Ecosystems

Third Grade
May 15, 12

Rainforests

DCE ELL Standards:

ESL.1.K-12.1 Make statements and ask questions
ESL.3.K-12.5 Develop meaning from context
ESL.4.K-12.4 Participate in group discussions
ESL.4.K-12.5 Answer direct questions
ESL.5.K-12.3 Explain information
ESL.5.K-12.4 Compare and contrast subject matter
ESL.5.K-12.5 Analyze, synthesize and evaluate information
ESL.5.K-12.11 Understand content area vocabulary

Objectives:
Students will be able to reflect on how other living things depend on one another
Students will be able to name several characteristics of rainforests
Students will be able to identify who, what and why the story is about
Students will be able to draft a letter persuading others to save the rainforest

Materials:
Book, The Great Kapok Tree, by Lynne Cherry
Three column anchor chart
Markers
Sticky notes
Pencils
Loose Leaf paper
Graphic organizer
Procedure:
1. Tell students that they will be reading a book about the rainforest today
2. Activate background knowledge:
a. What do they know about rainforests?
3. Tell students that the book they will be reading about is about a special tree, the Kapok tree
a. Tell students this tree grows in the Amazon rainforest
b. Point out on map
4. Read the description in the book, before the title page
a. Point out specific vocabulary: Canopy, understory
b. Explain and diagram vocabulary
5. Before reading the book, tell students that there is a problem in the story
a. Ask student to make predictions
6. Read the book, stopping to talk about different ideas and vocabulary presented in the pages
a. Vocabulary: Lulled, Generations, Ancestors, Pollination, Oxygen, Amazon, etc.
b. Encourage students to look for context clues in order to help them solve any words that
they dont know
c. Make sure students understand that every living thing depends on another living thing
7. Invite students to talk about the book when done reading
Activity:
1. On the anchor chart, make three columns and label the headings, who? What? And why?
2. Turn to the first page in the book and model for students the who, what and why
a. Who: Two men
b. What: One pointed to Kapok tree
c. Why: Going to chop down
3. Model on the next page with students, and have them give ideas
a. Who: man started to chop down tree
b. What: fell asleep
c. Why: because he was tired and hot
4. Have students do the next couple of pages with a partner/by themselves with sticky notes
5. Ask students what they thought the main idea of the story was
a. Many different animals depend on the Kapok tree
Persuasive Writing:
1. Have students talk about what animals depend on the Kapok tree and how everything is
interconnected
2. Tell students that they will be drafting a persuasive letter telling others about why people
should not cut down trees in the rainforest
a. Use the graphic organizer to draft ideas
3. Have students write their final piece on loose leaf paper
Assessment:
Students were able to reflect on how other living things depend on one another and provide
examples during large group discussion
Students were able to name several characteristics of rainforests based on previous knowledge
and after reading the book
Students were able to identify who, what and why the story was about during large group
discussion and independent work
Students were able to draft a letter persuading others to save the rainforest