ASSIGNMENT 10 PROJECT WORK a) Project for primary classroom
THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST UNITOVERVIEW
This primary unit takes across curricular approach involving language arts, math, science, and social studies. Art, music and movement education activities are also used to develop the concepts in this unit.
Students will learn about the rainforest through a variety of activities to complete both on-line and in downloadable format for use in the classroom. In addition there is a resource bank of print and non-print resources included.
Each lesson develops a particular focus and may take one class or several classes to complete. Extending activities are also provided as well as assessment and evaluation tools and templates.
Foundational Objectives:
Knowledge
! Students will increase their knowledge about the rainforest.
Skills and habits
* Learn about and practice the skills and strategies of effective listeners, speakers, readers, writers and representers. * Speak and write to express thoughts, information, feelings and experiences in a variety of forms for a variety of purposes and audiences.
* Read and view a range of grade-level appropriate oral, print, and other media texts in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes.
* Assess personal and group strengths and set goals for future growth.
Attitudes and values
* Appreciate that animals can become endangered.
* Appreciate the intricacy of the environment
* Recognize interactions that occur within the environment.
Common Essential Learnings
In this unit, students will have opportunities to develop all of the Common Essential Learnings. Some examples are listed below but other opportunities may arise during the course of the unit.
Communication
* Group discussions
* Book sharing
* Oral presentations
* Word study
Numeracy
* Reading charts
* Measuring
Critical and Creative Thinking
* Brainstorming
* Asking questions
* Creative writing
* Self-assessment
* Group assessment
Technological Literacy
* Using computers
* Using the Internet and CD Roms
Personal and Social Values and Skills
* Cooperative Learning
* Making Choices
* Developing an appreciation of the fragility of the rainforest.
Independent Learning
* Choosing resources
* Research
* Self-assessment
ADAPTIVE DIMENSION
This unit accommodates a range of abilities in the Grade 1 classroom. Further adaptations may include the following:
* Use a variety of resources.
* Choose alternate resources to suit the needs of the students.
* Adapt expectations to the abilities of the students.
* Alter the pace of activities.
* Group students in a variety of ways for varying purposes.
* Choose from the suggested activities to suit your personal teaching style and the needs of the students.
* Consider the student’s background learning experiences.
* Activate prior knowledge to increase relevance.
* alter assessment instruments to suit the needs of the students.
* consider student interest in determining the length of the unit.
* Allow for student choice.
* Develop a feeling of student ownership for the various projects.
* Encourage student involvement in planning and evaluation.
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
Linguistic:
* Discussion
* Reading Centre
* Sharing Books, Poems
Mathematical Logical
* Using a map
Musical
* Taped Music
* Songs
* Chants
Interpersonal
- Sharing feelings
Creating a Rainforest
Teacher Preparation
The following are some ideas to help you transform your room or outside hallway into a rainforest.
* Cover the ceilings with green leaves.
* Hang crepe paper strips or twisted brown paper to create vines.
* Make trees using carpet rolls and green leaves.
* Place as many house plants as you can get throughout your room.
* As you study different animals of the rainforest, place these on your trees and vines.
* Hang a sign on your door “Welcome to the Rainforest”.
* Play a tape of rainforest music to add to the atmosphere.
* Make a reading centre using a large umbrella covered with green leaves. Children can sit under and look at rainforest books.
LESSON 1 Introduction to Rainforests
Objectives:
The students will:
* demonstrate active listening behaviours
* share feelings evoked by rainforest sounds
* activate prior knowledge of rainforests.
Resources;
* Poem - “in a Tropical Rainforest” by Jo-Ellen Moore (Tropical Rainforests by Debbie DePaux.
* Tape or Cd of rainforests sounds.
* Chart paper, markers
* Reading Activity sheet.
Assessment:
! Participation and discussion in making chart.
Engaging Activities
* Have students close their eyes and listen to tape of sounds in the rainforest.
* Read the poem, “In a tropical Rainforest” with the sound tape playing in the background.
Exploring Activities
! Discuss what they know about the rainforest and make a chart or concept web.
Extending Activities
! Reading Activity - Cover for booklet on the Rainforest
LESSON 2 Locating Rainforests
Objectives
The students will:
* listen for information about location and climate of rainforests.
* understand where rainforests are located.
* Use maps and identify rainforests on them.
Resources:
* Book - Rainforests by Betsy Chessen
* Maps of the world
* Individual student maps
* Crayons
* variety of books on the rainforest
Engaging Activity:
* Read Rainforest by Betsey Chessen - discussion of climate in the Rainforest and where they are located. * Using a world map, explain direction, continents, equator.
Developing Activity:
* Use an atlas map or overhead to discuss and show where rainforests are located, naming and finding countries.
Extending Activity:
* Colour rainforest areas, highlight equator on a map and practice reading names.
Assessment:
* Check list
LESSON 3 - Plants of the Rainforest
Objectives:
The student will:
* learn to identify rainforest plants
* use various materials to make a coconut tree
* listen to gain information
Resources:
* coffee cans
* glue gun and glue
* brown spray paint
* construction paper
* magnetic letters
* alphabet cereal
* pasta letters
Engaging Activities:
* Look at several books of the rainforest as a class and discuss the kinds of plants growing in a rainforest.
Exploring Activities:
* Read book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
Teacher Note:
* Make a coconut tree from coffee cans.
Use a glue gun to glue three coffee cans on top of one another, spray them with brown paint and then add some leaves.
Use magnetic letters and put them on the coconut tree as you read the book.
Extending Activities:
* After reading the book make trees
* Tear brown paper for trunk and add leaves and coconuts.
* Then glue alphabet cereal or pasta
letters on the trunk or use alphabet stickers or cut letters from magazines.
You could also make trees using a Pringle can, wrap the can with brown paper and add leaves to the top.
! After looking at different
Rainforest books each child could create their own flowers using construction paper
and these could be placed in your rainforest room.
Assessment
* Rating scale for tree project - how well they were able to follow directions.
* Recognition and naming letters of the alphabet.
Lesson 4: Layers of the Rainforest
Objectives:
The student will:
! understand the layers of the rainforest ! be able to identify different animals in the rainforest ! construct a banner of the layers of the rainforest complete with the animals that inhabit them.
Resources:
! Christmas paper rolls
! shoe boxes
! animal patterns
! construction paper
! scissors and glue
! banner strips
! web site: http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/tf/nav/tropicalcluster.html
! pattern from Teacher’s Helper - April, May, June 1997.
! Rainforest layer song
Assessment:
! Rating scale
Engaging Activities:
! Make a large chart of the four layers of the rainforest.
- Forest Floor
- Under story
- Canopy
- Emergent
! Discuss characteristics of each layer.
! As you study animals, keep adding them to the correct layer on your chart.
Exploring Activities:
! Each child made a tropical banner showing the four tropical layers and pasted animals in.
! Rainforest Movement Activity:
1. Reach and Stretch up on your toes - Emergent Layer
2. Put your arms over your head like an umbrella - Canopy
3. Stand up and bend over a bit - Understory
4. Crouch - Forest Floor
! Diorama:
1. Make a rainforest diorama using 3 shoe boxes and a roll from Christmas wrap. 2. Cut holes in the shoe boxes and put the roll through hole.
3. Glue animals in each layer and cut a treetop to put at the top of the roll. This idea was adapted from Mailbox magazine.zine
Lesson 5: Animals and Birds of the Rainforest.
! These lessons will be taught over a number of days.
Objectives:
The student will:
! learn to identify rainforest animals and their characteristics.
! read a rainforest ABC e-book to gain information
! begin to compose individual books called “A Week in the Rainforest”
! Throughout the animal study, students can choose different animals for their book.
! begin to compose a journal “Animals of the Rainforest.” where students write down facts they learned about each animal. This could be in the form of a shape booklet.
Resources:
! Rainforest animal e-book http://wblrd.sk.ca/~rbtboxes/rforest/objects/rf_abc.html
! student journals
! various books on animals in the rainforest
! headbands
! paint
! paper Plates
! activity sheets
! pineapple
! markers
! coloured paper
! comprehension sheet
! charcoal and corte
Assessment:
! Rating Scale
Teacher Note: The following are a series of suggested activities to discover the different animals in the rainforest. Talk about many different animals and discuss what layer you would find them in. After you do your art activity with the animals place them in your rainforest around the room.
! Language Arts, Math and Art are integrated in our animal study
! Make a journal “Animals of the Rainforest”. This could be a shape booklet. After the study of each animal write down 3 facts about the animal. With Kindergarten you could do a printing page with each beginning letter. You should be able to find pictures of the animals in the suggested library resource books.
! Read the book “Who Lives in the Rainforest” as an introduction to the study of Rainforest Animals.
Jaguar
! Make jaguar headbands
! Write reports on jaguars after reading about them. Write 3 facts about them “A jaguar is a cat. It has spots. The jaguar lives in the jungle.”
! Art Activity. Paint your hand orange and made a print, cut it out, and then made an orange head. Using a black marker, put spots on the jaguar. Put the jaguar on a blue background and used green coloured paper to create the trees in the jungle.
Frogs
! There are lots of books on Rainforest frogs. - “Flashy Rain Forest Frogs” - “Red-Eyed Tree Frog” - “Rainforest Ride”
! Read “Fantastic Frogs” and “Flashy Fantastic Rain Forest Frogs”. Talk about how they are different and the same as ordinary frogs. Many of the rainforest frogs are very tiny and many are poisonous. Make paper plate frogs and paint them bright colours - orange, red, blue and yellow.
! Read the “Red-Eyed Tree Frog” and do a comprehension sheet - filling in the blanks with words from the story
Red-eyed Tree Frogs
Red-eyed tree frogs live in the ___________________.
They are _________________________ in colour to
blend into the trees. The tree frog is a very ________________ frog.
The mother frog lays her __________________ under a leaf. When the tadpoles hatch
they drop into the __________________.
Tree frogs have ____________ on their toes to help them climb trees.
They have big ______________________ to help them see in the dark. They hunt for
food at _______________________.
Tree frogs, eat insects - ________________, ________________,
________________________
They do not eat ants because they ____________________. Katydids have lots of
__________________ and are hard to eat. Many caterpillars are
______________________.
Tree frogs can be eaten by __________________ or _______________________.
Word Bank
water rainforest night bite eggs poisonous moths green spikes snakes little bats suckers flies spiders eyes
- Colour a poison-arrow frog and glue it to a leaf on the bromeliad.
- Use a pineapple to show how the bromeliad acts like a watertank.
Flying Foxes - Fruit Bats
! Discuss how flying foxes differ from other bats which eat insects. They eat nectar, fruit and pollen. They use their eyesight rather than echolocation to help them find food.
! Make flying foxes and glue popsicle sticks to body so the students can make them flap their wings.
- Example: There is a pattern in #2385 Rain Forest Primary By Teacher Hosted
Materials, Inc. Ranger Rick also has some good pictures of flying foxes.
- You can also use the bat pattern in http://www.dltk-kids.com Monkeys
! Read book “Monkeys”
! Talk about the differences between apes and monkeys.
! Make charts and compare the groups.
! Show pictures of the different kinds.
! The book “Nature’s Green Umbrella” by Gail Gibbons has some good info and pictures about monkeys of the Rainforest. Most monkeys spend their time in understory and canopy. Monkeys have tails, Apes do not have tails.
! Make monkeys and hang them around the room. Could do a concept attainment lesson.
! Kratt’s Creatures has an excellent show “Monkeys of the Rainforest”
! For story and comprehension questions go to http://abcteach.com/RainforestFacts/RFtableofcontents.htm
Gorillas
! Sing “Little Black Gorilla” (To the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”) and make the craft project from teacher resource (In the Rainforest - Evan Moore).
Little Black Gorilla
Little Black Gorilla went up the banana tree.
When he reached the top, he was stung by a bee.
Down came Gorilla with a stinger in his knee.
And Little Black Gorilla cried,
“Mama, please help me!”
Little Gorilla Language Activities
Read:
Little Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein: Clarion, 1976. Brainstorm words that describe Little
Gorilla. Record these on a chart for students.
Phonics: Listening for Initial Sounds
Make a set of bananas from yellow construction paper. Put pictures of objects that begin with the initial sound of “g” on the bananas. Include a few bananas with pictures of items that begin with other sounds.
Make a banana tree on a bulletin board. Pin the bananas to the tree. Using the pattern for Little Gorilla, make a finger puppet by attaching a paper ring to the backside. Select a child to wear the puppet as he/she picks a “g” banana from the tree for Little Gorilla to eat.
Continue until all the “g” word bananas have been picked.
Chant and Pull:
Make Little Gorilla climbing up as banana tree. Ask children to colour Little Gorilla and the tree. Cut Little Gorilla out. Tape him to a piece of green yarn 24 inches (61 cm) long.
Punch a hole at the top and bottom of the tree. String the yarn through the holes and tie in back. (The holes will last longer if you place tape over the spot before you punch the hole.)
Have children sing “Little Black Gorilla” to the tune of “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” as they help Little Gorilla climb the tree.
Art
! Use charcoal and conte and do some directed art lessons on drawing monkeys. A useful site for ideas is:http://www.chunkymonkey.com/rainforest/rainforest.htm We mainly did heads of monkeys and put on green leaves.
Sloth
! “Welcome to the Green House” by Jane Yolen has pictures of sloth.
! Talk about the sloth and write down three facts about the sloth.
The sloth hangs upside down The sloth moves very slowly Their fur is covered with algae
! Make a sloth - trace your foot, Use four rectangles for legs .Add a round head and claws.
Make the sloth hang upside down on a toilet paper roll.
! listen to a picture book to gain information
! view artwork to gain ideas for representation.
! create a variety of insects
Exploring Activities
Butterflies
! Read “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle.
! Do an activity page on the life cycle of butterflies
! Make butterflies (good symmetry lesson) using a butterfly pattern and used torn pieces of coloured paper to create patterns on wings.
! Samples of other projects.
Insects
! Read “Who’s Hiding” Discuss other types of insects in the Rainforest
! Looked at some art work done by Henri Rousseau and created insects that could live in the Rainforest.
- Paint a background of leaves using different shades of green. - Using a black marker outline the leaves. - Before you draw the insects talk about characteristics of insects. - 3 body parts - six legs - some have wings - Create your own insects, outline with a black marker and colour them. Glue them on background.
Birds of the Rainforest
Objectives:
The student will:
! identify birds in the rainforest
! make models of some of the birds
! gather information from non-fiction books
! look at books and find pictures of some birds in the rainforest.
Exploring Activities:
! Identify characteristics of various birds found in the rainforest and what layer they are found in. Suggested birds presented in Rainforest books are:
Macaw
! Read the book “Sarah Saw a Blue Macaw”
! Make macaws out of coloured construction paper using students foot and hand. Hang in the trees in your Rainforest.
! Do some work on rhyming words.
Toucan
! There is an art project in “Crafts for Kids Who Are Wild About Rainforests” by Kathy Ross, Millbrook Press, 1997
Owls
• Share the story Have You Seen Birds? By J. Oppenheim After reading the story provide plastercine and styrofoam trays. Have students draw an owl on the tray and then fill in with plastercine using the art form of Barbara Reed.
Harpy Eagle
! Puppet pattern in “Crafts for Kids Who Are Wild About Rainforests” by Kathy Ross, Millbrook Press, 1997
Quetzel
! did an art project from http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mquetzel.html
Vultures
! you can make a mini-book at the following site: http://www.learningpage.com/free_pages/galleries/beaks1/beakspg02.html
! A vulture coloring page can be found at this site. http://www.first-school.ws/t/cpvulture.html
Reptiles of the Rainforest
Objective:
The student will:
! listen for information ! construct snakes, chameleons, sloths and butterflies. ! write informative journal entries.
Resources:
! ‘ Verdi” by Jarell Carnan
! paper plates
! pantyhose
! newspaper
! eyes felt
! water colour crayons
! patterns
Exploring Activities:
Snakes
! Kinds of Snakes: - Anaconda - Emerald Tree Boa - Boa Constrictor - Pythons
! Read snake book - Verdi by Janell Cannon.
! Make spiral snakes from paper plates and hang them from the trees.
! Use old pantihose, stuff them with newspaper and paint them. Add some eyes and a felt forked tongue.
! Read story “Chameleons are Cool” by MartinJenkins
! Make chameleons using water colour crayons
Iguanas
! Discuss iguanas
! Write down three facts about the iguana in your journal.
Alligators
• Find the differences between an alligator and a crocodile.
• Some alligator activities and crafts are available here:
http://www.childfun.com/themes/reptile.shtml
Lesson 6: Importance of the Rainforest
Objectives:
The student will:
! gain an appreciation of the importance of the rainforests
! gain an understanding of the interdependence of animals and plants in the rainforest.
! be able to put the story in sequence
! make headbands for the animals in the story
! participate in a simulation and reader’s theatre
Resources:
! “The Great Kapok Tree” - picture book ! on-line sequencing activity and puzzle http://wblrd.sk.ca/~rbtboxes/rforest/objects/r_jumble.html
! Chart paper
! Headbands
! String, scissors
! Reader’s theatre script
! poster paper
Engaging Activities:
The Great Kapok Tree
Read the story and talk about the importance of the rainforest to animals and what would happen to them if they were destroyed.
Exploring Activities
! Comprehension/Sequencing activity - http://wblrd.sk.ca/~rbtboxes/rforest/objects/r_jumble.html
! Make a chart and write down what each animal depended on the tree for.
! Make headbands for each animal in the book.
! Do a drama activity - each student is an animal in the book (used animal headbands) Narrator reads what each depended on the tree for, and each picks up a string (branch) from tree in centre.
! The Teacher would be the woodcutter and come in and cut each string breaking their connection to the tree. This was very effective. It helps kids understand the interdependence in the rainforest.
Extending Activities:
After reading the book and doing several activities with it, we then made posters “Save the Rainforest.”
The Kapok Tree - Drama Activity
1. The boa constrictor lives in the kapok Tree. He slithered down the trunk. The
Kapok Tree is the boa’s home. It has been home for his family for years and years.
They are dependent on you for shelter.
2. The bees buzz around the Kapok Tree. They have built their hive in the tree. The bees fly from tree to tree and flower to flower collecting pollen. They pollinate the trees and flowers throughout the rainforest. The Kapok Tree provides a place for bees to build many hives.
3. The monkeys swing from vines to branches of the Kapok Tree. They are dependent on your vines to swing on. The Kapok Tree provides many vines to many monkeys to swing from branch to branch.
4. A toucan, a macaw, and a cock-of-the-rock flew down from the canopy. They have seen what happens when you chop down the trees. Many people settle on the land and set fires to clear the underbrush and soon the forest disappears and their homes will be gone.
5. The tree frogs crawl on your leaves. Tree frogs need the leaves to hide from predators - so they can be camouflaged. Your leaves match our skin perfectly.
6. The jaguar sleeps in the tree - he finds his lunch and supper in the Kapok Tree. The
Kapok Tree provides a home to the jaguar’s prey - the animals that he depends on for food.
7. The porcupines swing from the Kapok Tree from branch to branch. We need you for our oxygen. All animals, people included need you to breathe.
8. The anteaters climb down the Kapok Tree with their young clinging onto their backs. They say: “our children are dependent on you. You provide us with a home.
Without you, our children have no future.”
9. The sloths began climbing down very slowly from the canopy of the Kapok Tree.
You are such a beautiful tree. On you flowers grow and butterflies rest. You make the rainforest a beautiful place.
10. A child from the Yanomamo tribe walked up to the Kapok Tree and said: “You provide shade for the forest floor. We depend on you for fruits and other vegetation to eat.
11. Then the woodcutter came from the huge furniture factory in Canada. He came with a huge heavy axe and began chopping the Kapok Tree down.
If woodcutters are allowed to come in and cut down the trees this is what would happen to the animals of the rainforest. They all depend on the trees in the rainforest.
Readers Theatre with The Great Kapok Tree By Lynne Cherry
14 Parts: Narrator, The Man, Monkey, Boa, 2 Butterflies,
Toucan, Frog, Jaguar, 2 Porcupines, Anteater, Sloth, Boy
Narrator: One man was walking into the rain forest. Moments before, the forest had been alive with the sounds of squawking birds and howling monkeys. Now all was quiet as the creatures watched the man and wondered why he had come. The man stopped and struck the trunk of the tree.
The Man: Whack! Whack! Whack!
Narrator: The sounds of the blows rang through the forest. The wood of the tree was very hard.
The Man: Chop! Chop! Chop!
Narrator: The man wiped off the sweat that ran down his face and neck.
The Man: Whack! Chop! Whack! Chop!
Narrator: soon the man grew tired. He sat down to rest at the foot of the great Kapok tree. Before he knew it, the heat and hum of the forest had lulled him to sleep. A boa constrictor lived in the Kapok tree. He slithered down its trunk to where the man was sleeping. He looked at the gash the ax had made in the tree. Then the huge snake slid very close to the man and hissed in his ear.
Boa: Senhor, this tree is a tree of miracles. It is my home, where generations of my ancestors have lived. Do not chop it down.
Narrator: A butterfly flew near the sleeping man’s ear.
Butterflies: senhor, our home is in this kapok tree, and we fly from tree to tree and flower to flower collecting pollen. In this way we pollinate the trees and flowers throughout the rain forest. You see, all living things depend on one another.
Narrator: A troupe of monkeys scampered down from the canopy of the Kapok tree.
They chattered to the sleeping man.
Monkey: Senhor, we have seen the ways of man. You chop down one tree, then come back for another and another. The roots of these great trees will wither and die, and there will be nothing left to hold the earth in place. When the heavy rains come, the soil will be washed away and the forest will become a desert.
Narrator: A toucan flew down from the canopy.
Toucan: Senhor! You must not cut down this tree. We have flown over the rainforest and seen what happens once you begin to cop down the trees. Many people settle on the land. They set fire to clear the underbrush, and soon the forest disappears. Where once there was life and beauty only black and smoldering ruins remain.
Narrator: Some bright and small tree frogs crawled along the edge of a leaf. In squeaky voices they piped in the man’s ear.
Frog: Senhor, a ruined rain forest means ruined lives...many ruined lives. You will leave many of us homeless if you chop down this great Kapok tree.
Narrator: A jaguar had been sleeping along a branch in the middle of the tree. Because his spotted coat blended into the dappled light and shadows of the understory, no one had noticed him. Now he leapt down and padded silently over to the sleeping man. He growled in his ear.
Jaguar: Senhor, the Kapok tree is home to many birds and animals. If you cut it down, where will I find my dinner?
Narrator: Two tree porcupines swung down from branch to branch and whispered to the man.
Porcupines: Senhor, do you know what we animals and humans need in order to live? Oxygen. And , Senhor, do you know what trees produce? Oxygen! If you cut down the forest you will destroy that which gives us all life.
Narrator: An anteater climbed down the Kapok tree with her baby clinging to her back. The unstriped anteater said to the sleeping man.
Anteater: Senhor, you are chopping down this tree with no thought for the future. And surely you know that what happens tomorrow depends upon what you do today. The big man tells you to chop down a beautiful tree. He does not think of his own children, who tomorrow must live in a world without trees.
Narrator: A three-toed sloth had begun climbing down from the canopy when the men first appeared Only now did she reach the ground. Plodding ever so slowly over to the sleeping man, she spoke in her deep and lazy voice.
Sloth: Senhor, how much is beauty worth? Can you live without it? If you destroy the beauty of the rain forest, on what would you feast your eyes?
Narrator: A child from the Yanomamo trip who lived in the rain forest knelt over the sleeping man. He murmured in his ear.
Boy: Senhor, when you awake, please look upon us all with new eyes.
Narrator: The man awoke with a start. Before him stood the rain forest child, and all around him, staring, were the creatures who depended upon the great
Kapok tree. What wondrous and rare animals they were! The man looked about and saw the sun streaming through the canopy. Spots of bright light glowed like jewels amidst the dark green forest. Strange and beautiful plants seemed to dangle in the air, suspended from the great Kapok tree. The man smelled the fragrant perfume of their flowers. He felt the steamy mist rising from the forest floor. But he heard no sound, for the creatures were strangely silent. The man stood and picked up his ax. He swung back his arm as though to strike the tree. Suddenly he stopped. He turned and looked at the animals and the child. He hesitated. Then he dropped the ax and walked out of the rain forest.
Evaluation - Readers’ Theatre Rating Scale
Rate each criterion on a scale of 1 to 4 with 4 being the top rating and 1 being the lowest rating.
! learn about products of the rainforest
! watch a video to gain information
Resources:
! Magic School Bus Visits the Rainforest video
Assessment:
Engaging Activities:
! Give the students a checklist of several products of the rainforest and have them take these home to see how many they can find in their homes. Have students bring these back and also have them bring a sample of something that could come from the rainforest.
! Watched Magic School Bus video where the children buy Miss Frizzle a cocoa tree.
Made in the Rainforest
Many things that we have in our homes come from the rainforest. Take this page home with you and see how many things you can find from the list. Draw a check mark next to the things you can find.
Integrated Activities:
Math
! Use Math activity pages from http://www.learningpage.com.
! Frog manipulatives - made up story problems using plastic frogs.
! Symmetry - butterfly activity - using pattern blocks.
! Graph - surveyed different classes to find out their favourite rainforest animal.
Language Arts
! Some skills covered during our theme:
! Compound Words
! Rhyming
! Alphabetical order
! Short/Long vowels
! Beginning Sounds
! learned songs, poems
! read books
Bookmaking
! What do you see in the Rainforest? Make a class book using the pattern using the
Brown Bear, Brown Bear Pattern
! A Week in the Rainforest
! Alphabet Book - Rainforest ABC
Spelling
! Use vocabulary from theme for lists, writing sentences and for printing.
! Use word searches, scrambled words
! Memory game - matching word and picture. http://www.bry-backmanor.org/actpag215.html Writing
! Write in journals everyday about something we learned in the rainforest. The students printed 3 sentences about the animals we read about. Made up riddles about animals.
! Creative Story Writing on line: http://www.rainforesteducation.com/ (choose fun and games)
SCIENCE
NAMES DIFFERENT PLANTS OF TH E RAINFOREST
LEARN ABOUT PRODUCTS OF THE RAINFOREST
Culmination
! Have a rainforest party and invite students’ parents. Sing some songs, chants and gave parents a tour of the rainforest.
! Present a rap about the rainforest. This idea came from abcteach.com. Make up a fact for each student to say.
.
Rainforest Rap - Chick-a-Boom
Chick-a-boom Teacher: I said boom-chick-a-boom children repeat Teacher: I said boom-chick-a-boom children repeat Teacher: I said boom-chick-a-rocka-chic-a-rocka chick-a-boom children repeat Teacher: uh, huh children repeat Teacher: Oh, yeah! Children repeat Teacher: Now let’s say it in ________________ talk! (Repeat with various sounds
i.e., baby talk, monster talk, whining talk, mad talk, whispering, etc.)
! Watch the movie Fern Gulley
! Make binoculars out of toilet paper rolls and safari hats, listen to rainforest music and pretend to go on a safari through the jungle. Talk about what you see in your classroom rainforest. Call on different students to tell some facts about each animal.
! Pop Quiz on-line http://www.rainforesteducation.com/quizzshow/intro.htm
Assessment Evaluation Sheet
Name _______________________
Rainforest
Tell 4 things you learned about the Rainforest.
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
-------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________________
Tell about 3 of your best activities that you did in our study of the rainforest.
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________
Name 5 animals that lived in the rainforest.
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
-------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________________
Poetry, Chants, and Songs
These are a collection of poems I have collected from other teachers:
1. Itsy Bitsy Monkey
The itsy bitsy monkey climbed up the coconut tree
Down came a coconut and hit him on his knee...owww!
Out came a lion a-shakin’ his mighty mane... annnnd...
The itsy bitsy monkey climbed up the tree again.
2. Monkey
The monkey claps, claps, claps his hands.
The monkey claps, claps, claps his hands.
Monkey see, monkey do
The monkey does the same as you.
Other verses
S stomps his feet
S covers his eyes
S sits down
S stands up
S swings in the trees
3. The Animals in the Jungle (Wheels on the Bus)
The monkeys in the jungle say
OOH, OOH, AAH.
OOH, OOH, AAH.
OOH, OOH, AAH.
The monkeys in the jungle say
OOH, OOH, AAH.
All day long.
The parrots in the jungle say
SQUAWK, SQUAWK, SQUAWK.
SQUAWK, SQUAWK, SQUAWK.
SQUAWK, SQUAWK, SQUAWK.
The parrots in the jungle say
SQUAWK, SQUAWK, SQUAWK.
All day long.
The tigers in the jungle say
GRRR---GRRR---GRRR
GRRR---GRRR---GRRR
GRRR---GRRR---GRRR
The tigers in the jungle say
GRRR---GRRR---GRRR
All day long.
4. Down in the Jungle
Down in the jungle
With the beat in your feet,
Think of an animal
That you’d like to meet
_____________! (Child’s name)
(Have a child name an animal)
A __________________, A ____________________
She (He) wants to see a __________________.
Keep beat by clapping hands on knees and then together.
5. Rainforest Rap - Chick-a-Boom
Chick-a-boom
Teacher: I said boom-chick-a-boom children repeat
Teacher: I said boom-chick-a-boom children repeat
Teacher: I said boom-chick-a-rocka-chic-a-rocka chick-a-boom children repeat
Teacher: uh, huh children repeat
Teacher: Oh, yeah!
Children repeat
Teacher: Now let’s say it in ________________ talk! (Repeat with various sounds
i.e., baby talk, monster talk, whining talk, mad talk, whispering, etc.)
5. Jungle Animals (Muffin Man)
Do you know the chimpanzee, the chimpanzee, the chimpanzee,
Oh do you know the chimpanzee
That lives deep in the jungle.
Repeat with other animals.
Crocodile, wildebeest, okapi, hummingbird, butterfly
.
7. www.songs4teachers.com -
If you go to this site, you can find some songs that she wrote about the rainforest.
RAINFOREST LIBRARY BOOKS
RAINFOREST LIBRARY BOOKS:
The Great Kapok Tree - Lynne Cherry
Rainforest - Betsey Chessen
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - Bill Martin
The Lorax - Dr. Seuss
Flashy Fantastic RainForest Frogs - Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Rainforest Ride - Julie Andrews
Red-Eyed Tree Frog - Joy Cowley
Baboon - Kate Banks
Sarah Saw a Blue Macaw - Jo Ellen Bogart, Sylvie Daigneault
Nature’s Green Umbrella: Tropical RainForests - Gail Gibbons
Here is the Tropical Rainforest - Madeline Dunphy and Michael Rothman
Crafts for Kids Who are Wild About Rainforests - Kathy Ross, Sharon Lane Holm
Wonders of the Rainforest - Janet Craig (book & tape)
The Rainforest Counts - Lisa McCourt
Rumble in the Jungle - Giles Andreae, David Wojtowycz
Fantastic Frogs - Fay Robinson (Hello Reader)
Jump Frog Jump - Robert Kalan
Hop Right On - Bill Gordh
Sticker Stories - Frogs and Toads - Illustrated by Katy Bratun
Verdi - Janelle Cannon
Chameleons are Cool - Martin Jenkins
The Greedy Python - Richard Buckley, illustrated by Eric Carle
Monkeys - Susan Canizares, Pamela Chanko
Rainforest Colours - Susan Canizares, Betsey Chessen
Who’s Hiding - Susan Canizares, Pamela Chanko
Who Lives in the Rainforest - Susan Canizares, Mary Reid
Scholastic’s - The Magic School bus In the RainForest - Joanna Cole
Amazon Alphabet - Martin and Tanis Jordan
Come on into the RainForest - Judy Nayer
Baboon Family - Jane Goodal
ISBN I-55066-0190-5
Wildlife at Risk - Gorillas - Ian Redmond
Endangered Forest Animals - Dave Taylor
Close Relatives The Monkey and The Ape - Malcolm Penny
Rainforest Amerindeans - Anna Lewington
ISBN 0-7502-1418-X
Here is the Tropical RainForest - Madeleine Dunphy
RainForest Babies - Kathy Darling
ISBN 0-8027-7503-9
Where Am I? - Moira Butterfield, Julia Clay
ISBN 1-929298-37-4
TEACHER’S RESOURCES
1. Tropical Rainforests - Evan-Moore by Debby De Pauw Grades 3-6 EMC283
2. RainForest - TCM2385 (Primary)
3. In the Rainforest, A Complte Thematic Unit - Evan Moore - EMC274
4. Jungles - S & S Learning Material Grade 2-4
5. Tropical Rainforest Grade 4-6 Written by Ruth Solski - S & S Learning Material
PROJECT FOR PREPRIMARY
Introduction
What do you think is the most essential thing to start a successful play school? Good Budget? Large space? Big equipment? Well, The most essential thing is “love for kids”. Any work / business can turn into success only when you are passionate about its duties. The rest of the things will fall in place on their own. (Reminds you of Hindi film 3 Idiots? Close to that- but true, isn’t it?) .
With the growing population of educated parents in India, the need for quality preschool education is ever increasing. Gone are the days when children used to cry for going to school. With the modern play way method teaching in all the preschools, kids love their second home. They learn many activities and not just alphabets. home. They learn many activities and not just alphabets.
This project gives an overall idea about setting up a preschool in India. I hope that it proves to be a good guide for those who want to start a play school in India and do not know how to go about it.
Planning for Set-up
The first important thing for establishing any business is investment. Estimating how much it would cost for the complete set-up of school in your area is a tedious task.
Permissions
Many people aspiring to start a preschool are worried about the legal permissions and conditions involved in setting up a preschool. Here’s the good news for all of them!
In India there are no rules and regulations for starting a play school, preschool or a day care center. So if you feel capable of setting a good play school, then there are no legal issues you have to face.
Define your school
The first step after you set your budget is to define your preschool.
Most of the play schools in India have the following courses: Play group, Nursery, LKG/PP-1, UKG/PP-2.
Depending on your budget and space you can include Day care program and After-school care program.
For making maximum utilization of resources, play school owners today conduct other events like tuitions, drawing, painting, Music, Dance and other extra-curricular activities for elder children as well. Keeping the above factors in mind, list the different courses you would like to offer.
Name your school
Choose a unique and attractive name for your school. Remember that, the name is the first thing a parent notices in your play school. You can get this name registered. You can then choose a good logo that goes well with your name and concept of school.
Necessary skills
Play school or day care business does not officially demand any qualification. It would anyhow prove useful if you undergo Nursery teacher training / Montessori Teacher training / Pre-primary teacher training / Early childhood care training. You can also work as a teacher in a good play school for a short span to have a complete insight about pre-primary education. (Some franchisors of course impose some minimum qualifications for taking
Budget
Setting your budget is the most important step in starting any business. Your money should accommodate the following necessities. Though this list is not complete, it gives an overall idea about the minimum requirements. * Franchise fees (If you take up a franchise) * Location and building cost (Lease / Rent) * Play school set up cost (includes indoor, outdoor and other equipment) * Curriculum * Paper Work for office purpose like, receipts, fees, forms, report cards. * Teachers’ training and staff salaries * Marketing / Promotion costs * Transport facility * Web development costs
Do keep a good margin between the money you want to spend on setting up a preschool and the money you can invest (the former being lesser). This is because you can never predict when indispensable expenses turn up.
Setting your preschool fees
Your play school fee has to be competitive. Conduct a small survey by visiting few schools in your area.
Observe the community around your school. You can have an estimate about the affordability of parents towards the preschool education.
For example if you are going to set up the school in a posh locality, you can build a high quality preschool (if your budget permits). Parents will be willing to pay good amount of fees for sending their kids to a preschool maintaining good standards.
Location
An ideal location for a play school would be a place in residential area with ample space outside filled with greenery. Usually play schools require a minimum area of 900 sq. ft to no actual upper limit. An independent house, duplex house, a full fledged building will all prove to be a good location for setting up a playschool. Commercial and traffic filled areas should never be opted for preschools. A serene and natural environment around the school would be a boon.
If you prefer to take a franchise of a preschool franchisor, there would be minimum area requirement suggested by them. Also they will offer good guidance about structuring your empty space into rooms.
Here’s a quick list for reference which will help in planning the layout.
Rooms
1) Reception
2) Class rooms
3) Nap room
4) Audio Visual room
5) Activity Room
6) Ball room / Play room
7) Dining room
Outdoor
1) Swimming pool
2) Garden
3) Assembly
4) Play area for see-saw, slide
Play School Infrastructure
Ambience attracts parents to join their kids in the preschool. Make the play school colorful and buy as many toys as possible.
Play is the most interesting thing for any child. The preschool owners have to take utmost care in choosing the play equipment. Play and learning equipment at your preschool increase the scope of admissions in your school.
Safety being first, your play school equipment should serve the following purposes
Entertainment
Learning through play
Health and exercise
Increase the ambience of your school
Here is a brief list of the things you need for setting up a good quality modern preschool.
School Furniture : Plastics molded or Wooden tables, chairs and desks, Reception table,
Chair, furniture for staff. Dining table
Play equipments :Slide, Rockers, Cycles, Ball rooms, Play stations, Play houses, Sand pit, Gym
Equipment for activity room: Spindle boxes, Puzzles, Blocks, Alphabets, Towers
Play school Interiors :Wall Paintings, Wall hangings, Book rack and books (usually placed at the reception)
Miscellaneous : Stationery items, Uniforms, bags, Projector, Interactive CDs
Play school Curriculum
Curriculum is the back bone for a preschool. The quality of curriculum offered in your school will lift the standards of your school to great heights.
The modern preschool education believes in stress-free learning. Today children are not forced to learn, but, encouraged to play and they learn in that process. Much research has been carried out and many theories have been developed for educating children from 0-
6yrs. The following methods are being adopted in different schools in India.(Source : wikipedia) 1) Montessori Method: The Montessori Method is an educating approach for children based on the research and experiences of Italian physician and educator
Maria Montessori (1870–1952). It arose in the process of her experimental observation of young children given freedom in an environment, leading her to believe by 1907 that she had discovered "the child's true normal nature." [1]
Based on her observations, she created an environment prepared with materials designed for their self-directed learning activity.
If your preschool is going to be Montessori based , you have to buy Montessori material like practical life material, sensorial materials, spindle boxes, metal insets etc., 2) Reggio Emilia Approach: The Reggio Emilia Approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. It was started by Loris
Malaguzzi and the parents of the villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy after
World War II. The destruction from the war, parents believed, necessitated a new, quick approach to teaching their children. They felt that it is in the early years of development that children are forming who they are as an individual. This led to creation of a program based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment based on the interests of the children through a self-guided curriculum. The Reggio Emilia approach to teaching young children puts the natural development of children as well as the close relationships that they share with their environment at the center of its philosophy. Parents are a vital component to the Reggio Emilia philosophy. Parents are viewed as partners, collaborators and advocates for their children. Teachers respect parents as each child's first teacher and involve parents in every aspect of the curriculum. It is not uncommon to see parents volunteering within Reggio Emilia classrooms throughout the school. This philosophy does not end when the child leaves the classroom. Most parents who choose to send their children to a Reggio Emilia program incorporate many of the principles within their parenting and home life.
3) Waldorf Kindergarten: Waldorf education (also known as Steiner or Steiner-
Waldorf education) is a humanistic approach to pedagogy based upon the educational philosophy of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steine. The approach emphasizes the role of the imagination in learning, developing thinking that includes a creative as well as an analytic component. Waldorf schools approach learning in early childhood through imitation and example. Extensive time is given for guided free play in a classroom environment that is homelike, includes natural materials and provides examples of productive work in which children can take part. The education emphasizes early experiences of daily, weekly and annual rhythms, including seasonal festivals drawn from a variety of traditions.
There are no worksheets, posters, or calendars hanging on the walls. No books, no computers. The toys in the classroom are simple and made from natural materials
You can choose any method or a combination of the above as a basis of your curriculum.
Ample material is available on internet for reference. However it is a tedious work to frame good curriculum. You should again search for books to match the curriculum.
If you are taking the franchise of a play school, you will get a copy of self-published books. There will not be any need of studying this aspect.
If you are going on your own, you have the following options
1) There are many organizations that offer framed curriculum to play schools. You can get one copy for your school.
2) Play school consultants develop curriculum for you based on your requirement.
3) If you are an experienced teacher, you will have idea about the good publications offering books for pre-primary children. You can start with these books. Forms, Receipts and Paper work
You will be in need of a number of receipts
1) Enquiry form : This form is given to the parents who arrive for the first time at your school. It includes columns for knowing about their personal information.
This will be used later for making follow up calls
2) Admission form / Enrollment form: This is a form required to be filled by parents at the time of admission.
3) TC form: This form is given to the students who are moving out of the school in the middle of the course
4) Feedback form: You can give this form to parents during parent-teacher meetings and receive their valuable feedback
5) Fees collection receipts: These are to be given to the parents after fee payment.
6) Diary: A diary is the most important book to be printed for pre-primary students.
It has to be filled everyday by the teacher to make the parents aware of the happenings at school. It is also used to intimate parents abut their kid’s performance. 7) Report Cards / assessment cards: Report cards must include many columns for tracking the complete performance of student. Grading system is usually followed in many pre-primary schools.
This list is not comprehensive. Franchisors give this material to their franchisees. If you are going to start with your brand name, you have to get them published. with your school logo and address..
Play school Web Development
Why is it necessary to have a website for your play school?
1) It allows parents to get an idea about your school even before visiting it.
2) You can update parents about events and celebrations coming up in your school.
3) You can upload latest photographs of celebrations. Parents love seeing their kids’ pics online and send the link to many of their friends giving free publicity for your school.
4) With good optimization of your school website, your school can be seen in search results when parents are searching for preschool for their kids.
I have seen a good article at http://childcarebusinessnews.wordpress.com/
Which covers all the points right for starting a website for your preschool
Design-When a website looks great, it sends the impression that the company or product is great. Keep in mind that your website may be your first chance to make an impression upon your site visitors, so make it a great one!
Structure- Have you ever been to a website and didn’t know where to start or how to check out? While structuring or restructuring your website, be sure that your visitors can easily navigate through your website. A confused consumer may easily say no to your service or product.
Content-According to Shama Kabani, Content is King! More over, it is the heart of your website. The first purpose of a blog or website is to educate and build expertise. A really great site offers content in the following forms: written articles, audio and video. This is a great way to meet the learning preferences of your site visitors.
Optimization- It is a marketing tool that allows any online user to get more clicks in their web copy writing efforts for their website by improving the search engine results in the Web. Moreover, make sure that search engines can read your website. This is a great way to attract website visitors from major search engines such as google
Maintenance Your website needs to be maintained the same way that we maintain our physical building. Content needs to be changed, design needs to be updated and items may need to be moved around. I suggest that a website be reviewed 2-3 times a week to track visitors with a scheduled monthly maintenance plan that includes: website visitors feedback. Choosing Staff
The success of your preschool depends on the people running it. Teachers and supporting staff represent your preschool to parents.
The staffs you may require are listed below
1) Receptionist cum counselor
2) Teachers and assistant teachers, depending on the number of students
3) Security guard
4) Driver, if you have transport
5) Staff for evening classes.
Any person in your school should be lovable to kids. They should be patient and should not chide the kids for no reason
The qualities that should be preferred in teachers and Attendees are
1) Passion for being with kids
2) Patience
3) Sense of humor
Educational qualifications: The basic requirements in India for a preschool teacher are listed below.
1) Teacher : Minimum Degree with Experience in handling pre-primary kids. Prefer candidates with pre-primary / Montessori training certificate
2) Assistant teacher : Minimum 12 th and should have undergone PPT
3) It is usually seen that kids get along well with ayyahas more than teachers. See to it that you get really child-friendly attendees.
Ten ways to impress parents
1) Keep the updates about their child’s performance by writing diary regularly and maintaining assessment cards for all the students.
2) Conduct events like sports day, annual day, nutrition day, arts and crafts exhibition and other events which include parents’ participation Grandparents day is another event which is conducted in some schools.
3) Celebrate special events like festivals, fancy dress where children get ready with parental participation.
4) Prepare ‘take-away’ activities for kids
5) Conduct parents’ orientation classes where parents get a know how about positive parenting 6) Regular online update about the events is a good way of keeping parents updated about various celebrations at school. Their links will be forwarded to their friends and neighbors and a good publicity for the school is gained.
7) Conduct parent-teachers meetings at least once in a month where student’s progress can be reported.
8) Conduct regular health check-ups for students
9) Make a child psychologist available for parents to discuss everyday problems they face with their kids and help them resolve such issues.
10)Last but not the least, care well for the kids by giving individual attention.
Marketing
Ten ways to promote your school
1) No parking boards- apartments, independent houses
2) Cloth banners – at least 5 banners in the street leading to your school, at crossroads, parks. kids toy shops
3) Online promotion (using internet)
4) Local TV channels
5) Newspapers
6) Conducting events
7) Flex banners
8) Uniforms & School bags
9) Name on transport vehicle
10) Clippings in Cinema halls
Mouth to mouth publicity is still the first and best kind of reliable one believed by many parents. Hence the performance of your school throughout the year leads to creating good impression to parents who give the best publicity to their neighbors and friends
However good the above ways of publicity are followed, if you fail to impress the parents of existing students, they can easily spoil the reputation of your school. Parents can prove to be the best way to promote your school. Offer some incentive like concession if they recommend another parent to join their kid in your school.
.
Epilogue
Starting your own play school will give freedom to work in your own special way, At the same time, it also lays a burden of responsibility towards the society. After all you are building the foundation of its future citizens.
Any effort will turn fruitful when done with honesty and passion. Running a play school is no different. It is not only a profitable business opportunity, but also a great service to society. Selecting the proper location, equipment and teachers is the essential step towards setting up and running a successful play school which will turn a boon for all the parents looking for a second home for their kids.
It is always fun to see children grow. They have so many things in store for us to learn.
Their innocence, constant effort towards any task they perform, the unconditional love they show towards you are just some of them. If you observe your play school kids well, there is definitely something you learn from them at the end of the day.
Remember that care is the most important thing kids need more than anything else.
