The Great Kapok Tree A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry

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The Great Kapok TreeA Tale of the Amazon Rain
Forestby Lynne Cherry

A cyberlesson by Cynthia Violette Grade
6 Reading 589
book cover at amazon.com
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Introduction

• Did you know that rainforests are important to
  the survival of all of the people on earth? Have
  you ever wondered what is so special about
  rainforests? What kinds of plants and animals
  live in the rainforest? How do they affect our
  lives? In this cyberlesson we will be reading a
  book to help us answer some of these important
  questions.

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Materials

• copies of the book The Great Kapok Tree for each
  student
• blank rainforest writing journal for each student
• pens or pencils for each student
• colored pencils, markers, or crayons
• access to the Internet
• Rainforest Scavenger Hunt
• Persuasive Writing Guidelines
• Persuasive Writing Words List

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Before Reading

• In class, you will soon be
  reading
• the book The Great Kapok Tree by
  Lynne Cherry. Before you begin to read, look
  closely at the books illustrations and its
  cover. Read the introduction on the inside cover
  of the book. In your new rainforest writing
  journal please write a paragraph in which you
  predict what this story will be about. Which
  pictures helped you make your predictions? Be
  sure to write in complete sentences.

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What is a tropical rain forest?Where are they
located?
Before Reading

• Before you begin to read, lets learn a little
  more about tropical rain forests.... Click on
  the frogs above to visit two websites that will
  teach you some important background information
  for reading The Great Kapok Tree. Visit the frog
  on the right first!
• As you explore these websites, fill in this
  Rainforest Scavenger Hunt to help organize your
  thoughts.

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During Reading Section 1

• Begin reading The Great Kapok Tree and read
  until the rainforest child speaks to the man.
• The animals in the book give the sleeping man
  many reasons for not chopping down the Kapok
  tree. In your writing journal make a list of all
  of the reasons that the animals give the man.

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After Reading Section1

• Review your list of reasons that the animals
  give the man for not chopping down the Kapok
  tree. Then go back and look at your answers to
  your scavenger hunt questions for the rainforest
  websites that you visited earlier. Using what
  you have learned from these sources, write a
  persuasive letter to the man telling him what
  you think he should do when he wakes up.
• Click on the pencil to the left to see some
  hints
• for writing a good persuasive letter. Click on
  
• the dictionary and thesaurus to the right to
  see
• a list of words that will help you write your
  letter.

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During Reading Section 2

• Read the ending of The Great Kapok Tree.
  What did the sleeping man decide to
• do when he woke up? How does this compare
  to the predictions that you made in your
  journal before reading?

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After Reading Section 2

• ROLE PLAY ACTIVITY - Look back
• over the story. Why do you think that
• the man was going to chop down the
• tree in the first place? Do you think
• that he will get in trouble for not doing
• what he was supposed to do? In
• groups of two get together and plan
• a short skit of what might happen
• when the large man returns to find
• the Kapok tree still standing. If you
• were the smaller man how would
• you defend your decision to let the
• Kapok tree live? Be ready to
• perform your skit for the class.

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After Reading Book

• Now that you have finished reading The Great
  Kapok Tree look back at the inside front cover of
  the book. This map shows the locations of both
  the tropical rainforests that exist today and the
  original extent of the rainforests. What is
  happening to the size of the tropical
  rainforests? In your writers journal discuss
  what is happening to the size of the tropical
  rain forests of the world? Write a short
  paragraph on how this makes you feel. After you
  write your paragraph, sketch or draw a picture to
  go with your paragraph that expresses your
  feelings.

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Beyond Reading

• Do you want to help save the tropical
  rainforests? Me too!
• In groups of three of four students, brainstorm
  some ideas of what you, as a student, might be
  able to do to help save the tropical rainforests.
  You can visit http//www.rainforestheroes.com/
  for some great ideas on how to get started from
  kids just like you! Pick one of these ideas
  and carry through on it. It will make you feel
  great!

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Great Kapok Tree Rubric