Rainforest Poetry

 

  1. Big Idea:  (To what big idea or enduring understanding does this lesson connect?)

The rainforest is a unique environment that we should learn more about.

 

  1. a. Knowledge Outcomes: (What content knowledge do you want your students to gain as a result of this lesson?)

Integrating RF with poetry 

 

b. Skill Outcomes: (What skills do you intend for students to learn or practice?)

using our senses in our writing

incorporating our scientific knowledge with our creative writing

 

  1. Assessment (How will you determine what the students have learned during and as a result of the lesson? What evidence from the lesson supports your beliefs about student learning?)

                                                     i.     poem

 

5.   Sequence of the lesson

 

a.  WhatÕs the hook to make the lesson interesting? How will you open the lesson?

RF Music, everyone comes to the rug

10min

I have a poem to share with you, everyone please come to the edge of the blue rugÉ

Hear a monkey swinging branch to branch

In high canopy trees searching

For food and a safe hideaway

 

Hear a monkey screeching to her friends

Fleeing from predators in the sky and ground

Running from harpy eagle and dangerous jaguar

 

Hear a monkey and touch a wooly belly

The soft fur and curling tail way up in the trees

Playful furry monkeys climbing lianas

 

Hear a monkey and listen to her tale

She knows the secrets of the Rain Forest

 

Remember when we began the rain forest, how did we begin our exploration?  (touch, feel, taste, smell, hear, see) What senses do you hear used in this poem?

 

  1. Activities (The body of the lesson step by step with directions and your key questions.  Include plans for each transition within the lesson.  Indicate how long each section will take. )

5-10min Brainstorm senses words

Turn and talk with the person next to you and come up with at least three senses words. These are the columns you will help fill. Touch, Taste, Smell, Hear, See. Come up with descriptive language that will be fun to read.

 

Share words and make class list

 

5-10min In my poem I also used different words to describe how the monkey moved. You might remember from the Great Kapok Tree that many animals move in different ways. What would be some good movement words? (slither, glide, swing, meander, slide, gallop, race etc)

 

15min Now you will write your own. You should write about the organism you have already done some research on because you need to know a couple facts about it. Put check list on overhead

 Your poem must have at least 2 senses words, 2 movement words, one fact about your layer, two facts about your animal. You will check your poem for this when you are done. Lets see how mine did.

 

Before we check on our check list we are going to go through and highlight the things I did right. (model the check list format)

 

I encourage you all to use your imagination and senses to let the reader really know what your animal is like. Remember, you are using your RF organism that you are becoming an expert on. This is your first draft so just get started and have fun. We will edit these after your first draft and then illustrate them for the final with watercolors!

 

  1. Sponge activity (What will students do if they finish early?)

read a friends, peer check the highlighting procedure, write a 2nd

 

 

  1. Wrap-Up (How will you pull things together, have students process what theyÕve learned, pose a question for further consideration?

Share a line from each poem

 

6. Groupwork (If you are groupingÉWhy are you grouping? How are you grouping?

No groups

 

  1. Materials Needed (checklist for yourself)

Easel

Overhead of check list

Watercolor paper for final