Title of Project: Creating A Rainforest

Grade Level: 6-8

Number of Students Participating:

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Overview/Description of Project: In order to learn firsthand what a rainforest is, students constructed a rainforest in their school and used it as a way to teach others about its importance to the world’s ecosystems.

Goals:

To develop a teaching tool to help students better understand the uniqueness of rainforests and other forest communities

To promote recycling by using recycled materials in the rainforest

To teach the concepts of biomes, habitats, and endangered species

Core Content Areas:

Reading/Writing: 1.2, 1.11 Students read a variety of materials as they conducted research projects on the rainforest. Once the rainforest was completed, students wrote scripts and puppet shows for the tour groups who were invited to visit.

Science: 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 the rainforest project provided many opportunities to teach concepts in life science: Structure and Function of Living Systems, Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms. Populations and Ecosystems; and Earth Science: Earth’s Subsystems. Students conducted research and directly applied what they learned in science to their own rainforest.

Social Studies: 2.18, 2.19 Students studied where rainforests are located in the world through geography. In economics, students learned about products that come from the rainforest and their impacts on both the U.S. and indigenous economies.

Arts and Humanities: 2.22, 2.23 Students constructed paper mache animals and plants that were representative of the rainforest community and designed their own puppets to use during tours. Students designed an advertising brochure to promote tours.

Practical Living: 2.30, 2.33 Students learned how their choices as consumers can impact the rainforest, both positively and negatively. They learned about manufacturers who negatively impact the rainforests. Students learned about resources available in the community through organizations that donated products to the rainforest project.

Vocational Studies: 2.36 Students learned about careers in biology and pharmaceuticals.

PARC MODEL STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

PREPARATION:

1)      Students began by spending a considerable amount of time researching rainforest s of the world, where they are located, how they impact the environment, their importance globally, products that originate from them, and how this affects the economy.

2)      The gifted and talented teacher learned of a book room that was available and requested to use it to construct a mini-rainforest as a teaching tool.

3)      Local businesses were contacted to request donations such as paint, carpet and carpet tubes (which became the trees).

4)      Students cleaned out the room and painted in colors representative of the rainforest.

5)      Using donated and recycled materials, students constructed the rainforest, focusing on the characteristics of each layer.

6)      Students constructed paper mache animals representative of the rainforest layers.

7)      Once the rainforest was completed, students wrote and designed a promotional brochure to encourage groups to take a tour.

8)      Students wrote puppet shows and scripts designed for different age groups who toured the rainforest.

ACTION:

1)      Students invited elementary schools, preschools, senior citizens, and other groups to tour the rainforest and learn about this unique ecosystem.

2)      All students within the school were also given a tour.

REFLECTION:

1)      Students continually reviewed and updated their scripts, making them better for tour groups.

2)      Prompt (suggested);

You have been put in charge of the Rainforest Action Network and you have to give a speech about the rainforest. Describe several unique characteristics of the rainforest and summarize its importance. Explain how consumerism can impact the rainforest in both positive and negative ways.

CELEBRATION:      The rainforest was shown on Kentucky Afield for Kids, providing recognition of the efforts put forth by the students and teachers.