​Life in the World's Tropical Rainforests
Presentation, Lessons, and Activities

An activity for understanding the importance of rainforests to the entire Earth, and the importance of the biodiversity within the rainforests.  

Start by viewing the Life in the World's Tropical Rainforests Prezi below. This is a self-guided slideshow. Click on the right or left arrows to move ahead or backwards. Or click on the Settings icon in the lower right corner and select "Autoplay". In "Autoplay", you can determine the length of time between slides. The slideshow is full of information that is the foundation for the activities that follow.

Print the Levels of a Rainforest game board and the Rainforest Species game cards. They will serve as game pieces and reference points for all activities.

Then have fun while learning! Goals and objective are listed below.

1. Watch:

Click or tap on the right arrow to get started
Move forward or back using the right and left arrows
Life in the World's Tropical Rainforests incorporates lots of great photos, rainforest sounds, and Fun Facts interspersed throughout. Lessons include rainforest definitions, layers of a tropical rainforest and their attributes, a peek into who lives at each layer, the symbiotic relationships inherent in healthy and diverse ecosystems (biodiversity), the crises rainforests are facing, their importance to and impact on us all, and what can be done to save them.

2. Print

Here's what the game board and species cards look like.
Click on the red titles or the photos below to download the Game Board and Species Cards.
Adobe Reader required.

3. Play, Learn, and Take Action

You will find 5 activities outlined following the Learning Goals and Objectives.

4. Learning Goals and Objectives

​Learning Goals: 
  • Students will be introduced to what defines a rainforest
  • Students will learn that there are rainforests on every continent except Antarctica
  • Students will learn that 50% of plant and animal species live in rainforests
  • Students will learn that life in rainforests occurs in layers
  • Students will learn about names and properties of the layers of a rainforest
  • Students will learn about species that reside in a rainforest
  • Students will learn that habitats need to be protected in order to save the animals that live in them
  • Students will learn that rainforests are being destroyed at an alarming rate
  • Students will learn that the entire Earth needs the rainforests
  • Students will learn what they can do to help

Objectives: 
  • Students will correctly match each species to the level of the rainforest in which they primarily live
  • Students will learn rainforest layer definitions and properties
  • Students will learn some world geography
  • ​Students will learn that rainforests can exist in multiple worldwide locations
  • Students will understand that each layer of a rainforest supports a great deal of life, and each life in the rainforest is integral to the survivial of the rainforest
  • Students will understand the signifance of biodiversity
  • Students will become familiar with the countries and continents in which rainforests exist
  • Students will grasp that rainforests throughout the world, and the animals that live in them, are at-risk 

 Rainforest Activity 1: ​Layers of a Tropical Rainforest

Here's what you'll need for the Species Match game:
  1. Levels of the Rainforest Game Board
  2. Species cards for each of the layers of a rainforest
Preparation: 
  1. Download the files by clicking on the "Download File" icons.  Adobe reader is required.
  2. Print the Levels of the Rainforest board, preferrably on card stock or photo paper for repeat use.
  3. Print the rainforest species cards, preferrably on card stock or photo paper for repeat use. 
  4. Cut out the species cards that your printed.
Instructions:
  1. View the "Life in the World's Tropical Rainforests" Prezi in preparation for the activity.
  2. Match the animal species to the correct layers of the tropical rainforest in which they live.
Research and Explore:
  • Besides the examples that we provided in the Prezi and the game cards, what other animals live in a tropical rainforest? There are many!
    • List 5 species that live at the Forest Floor
    • List 5 species that live in the Understory
    • List 5 species that live in the Canopy
    • List 5 species that live in the Emergent Layer

 Rainforest Activity 2: Living Between the Layers

​Calling on the facts learned in the Prezi, and using the Levels of a Rainforest game board and cards:
  • Many rainforest species live in one layer, but may feed or sleep in another, or in more than one other layer.
  • We provided examples, like the poison dart from, the cock-of-the-rock, the capuchin monkey, and the harpy eagle.
Research and Explore:
  • Can you name 5 species that live in one layer of the rainforest, but make use of other layers?
  • How do they use the layers?
  • What properties that define each layer invite those species to make use of multiple layers of their rainforest?

Rainforest Activity 3: Where in the World... ?

Click on the rainforest illustrations to enlarge
Rainforests are found on every continent of the world except Antarctica.

Research and Explore:
  1. From which rainforests are the animals in the species game cards?
    1. Name the rainforest
    2. Name the country
    3. Name the continent
  2. Some animal species in rainforests are endangered and some are not:
    1. What are the conservation statuses of the animals in the species cards?
    2. What are the conservation statuses of the other rainforest animals that you've researched and learned about?
    3. What do the conservation statuses mean?
Definitions:
Species are classified by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List into the following nine groups, set through criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation.
  • Extinct (EX) – No known individuals remaining.
  • Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.
  • Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
  • Near Threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future.
  • Least Concern (LC) – Lowest risk. Does not qualify for a more at-risk category. Widespread and abundant species and subspecies are included in this category.
  • Data Deficient (DD) – Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction.
  • Not Evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.
When discussing the IUCN Red List, the official term “threatened” is a grouping of three categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable. 

Resource:

Rainforest Activity 4: Finding Fun Facts

We provided a few Fun Facts throughout the "Life in the World's Tropical Rainforests" Prezi. Now it's your turn:

Research and Explore:
  • Find your own Fun Facts:
    • ​about the rainforests
    • about the animals that live in the rainforests

Rainforest Activity 5: You Can Help

Brainstorm, Research, Explore, and Share:
  • What can you do to:
    • protect the rainforests?
    • protect your own ecosystem in your backyard or outside your front steps?
    • protect the animals in your ecosystem?
  • Share what you've learned with your classmates, friends, and family.
  • Let classmates, friends, and family know that you care and what they can do.
Resources:
Additional Resources: From this website:
Back to Lessons and Activities Index page
Copyright © New England Primate Conservancy 2016. You may freely use, copy and share these Learning Activities for educational purposes. 
​For questions or comments, e-mail us at humane_ed@neprimateconserancy.org. 
PO Box 23
Merrimac, MA 01860
​USA

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