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The Rainforest (Grade 6-8)

Master Teacher

David Banaszak

Overview

This lesson focuses on ways the rainforest can be preserved. It shows the importance of the rainforests, and how it is possible for governments, industries, and environmental groups to work together to achieve this goal.

ITV Series

Environmental Weekly, Lesson #5: "The Rain-forest"

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

identify a rainforest
list several major benefits of the rainforest
identify some methods of preserving the rainforest

Previewing Activities

1. Have students cup their hands over their mouths and noses. Explain to them that the air they breathe this way has less oxygen and more carbon dioxide than fresh air. Tell them they will learn what the rainforest does to prevent us from breathing less oxygen and more carbon dioxide.

2. Ask students if they know what leukemia is. Explain to them that a plant that is found only in the rainforest can cure 90 percent of all childhood leukemia cases. Tell them they'll find out how some people are helping to preserve the rainforest, per-haps discovering other cures for terrible diseases. Discuss.

SC Math/Science Standards Met

Science Achievement Standard

Process Skills—A, B, D and E

Interactions—A and B

Earth and Space Systems—C

Focus for Viewing

Tell students to note how important the rain-forest is to the world, and to them personally. Ask them to look for what is being done to preserve the rainforest.

Say, "The first thing we need to know is what is a rainforest, and why it is important." Pass out Activity 1. Then say, "While watching this video, let's look for the answers to the questions on this sheet."

Viewing Activities

Begin playing the tape at the first black screen. Pause after you hear "more temperate climates." Say, "What question did this video just answer? Okay, let's write what a rainforest is on your activity sheet. Now let's see how it's different from other types of forests."

Continue the tape and stop where narrator says "rare and endangered species." Ask, "Do you remember how much land area is occupied by rainforest? Animal species? Plant species? Let's fill these in on your activity sheet."

Fast forward to the river scene. Say, "In this next segment, tell me what we should look for now. How big will the park expansion be? What other park will it be the size of?"

Continue playing the river scene until the man says "to protect new medicines." Start a dis-cussion on leukemia and medicines made from plants found in the rainforest. Be sure students understand: cures for diseases may be undiscovered in the rainforest; carbon dioxide absorption; and the importance of these break-throughs to their lives.

Fast forward to the black and white moth. Play the interview with Dale Heydlauff. Ask, "Why is his company interested in the rain-forest? How will industries benefit by preserving the rainforests?"

Post-Viewing Activities

1. Have students look up the rainforest on the World Wide Web.

Possible Internet sites:

When students have finished looking up several sites, they should write a report on one aspect of the rainforest (products from the rainforest, updates on saving the rain-forest, animals of the rainforest, etc.) and present it to the class.

Action Plan

1. Students can start a recycling program at school. Classrooms can compete against each other to see which can recycle the most materials.

2. Students can put on a rainforest forum to educate the school community to the plight of the rainforest, and what it can do to help.

Extensions

1. Writing: Students can write a story about what life would be like if the rainforests were completely destroyed. They should include how air quality, the greenhouse effect, medicine, global warming, and quality of life would be affected. One or all of these concepts can be included in the story. Teacher guidance should be provided.

2. Art: Students can make a poster urging people to protect the rainforest. It should incorporate something about either what benefits we get from the rainforest, or what will happen if the rainforest is destroyed.

3. Geography: Make a map of the world, identifying everywhere the rainforests are. Include on the map where the protected rainforest from the video is, and areas where rainforests are being destroyed.

4. Math: If the rainforest encompasses eight percent of the land mass of the world, find out how many square miles that is. Then find out how much rainforest is destroyed in a year, and compute how many years it will take to completely destroy all the rain-forests on the planet.

Activity Sheet (PDF)

Activity Sheet 1