Grade Level:  2

Objectives:  The students will be able to describe what constitutes a rainforest habitat and the types of plants and animals found in a specific region. 

Materials:  National Geographic children's video *Totally Tropical Rain Forest, computer, Scavenger Hunt sheet (made by classroom teacher since she knows best her students ability and what objectives she wants to cover). Teachers can access great rainforest background information at Cloud Forest Alive

*If this video is not available, show a similar video about a rainforest

Procedure:  Review definition of habitat and what constitutes a rainforest.  
Explain to students that today we will be focusing on rainforests.  Show National Geographic video. 
Discuss with students what was seen.    
Using a map, show the different regions where rainforests are located around the world.   
Visit Maps.com, and type in rainforest or the name of a country with a rainforest, such as Brazil, Costa Rico or Puerto Rico; and click Search

Activity:  The students will be assigned to cooperative groups.  Each group will be given a layer to explore.  The students' goal is to use the "Rainforest Scavenger Hunt" Web page to find information about the animals, vegetation and people of that area.   They must distribute the work among their group members evenly so as to use time most efficiently.  Once the information is found, the "Scavenger Hunt Sheet" will be filled out by the group and turned in to the teacher.

Evaluation:  Students will be evaluated based on presentation to the class of the information found using a Scavenger Hunt Checklist.  They will be asked to "teach" the class about their assigned region using their completed "Scavenger Hunt Sheet."  

Extension Activity: Imagination Express: Rainforest

• Use Imagination Express: Rainforest CD or similar rainforest CD

• Students will use CD to research the plants, animals and people of the rainforest of one layer of the rainforest

• Students use the Note Guide to compile information

• Students will draw a picture of the rainforest layer: floor, understory, canopy or emergent using a draw application of software or by hand; students can add various plants, animals and people who inhabit the particular layer.

Homework: Using the information from the Imagination Express: Rainforest CD or similar CD, students will write a short story about their layer. The story can begin, "Let me tell you about my layer of the rainforest........"