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

An activity for understanding what defines a rainforest, who lives in the world's rainforests, the vast biodiversity within rainforests, and the importance of rainforests to the health of the Earth

​Start by viewing the Life in the World's Tropical Rainforests Prezi below.
It's a self-guided slideshow that is the foundation for the activities that follow.

Print the Levels of a Rainforest game board and the species game tiles.
They serve as game pieces and reference points for all activities.

Then have fun while learning!

Watch

Click or tap on the arrow to get started. Move forward or back using the right and left arrows along the bottom of the screen. ​You can opt to view full screen.

Life in the World's Tropical Rainforests incorporates beautiful 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.

Print

Here's what the game board and species game tiles look like.

Levels of a Rainforest Game Board

rainforest Game Tiles

MATERIALS AND PREPARATION

1. Download the printable game board and tiles below. ​Click on the titles or the photos below to download the Game Board and Tiles.

2. Print the game board and tiles. For best results, print on card stock. Laminate if you wish.
​
3. Cut out the 36 game tiles.

​​36 game tiles are divided into 10 Forest Floor species, 8 Understory species, 13 Canopy species, and 5 Emergent Layer species.
The game board illustrates the locations of the levels of a rainforest.

Scroll down for game instructions.​

Play, Learn, Take Action

5 activities outlined below following the Learning Goals and Objectives.

Rainforest Matching Game

Living Between the Layers

Where in the World... ?

Finding Fun Facts

You Can Help

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Goals

Here's what you'll learn:

• The characteristics that define a rainforest
• That there are rainforests on every continent except Antarctica
• That 50% of plant and animal species live in rainforests
• That life in rainforests occurs in layers
• The names and properties of the layers of a rainforest
• The names of some of the many animal species that live in a rainforest
• That habitats need to be protected in order to save the animals that live in them
• That rainforests are being destroyed at an alarming rate
• That the entire Earth needs the rainforests
• What you can do to help

Objectives: 

• Correctly match each animal species to the level of the rainforest in which they primarily live
• Learn rainforest layer definitions and properties
• ​Discover that rainforests can exist in multiple worldwide locations
• Understand that each layer of a rainforest supports a great deal of life, and each life in the rainforest is integral to the survival of the rainforest
• Understand the significance of biodiversity
• ​Grasp that rainforests throughout the world, and the animals that live in them, are at-risk 

HELPFUL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

• ​​​Primate Facts
  • The biological order of primates
  • Where primates live
  • The differences between New World and Old World monkeys
• Where Primate Live Video and Activity
• Primates and Their Habitats
• Conservation Statuses: What Do They Mean?
• People and Other Primates
• Africa’s Primates At-a-Glance 
• Asia’s Primates At-a-Glance​
• Latin America’s Primates At-a-Glance
• Primate Species Profiles
  • Apes
  • Monkeys of Africa
  • Monkeys of Asia
  • Monkeys of Latin America
  • Prosimians
• What You Can Do to Help Animals and the Environment

Rainforest Activity 1
​
​​Layers of a Tropical Rainforest
​A Matching Game

Here's what you'll need:

1. Levels of the Rainforest Game Board.
2. Rainforest Species Game Tiles for each of the layers of a rainforest.

Preparation: 

1. Download the files by clicking on the images above. 
2. Print the Levels of the Rainforest board, preferably on cardstock or photo paper for repeat use.
3. Print the rainforest species game tiles, preferably on cardstock or photo paper for repeat use. 
4. Cut out the species game tiles that you printed. Mix them up for a challenge.​​

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 tiles, what other animals live in a tropical rainforest? There are many!

1. List 5 species that live at the Forest Floor
2. List 5 species that live in the Understory
3. List 5 species that live in the Canopy
4. List 5 species that live in the Emergent Layer

Rainforest Activity 2
​
​Living Between the Layers

Many animal species live in one layer of the rainforest, but feed or sleep in anothers.

The tufted capuchin monkey lives in the canopy, but descends to the forest floor for nuts and seeds.

In the slideshow, we provided examples, like the poison dart from, the cock-of-the-rock, the capuchin monkey, and the harpy eagle.

​Calling on what you learned in the Prezi, use the Levels of a Rainforest game board and tiles to...

​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 of their rainforest invite those species to make use of multiple layers?

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

Rainforests are found on every continent of the world except Antarctica.

​Research and Explore:

From which rainforests are the animals in the species game tiles?

1. Name the rainforest
2. Name the country
3. Name the continent

​Some animal species in rainforests are endangered and some are not:

1. What are the conservation statuses of the animals in the species tiles?
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.
​

Learn more about Conservation Status and what they mean here.

Click on the rainforest illustrations to enlarge

Rainforest Activity 4
​
​Finding Fun Facts

We provided a few Fun Facts throughout the Life in the World's Tropical Rainforests Prezi. 

What is the golden monkey's relationship to bamboo?
​Now, there's a Fun Fact to discover!

​Now it's your turn:

Research and Explore:

​Explore this website and/or other sources on the internet to 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.

​

Visit our video series:
​What You Can Do to Help Animals and the Environment
​​In your personal choices
While using media
In your community

Bornean orangutan mother and baby. Your daily choices can save them from extinction.

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Back to Lessons and Activities Index page

Copyright © New England Primate Conservancy 2016-2018. You may freely use, copy and share these Learning Activities for educational purposes. 
​For questions or comments, e-mail us at info@neprimateconservancy.org.