, each group of
students will present their
findings about their focused

reusing and recycling.

Students will look at conservation
from the point of view of animals
living in the rainforest. They will
create conversation bubbles to
explain why their habitat is
important to their survival. The
final animals/conversation bubbles
will be added to the classroom
poster.

Students will write three reasons
why conservation of the rainforest
is important in their journals.
layer of the rainforest to the
class using the poster as a
guide, as well as their notes
from their journals.


Lesson Plan
Teachers Name: ____________Jennifer Swain________________________ Date: ___10-16-2012___
Grade Level: ____Second Grade___Topic/Unit:__Rainforest____ School: __WSU__ District: _WSU___
Lesson Plan Title: ____Who Wants to Save the Rainforest?___(Day 6 of the Unit)___________________

Content: This lesson is Day 6 of a Unit on Rainforest. It will focus mainly on preparing for the
Assessment phase of the Unit, and cover the rationale for conservation of the Rainforest. Specifically,
students must address and construct, in their own words and extrapolate from their own knowledge
(based upon information provided in the unit), how the Rainforest is affected by human interference
and the worldwide impact this interference is causing.

Benchmarks:
E.ES.03.51 - Describe ways humans are dependent on the natural environment (forests, water, clean
air, earth materials) and constructed environments (homes, neighborhoods, shopping malls, factories,
and industry).
E.ES.03.52 - Describe helpful or harmful effects of humans on the environment (garbage, habitat
destruction, land management, renewable and non-renewable resources).

Objective: SWBAT identify ways to conserve the rainforest for future generations with 67% accuracy.

Learning Resources and Materials:
Video of the reading of the Great Kapok Tree
Computer/screen to show video
Alternative to the video, read from the book, The Great Kapok Tree
ELMO
Words for word wall
Answer key for animals and their layer of the rainforest
Construction Paper
Glue
Scissors
Cardstock
Crayons, markers, pencils, etc.
Printout of the animals (enough for each student to select one or two).

Development of the Lesson:

Literature Integration: The Great Kapok Tree, by Lynne Cherry

Focus: There are many reasons the Rainforests are important to humanity. The book
addresses the following areas: Habitat to many animals, living organisms depend on
one another, without the trees the soil will wash away and leave a desert, the beauty,
lack of habitat disrupts the food chain, trees provide oxygen, future generations depend
on the Rainforests, the earth needs the Rainforests for long term survival, etc.



Introduction:
Briefly remind students to think about the animals, plants, layers of the Rainforest, etc. that
have been discussed as part of this unit. Ask students to consider whether or not humans have
impacted the Rainforest? Was that impact good or bad for the Rainforest? Ask the students
what they know about conservation? (Define conservation) Why is it important for the
Rainforest? What might be lost if conservation efforts are not successful?

Methods/Procedures:
First, begin to show the video, "Mrs. Thomas reading the Great Kapok Tree.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-j9RRSWS1U . While the video is playing, hand out the
materials to construct a Rainforest animal of the students choosing. (Alternatively, begin
reading the book while students pass out the materials.)

Pause the video to give instructions:
1. Tell students they can begin to cut out the animals while listening to the video.
2. Students will work in their layer of the rainforest groups.
3. Each student will be responsible for selecting and making one animal, one stand, and one
conversation bubble that would live in their layer of the rainforest. Students should cut out
their conversation bubble, but not glue it to their animal yet. Further instructions will be given
after the video. They will color their animals.

Un-pause the video and play it until the end.

At the end of the video, ask students to:
Come up with one message your animal would want to express about why it is important to
save the Rainforest, based on what you have learned from the story and during our unit on the
Rainforest. Scaffold by having students share out and put examples on the ELMO by filling in
conversation bubbles with student responses. Then students should write their own message in
their conversation bubble and glue it to their animal.

Teacher will share the correct placement of the animals on the ELMO. Teacher will ask students
to share out about individual animal bubbles and use those thoughts to provoke discussion
about the various topics covered during the lesson/unit. The animal cutouts with their
conversation bubbles will be added to the unit Classroom Poster.



Communication with parents:
A photo of the classroom poster will be taken to include on the classroom website to relate to
parents and caregivers the information students are learning about the Rainforest in this unit.

Accommodations/Adaptations:
Students will be encouraged to work individually or in small groups as they desire. Each student
will be assessed based on their own contributions (journal entries and assessment at end of
unit). Students may have the teacher scribe their conversation bubbles if necessary.

Assessment/Evaluation:
There are two parts of the assessment. First is a written multiple choice exam. The second part
will be a presentation to communicate findings during the unit. Journal will be collected and
entries will be evaluated.

Closure:
Discuss vocabulary words with students, and add to unit word wall for Rain Forest words.
Vocabulary Words Definition
Rain forest A dense evergreen forest occupying a tropical region with an annual rainfall
of at least 2.5 meters (100 inches).
Conservation The protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and of
natural resources such as forests, soil, and water.
Impact To have an effect or impact.
Interfering Something that hinders, obstructs, or impedes.
Habitat The place where a person or thing is most likely to be found.
Food Chain The living organisms in an area linked to one another in terms of providing
food for, or feeding on another organism.
Survival The act of succeeding at the struggle to live.

Students will conclude by writing three reasons why conservation of the rainforests is
important. Responses should include at least one response about worldwide impact of the
diminishing rainforests.

References links:

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/lesson-plans-grades-1-2/65109-a-rainforest-lesson-using-the-
great-kapok-tree-by-lynne-cherry/?cid=parsely_rec

http://www.firstpalette.com/tool_box/printables/jungleanimals.html

http://www.freeprintables.org/8-blank-speech-bubbles/#

http://www.pbs.org/journeyintoamazonia/sacred.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-j9RRSWS1U