Embedded Files
Learning intention: To develop an understanding of the significance of rainforest environments.
Learning intention: To develop an understanding of the significance of rainforest environments.
Success criteria:
I can identify that rainforest trees provide for the environment
I can identify that rainforest trees provide for people
Lesson content
Lesson content
Types of environments
Inquiry questions:
How does the environment support the lives of people and other living things?
How do different views about the environment influence approaches to sustainability?
Earth's Environment
GE2-1 Examines features and characteristics of places and environments
GE2-2 Describes the ways people, places and environments interact
GE2-3 Examines differing perceptions about the management of places and environments
GE2-4 Acquires and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry
Lesson description
Lesson description
In lesson 4, students identify that rainforests are vital to our survival. They compete a series of videos, animations and games that explain how rainforests provide for:
the environment: rainwater, oxygen and CO2 absorption
animals: food, water, habitats
humans: food, medicines, furniture, household products
Treasure hunt: auditing school environment (or home environment if completed as a homework task) for rainforest materials
Outdoor learning component: Students conduct an experiment where they measure the water released from rainforest leaves compared to coastal leaves Water released from leaves experiment
Estimated time
Estimated time
60 minutes
Supporting materials required
Supporting materials required
Resources needed:
Internet/computer
Paper/coloured pencils (or can be done on computer)
Worksheets
The significance of rainforests
The significance of rainforests
Even though rainforests only make up 6% of the world's surface, they are absolutely vital for our survival. The environment, animals and humans all rely on rainforests. Find out why.
The rainforest provides for the environment
The rainforest provides for the environment
True or false?
True or false?
Without trees we wouldn't have enough rain.
Without trees we wouldn't have enough oxygen.
Without trees the planet would have too much carbon dioxide.
Click on the picture to take the test and find out!
Click on the picture to take the test and find out!
Trees provide rain
Trees provide rain
Click the image to find out more
Click the image to find out more
'How Do Trees Transport Water ?'(2 min)
Rainforests store water like a huge sponge. In fact, it is believed that the Amazonian forests alone store over half of the Earth's rainwater! Rainforest trees draw water from the forest floor and release it back in to the atmosphere in the form of rainclouds.
Without rainforests, droughts would become more common.
Watch this video to see trees making clouds as water leaves the leaves!
Trees provide oxygen
Trees provide oxygen
Click the image to find out more
Click the image to find out more
'Photosynthesis' (3.41 min)
70% of the oxygen in the atmosphere comes from ocean-living plants, but the trees rainforests also play a vital role in producing oxygen for the planet.
Plants make oxygen when they 'photosynthesise'. They use the sun's energy to split carbon dioxide and water to make sugar. Oxygen is also produced in this reaction.
Trees absorb Carbon Dioxide
Trees absorb Carbon Dioxide
Click the image to find out more:
Click the image to find out more:
Scroll down and watch the animation called
'A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF EARTH'S CO2' (3.10 min)
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to build their tissues, releasing oxygen in the process. As they grow, they draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and turn it into wood, stems and leaves.
The rainforest provides for people
The rainforest provides for people
Rainforest medicines can save lives!
Rainforest medicines can save lives!
Many of the medicines that we use today come from (or originally came from) rainforests. This includes medications to treat: inflammation, arthritis, diabetes, muscle tension, malaria, heart conditions, skin diseases and even some cancers.
Food from rainforests
Food from rainforests
Click through the pictures that show foods we get from rainforest plants.
Reflection journal
Reflection journal
In your reflection journal, sketch a basic picture of tree, and around it label how the tree provides for people, animals (thinking back to last lesson) and the environment.
Describing the features of leaves
Describing the features of leaves
We will describe the features of, and later inquire about the importance of leaves in providing for people and the environment.
This is a leaf from an Illawarra flame tree.
What words can we use to describe its features?
Think about its:
Shape
Texture / feel
Colour
Other describing words?
Remember to add questions to the Question Parking Lot in our classroom
Collaboratively describing leaves
Collaboratively describing leaves
We are going to use 'Padlet' to collaboratively describe some leaves and to build some vocabulary for when we go outside and describe leaves with our partners.
Class teacher: You could use the QR code (or click on it from a desk-top) https://padlet.com/madelon_williams1/collaboratively-describing-leaves-4skghfrmnzwen422 to access a Padlet which has already been set up, or you could log in to Padlet using your google details and create your own.
Display an image of a leaf as well as the real leaf which can be passed around for further observation. Students contribute words that could be used to describe the shape, texture / feel, size (or other) of the leaf. Make additional suggestions to try and enhance the level of vocabulary. This activity familiarises students with a range of vocabulary that they will apply in the following outdoor learning activity.
Repeat with a leaf that appears completely different from the first to try and collaboratively build as much vocabulary as possible.
Alternative: This could be done on another collaborative platform such as Google workspace, Jamboard, or on a whiteboard.
Back to back leaf description
Back to back leaf description
For this activity, you will make observations of rainforest leaves and coastal plant leaves. In this activity, you will work with a partner, and cannot show your leaves to your partner.
First, you will choose a leaf from a coastal tree (eg wattle, banksia, she oak, eucalypt) and a rainforest tree (eg Illawarra flame tree, lilly pilly, Davidson plum, white beech).
You will start with a leaf of your choice, describe it (try to think back to the vocabulary we used inside on Padlet), and your partner will attempt to draw the leaf based on your description.
Repeat the process with the second leaf.
Then it is your partner's turn! They will describe their rainforest leaf and coastal tree leaf to you while you attempt to draw them! Don't peek!
Experiment: Water released from trees
Experiment: Water released from trees
We learnt above that water is released from the leaves of trees back into the air around us, which falls again as rain.
Today we will measure the amount of water released by rainforest trees compared to coastal trees.
We will choose two coastal trees (such as eucalyptus, she-oak, wattle, banksia) and two rainforest trees (sucha as Lilly pilly, Illawarra flame tree, figtree)
We will make observations about the texture, shape and angle of the leaves.
We will place plastic bags around a section of leaves from each tree. Try to make sure the section of leaves are around the same size as each other to make our investigation reliable.
Leave the bags on the leaves for the same amount of time. (Optional: Play the 'transpiration race' (see below) while waiting for the trees to transpire)
Remove the plastic bags and measure the amount of water collected from each.
Eucalyptus (coastal)
She-oak (coastal)
Lilly pilly (rainforest)
Illawarra flame tree (rainforest)
Optional Game: Transpiration Race
Optional Game: Transpiration Race
While waiting for the water to transpire from the trees, students play the ‘transpiration race’.
Break class into four groups.
Each group will be allocated a large bucket, filled up to the same level with water. This represents the water stored underground. Two students from each group are to stand next to their bucket.
Each group will be allocated an approx 1m length of hose. This represents the roots and the water being sucked up inside the tree (by xylem) to the leaves. Demonstrate to students how to syphon water without sucking (place the entire hose in the bucket, shake the air bubbles out, place thumb / hand over one end of the hose, making a seal, then draw that end of the hose out of the bucket and lower than the water level. The water will start flowing out. (see option two in this wikhow page for illustrations https://www.wikihow.com/Siphon-Water ) The two students next to the big bucket control the hose. They ensure that the water flows from the hose into a smaller bucket. The smaller bucket represents the leaves.
Each group also gets two spray bottles, to be operated by two group members. The students fill up the spray bottles from the small bucket, runs around the cone and over to the next small bucket, and start spraying the water into that bucket. This represents the leaves releasing water, the spray bottles are the clouds that release the rain into the ground again.
Lastly, two more students use sponges to soak up the water from the ‘surface of the ground’ bucket and transport it back to the first large bucket.
Each group sees who can transport the most water through the transpiration circuit and back into their big bucket. Students could change roles for each round.
Diagram showing how each group is to be set up. (four groups to be set up next to each other)
Reflection questions:
Reflection questions:
Think pair, share: Explain how each part of the relay represents the water cycle. Which part represents the transpiration that we are measuring with our experiment?
Do you think the water always returns to the same place in the water cycle?
Rainforest recipe!
Rainforest recipe!
Design a recipe that incorporates lots of rainforest food ingredients. Make sure that more than half of the ingredients are originally from a rainforest.
Rainforest treasure hunt
Rainforest treasure hunt
Using the 'Products that come from rainforests' worksheet, explore your classroom or house (for homework) and try to locate the rainforest products. If you find one, tick it on the list.
You may be surprised how many everyday things come from rainforests. Imagine what it would be like without them!
Features and characteristics of rainforests (optional)
Features and characteristics of rainforests (optional)
If you want to learn more about rainforests, watch these videos.
Part One (7.38 min)
Part Two (9 min)
Part Three (10 min)
'Rainforest - beneath the Canopy', a documentary filmed in South East Queensland, Australia. Narrated by Robert Grubb.
Rainforests 101 - why rainforests are important. National Geographic
Important characteristics of rainforests
Important characteristics of rainforests
The first half of this video is full of interesting facts on the characteristics of rainforests.
Click on the picture to play.
3 Common Misunderstandings
3 Common Misunderstandings
List what you think might be the three most common misunderstandings on rainforest resources.
Page updated
Report abuse