What is a tropical rainforest

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What is a tropical rainforest?
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What do you know about rainforests?
On a piece of paper create a K-W-L chart like the
one below. Lets discuss what we know and would
like to learn about rainforests.
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Where are tropical rainforests located?
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Characteristics

• Warm, wet biomes near or at the equator
• Home to tens of thousands of different plants
  animals
• Temperature 80F both day night all year long
• Annual rainfall averages 100 to 200 inches

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4 Layers of the Rainforest
1) Emergent Layer
2) Canopy Layer
3) Understory Layer
4) Forest Floor
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Emergent Layer

• This layer contains the emergents, very tall
  trees, about 270 ft.
• These trees can withstand harsh temperatures
  high winds
• Eagles, butterflies, bats, some monkeys inhabit
  this layer

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Canopy Layer

• Primary layer of the forest
• Forms a roof over the two remaining layers
• Most canopy trees have smooth, oval leaves that
  come to a point.
• Many animals live in this area since food is
  abundant.
• These animals include, snakes, toucans and tree
  frogs.

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Understory Layer

• Little sunshine reaches this area
• Plants must grow large leaves to reach the
  sunlight
• Many animals live here including jaguars,
  leopards  and many
• insects.

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Forest Floor

• Very dark , almost no plants grow in this area
• Things begin to decay quickly, since hardly any
  sun reaches here
• Giant anteaters live in this layer

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Review Time
Now that you have learned about the 4 layers of
the rainforest fill in 1 fact for each layer on
your K-W-L chart.
Think about it..
What layer of the rainforest would you like to
live on? What animal would you be?
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What do all these items have in common?
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They all originally came from the rainforests!

• Tropical rain forests are also the sources of
  medicine.
• Half the medicines that we use have been
  discovered in rainforests
• . Scientists believe that the cures for many more
  diseases
• will be discovered there in the future.

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Save the Rainforests!

• Rainforests only cover 2 of the Earths surface
• The largest tropical rainforest surrounds the
  Amazon River
• More than ½ of the worlds rainforests have been
  chopped down
• in the past 30 years.
• Many animals have died or are in danger of being
  extinct.

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Make your own Rain Stick!
The rain stick is an unusual instrument that was
created by native peoples in the rain forest. 
They took a hollowed out branch from a tree,
covered both ends and used it to carry their
seeds and precious items from one place to
another as they traveled. Inside the branch were
thorns or sticks that would "catch" the seeds as
they fell, creating a noise that sounded like
the slow drizzle of rain.
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Step One Trace around the end of your tube onto
the piece of brown construction paper. Draw a
bigger circle around that circle and then draw a
lot of spokes between the two circles.
Step Two Cut along the spokes.
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Step Three Put glue on the spokes and glue the
cap onto one end of your tube.
Step Four Crunch up your piece of foil and put
it in your tube.
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Step Five Pour the dry beans, rice, and beads
into your tube.
Step Six Make another cap from brown paper (the
same as the first three steps) and cap your
tube.
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Step Seven Decorate your tube! Use the markers,
stamps, and glitter glue to be as creative as
possible.