I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Environments

Essential Question:

Why is it important for the world to understand the need to conserve the resources of the tropical

Bridge:

Habitat

Content:

Composition and Diversity

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To create an experience which will connect students to the environment found in a tropical rain forest.

Activity: The teacher will create a tropical rain forest environment in the classroom by:

1. Turning up the temperature in the classroom to a level which one would find in a tropical rain forest.
2. Playing a cassette on which sounds typical to a tropical rain forest have been recorded.
3. Bringing in green plants to hang or place around the room.
4. Visit the local pet shop or zoo and inquire about the possibility of them loaning to you animals common to a tropical rain forest.

Assessment: Enjoyment and reaction of the students.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: To analyze what the students observed, felt and learned about plants and animals which are common to a tropical rain forest.

Activity: Using the overhead projector, discuss and analyze student observations.

Assessment: Students' contribution to the group discussion and analysis of the experience.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: To deepen students' understandings of plants and animals common to a tropical rain forest and then allow them to illustrate these understandings, creating a mural.

Activity: Read to the students a book you have chosen which gives additional information on this topic (you may choose to substitute a video). Have students work in groups creating a mural which illustrates the composition and diversity of a tropical rain forest.

Assessment: Attentiveness to the book, participation in and contribution to the mural.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: Continued study of the composition of the rain forest.

Activity: Teacher presents information using lecture, discussion, videos, texts and guest speakers [especially if you have access to experts from a Botanical Garden, or a local person whose has traveled in a rain forest area].

Assessment: Level of student interest and the quality of questions and comments.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: Review concepts learned thus far about rain forest composition. Allow the students time to investigate a topic of their own choosing related to the tropical rain forest.

Activity: Students share insights learned thus far about rain forest composition. Brainstorm with the class questions they might have on this topic which have not been answered and allow time for personal inquiry. The students will then view a short rain forest video, "Rain Forest Rap."

Assessment: Participation/contribution to class discussion, attentiveness to the video, on-task behavior during the independent investigation time.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: Students will create their own rain forest rap.

Activity: The teacher will share with the students a short rap she/he has created to serve as an example. Students will then apply information they have learned about rain forests to create their own rain forest rap.

Assessment: On-task behavior of students.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: To share projects. To celebrate each other's work.

Activity: Students will perform their raps for the class.

Assessment: Quality of student raps..

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: To extend what has been learned. To make applications of content learned to present day life.

Activity: Review the different plants and animals found in the rain forest. Discuss the variety of food products found in the rain forest. Have the children work in groups to plan a menu for one day's meals using as many tropical forest foods as possible. For example, breakfast might consist of toast sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, a grapefruit half, and a cup of hot chocolate. In this example the sugar, cinnamon, grapefruit, and cocoa originated in tropical forests.

Assessment: Enjoyment and participation in the experience.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: