Rainforest Theme

This year we began by making the plants in the rainforest.  We discussed the different layers in the rainforest which are the forest floor, the understory, the canopy, and the emergent layers.  We learned about the different plants and trees that are in the rainforest and decided to make some of them in our classroom.  We made a kapoke tree, vines, lianas, pitcher plants, rafflesia flower, strangler figs, and a Venus fly trap.  We also researched and found out where all the different rainforests are located in the world.  We found that the largest rainforest is the Amazon in South America. 

Trees, Plants, and Vines

Tiger

Our next project was a tiger.  After we visited the Montgomery zoo we voted on which rainforest animal we saw there that we wanted to study.  The children picked a tiger.  We first began by making a KWL chart about tigers.  We then researched the questions that we wanted to find out about tigers.  The children found that tigers are usually solitary animals.  The females raise the cubs until they are about two years old.  We also found out they like to sleep and love to swim.  We learned about the different species of tigers and that many are now extinct.  We discussed how they are endangered species due to over hunting and loss of habitat.  We found that tigers live in the Asian rainforests as well as many other types of habitats.  Some even live in the snow. 

Below Hanif and Sean are making the body of the tiger.  They are stuffing and cutting out stripes.  We made our tiger 6 feet long. 

Riley and Taniya are making the tigers head.  They are cutting out stripes, stuffings, adding eyes, ears, and a nose.

Thomas and Brock are working on the tail.

Butterflies

The children decided that they wanted to learn about butterflies.  We began by making a KWL chart.  We did this one on the smartboard so I am going to try and upload it on this site.  The children came up with great questions about butterflies.  We learned about their bodies and that they have antennae, a proboscis, abdomen, thorax, 6 legs, compound eyes, and a set of wings covered in scales.  We learned different ways they protect themselves by blending in or using their bright colors to warn predators that they taste bad.   We then investigated which butterflies live in the rainforests around the world.  We made several different kinds for our classroom from all different rainforest locations.

This is our butterfly in the gallery with labeling and other information

This is our magnified butterfly

Here are our butterflies as they emerge from their chrysalis.

Here are our real butterflies that we watched change from caterpillar to chrysalis to painted lady butterfly.

This is one butterfly in our classroom.  We now have a rainforest full of butterflies.

Spider Monkeys

The next animal we decided to learn about in the rainforest is the spider monkey.  We learned that these are the acrobats of the rainforest and rarely come down from the canopy.  They use their tails as a fifth limb and have thumbs on their feet.  We also learned that they are new world monkeys and are primitive compared to old world primates.  They live in the Amazon rainforest and eat a diet of mostly fruit and are called frugivores.  The also live in groups called troops and are very social and noisy.  We chose three different species of spider monkeys to add to our rainforest and they are pictured below.

Zoo spider monkey	This is the zoo spider monkey.	Thomas is working on the black spider monkey.
This is the group of children who made the small spider monkey. (Olivia M., Caroline, Tiger, Brianna, and Lee)	This is the small spider monkey.	This is the zoo spider monkey hanging in the rainforest. It was made by: Miah, Ally, Leah, Brock, and Carla)
Austin is working on the black spider monkey	Austin and Sean made the spider monkeys arms, legs, and tail.	This is the black spider monkey group with the finished monkey. (Taniya, E.J., Austin, Sean, and Thomas not pictured)

Toucan

We learned that toucans are very social birds and that they live in flocks.  We talked about the characteristics of birds.  We discussed that most birds have feathers, beaks or bills, lay eggs, can fly, and live in trees.  We learned that toucans do not build nests but live in hollow holes they find in trees.  We also learned that their bills look heavy but are light weight and are made out of the same thing as our fingernails (keratin).  We also found that toucans eat fruit and seeds and stay high in the canopy of the rainforest. 

Caroline is making feet to our toucan

Olivia is working on the chest of the toucan

Here are our finished toucans

Rainforest People

The next thing the children wanted to learn about were the people who live in the rainforest.  We began our study by looking at various groups of rainforest people.  We discussed their habitats, what kinds of crops they cultivated and things they hunted to food.  We also talked about their jobs and how they earned money.  We discussed how they held markets and traded with other rainforest people.  We talked about their clothing and how their children learn.  We discussed how they are similar and how they are different from us.  We decided to make a rainforest habitat first and the children constructed a hut in our home living center.  Then they decided to make an Australian rainforest person from New Guinea.  Below are pictures of the hut and the rainforest person.