Hanna Kingsbury, Annah Lord



Population Dynamics

Science – Children's Literature Integration

Sixth Grade

Hanna Kingsbury and Annah Lord

This lesson is based on the book The Umbrella, by Jan Brett. The Umbrella is a children's book about a boy names Carlos, who lives on the edge of the rainforest in South America. On an adventure into the forest, he leaves his umbrella at the bottom of a tree that he climbs to search for animals. While he is in the tree, a host of the animals he is hoping to see have an adventure with the leaf brimmed umbrella, starting with a tree frog and moving through a variety of birds and mammals. Carlos eventually returns home without sighting any animals – they were all adventuring on his umbrella while he was away!

Non fiction support books

Animals of the Rain Forest, Stephen Savage

A factual book containing information about various rain forests of the world, it includes sections for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and the habitat. The book includes photos and maps of where each species can be found around the world. It also discusses environmental and ecological concerns with logging.

[pic]

A Walk in the Rainforest, Kristin Joy Pratt

This is an alphabet book that explores animals and foliage of rainforests. Each letter represents a different animal and each page provides facts and descriptions of the animal or plant. The author, Kristin Pratt, was fifteen years old when she wrote and illustrated this book. This book illustrates her awareness of the many challenges our planet faces, and attempts to educate others on those challenges.

[pic]

The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy, Kathryn Lasky

Following a woman scientist who explores the canopy of rainforests around the world, this book documents some of her adventures as she investigates new species in the canopy. The book includes vivid pictures of plants and animals that she sees, as well as paragraphs of information about her work and the environment.

[pic]

Extra Resources

Exploring the Rainforest: Science Activities for Kids, Anthony Fredericks

A great resource with numerous creative activities.

[pic]



Science Standards

Competency Goal 7: The learner will conduct investigations and use technologies and information systems to build an understanding of population dynamics.

Objectives:

7.01 Describe ways in which organisms interact with each other and with non-living parts of the environment:

• Coexistence/Cooperation/Competition.

• Symbiosis.

• Mutual dependence.

7.02 Investigate factors that determine the growth and survival of organisms including:

• Light.

• Temperature range.

• Mineral availability.

• Soil/rock type.

• Water.

• Energy.

7.03 Explain how changes in habitat may affect organisms.

7.04 Evaluate data related to human population growth, along with problems and solutions:

• Waste disposal.

• Food supplies.

• Resource availability.

• Transportation.

• Socio-economic patterns.

Social Studies Standards

Competency Goal 3: The learner will analyze the impact of interactions between humans and their physical environments in South America and Europe. Objectives 3.01, 3.02

Language Arts Standards

Competency Goal 1: The learner will use language to express individual perspectives drawn from personal or related experience. Objectives 1.02, 1.03

Competency Goal 2: The learner will explore and analyze information from a variety of sources. Objective 2.01

Competency Goal 3: The learner will examine the foundation of argument. Objective 3.02

Competency Goal 5: The learner will respond to various literary genres using interpretive and evaluative processes. Objective 5.01

Competency Goal 6: The learner will apply conventions of grammar and language usage. Objectives

6.01, 6.02

Background Information

• Rainforests are found in three major areas – Central and South America, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia and Australia

• Species from The Umbrella

o Tree frog – frogs that live in very tall trees and spend the majority of their life there

o Toucan – birds that live in small groups of about six, and spend most of their time in the treetops. They nest in tree holes and eat fruit, insects, and small animals

o Kinkajou – small mammal that spends most of its time in trees, and can turn its feet backwards to run either way along a tree branch or trunk. Also known as honey bears, because they raid bees nests for food.

o Tapir – threatened species of pig like animals with trunks that are actually related to horses and rhinoceroses. They are very good swimmers and are at home in the water. Tapirs use their trunks to strip branches of leaves, and travel through bushy tunnels in the forest.

o Quetzal – native to Central America, where they use their beaks to fashion holes in rotting trees to nest. Threatened species due to the disappearance of their forest homes.

o Monkey – many types of monkeys live in the South American rainforests, feeding on fruit, insects and small animals. Logging and deforestation continue to shrink their habitat and reduce their numbers.

o Jaguar – still hunted for their fur, these big cats used to be found all over South America. Now, their habitat is restricted to remote regions of the Amazon Basin. Unlike most big cats, jaguars love water and are good swimmers.

• Approximately 80% of all surface vegetation is in the rainforest.

• When trees are cut down, tropical rains will wash away approximately 450 tons of fertile topsoil from a single acre of land.

• At least 1,400 rainforest plants are known to offer cures for various forms of cancer.

• Approximately 50% of the world’s oxygen comes from the rainforest.

• The Amazon rainforest is the largest in the world.

Vocabulary to Know

• Emergent layer – the layer which emerges above the rest of the rainforest, containing the tops of the trees.

• Canopy – the third layer of the rainforest, which contains the most animal life.

• Understory – the middle layer of the rainforest, above the forest floor.

• Forest floor – the bottom layer, where little life is found due to the lack of sunlight.

• Interdependence – the idea that everything in nature is connected to everything else; what happens to one plant or animal will affect other plants and animals.

• Logging- the cutting and removal of trees for use as lumber.

Description of Activity

Materials

• The Umbrella

• Support books

• Computers/Library access

• Poster board (six)

• Markers

• Several sets of compare and contrast pictures – each set should contain two pictures of the rainforest canopy, and two pictures of the forest canopy here in North Carolina.

Day 1

• Read the book The Umbrella.

• Read through the book a second time, this time using a chart to note the animals that live there on one side, and on the other observations about the environment (like plant life, water, sunlight, etc.).

• Divide the class into six groups. Each group will be assigned an animal or aspect of the rainforest environment to research.

o Tree frogs, jaguar, kinkajou, toucan, tapir, quetzal.

• Each group will be given a poster board to use as a visual to present their findings to the class. Students will be looking for:

o Where does this animal live in the rainforest

o What does it eat

o Does the animal live in a group or alone

o Is this animal endangered

o What are threats to this animal

o Any other interesting facts

o Draw a picture of your animal

Day 2

• The class will come back together and share their findings and poster. Classmates will be allowed to ask questions.

• After each group has presented, as a class we will discuss:

o Needs – similar and different

o The effect of habitat and changes in habitat

• Process skills center

o Set up several centers around the room. Each group of centers should have a desk with a picture of the forest canopy here in NC. A second desk should contain a picture of the rainforest canopy, and the third desk should have a picture of each canopy.

o Divide the students into groups of four or five. Each group will begin with the picture of the North Carolina forest canopy, making a chart of observations, and discussing amongst themselves. They will then move to the picture of the rainforest canopy, and add a section to their chart to make observations about the picture.

o The group will move lastly to the pictures of both canopies. Using a chart, they will compare and contrast the canopy in North Carolina and the rainforest.

o When the activity is completed, they will return to their seats, and write a brief summary paragraph of their observations, comparisons and contrasts.

Day 3

•

• Have students read the article “Brazil Government Worst Logger” about logging in the rainforest in Brazil

• Ask students how this will affect the animals that we studied

• What else will it affect? Does it matter to us?

• Ask students to write a letter to Incra, the logging company, explaining the effect their actions will have on the environment and the animals that live there and why you care.

Assessments

• Poster with information on their animal

• Presentation

• Letter to the logging company

Sources

• Exploring the Rainforest: Science Activities for Kids, Anthony Fredericks

• BBC News

• Leslie Bradbury, Professor

• Allyson McFalls, Sixth Grade teacher

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download