Lesson 2
The Rain Forest
Grade Levels: 7th and 8th
Subjects: Science
Learner Outcomes:
-
Students will be able to describe the major characteristics of the
rain forest.
-
Students will be able to debate the issue of de-forestation
of the rain forest.
-
Students will be able to identify the geographical areas that have rain
forests. Students will be able to identify the people, animals, and plants
that live in the rain forest.
Duration of Lesson: (Two) 50 minute class periods
Materials: Paper, pencil, world map
Technology Tool/ Courseware: Personal computer, Internet
connection, Browser, Excel
Teacher Notes: Teacher
will review with students the map
of the world that indicate the major land biomes
and relate them to distances from equator.
Procedures:
-
Students will prepare a chart, using the Excel program, for the rain
forest listing all animals and plants that live there.
-
Students will research the internet for a list of all medicines that are
derived exclusively from the rain forest.
-
Students will be divided into 2 major groups and then into sub-groups
to debate the issue of de-forestation. One group should represent the advantages
and the other group should represent the disadvantages of the de-forestation
of the rain forest.
Modifications:
As per students IEPs. Suggestions might include oral instructions and extended
time for assignments.
Enrichment Activities:
-
Students will research the number of endangered
species that live in the rain forest. They will need to list each animal
and plant and describe the conditions that qualify them as endangered.
-
Using information from this lesson, students will construct a scale model
of the amount of rain forest destroyed each day.
Evaluation/Assessment:
-
Students will be provided with a world map and instructed to identify countries
that have rain forests.
-
Students will identify the major characteristics of rain forests
.
-
Students will answer the following questions.
-
What is a rain forest?
-
Where are tropical rain forests?
-
Who are the tribal people of the rain forests?
-
Why are the rain forests so important?
-
What happens to a rain forest when the trees are chopped down?
-
Will a rain forest grow back?
-
Why can't we just buy rain forests to save them?
West Virginia IGOs:
Science: 7.5, 7.13,
7.22, 7.28, 7.31, 7.32, 7.75, 7.76, 8.4, 8.13, 8.17, 8.31, 8.24, 8.26,
8.92, 8.93, 8.98
National Standards:
Life Sciences: Level
3, Standard #6
Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment.
Job/Career Clusters: Biological Sciences
References: Heath: Life Science, 1987. Lexington,
Massachusetts: D.C. Heath and Company.
Authors: Cynthia
Caldwell
Paul Epperly
Cora Staten
Top of Page