This document outlines a project-based learning unit on rainforests for elementary school students. The multi-week project teaches students about the different layers of the rainforest and has them create informative posters. Students then present their posters and collaborate on a slideshow presentation for parents. To reinforce conservation, the class also raises money for the Rainforest Alliance by creating and selling snack packages made from rainforest plants. The project aims to develop students' collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

1. Layers
Of The Rainforest

2. Rainforest ProjectESL 1 Science
I’m planning for my upcoming unit on rainforests and will use a project based
format to design the learning. This project teaches students about many aspects of
the rainforest. Conservation and awareness of scarce resources are key concepts
that tie into the unit. Our science curriculum is built with this unit occurring each
year at the same time, so students come to look forward to this time of year.
Students have just come back from their annual Chinese New Year break and are
refreshed and ready to be creative! As this is the first project of their six year
journey, I want to make it impactful, fun and interesting.
Each year our projects are connected to Jane
Goodall’s “roots & shoots” program which
endeavors to get kids involved in conservation.

3. Partnerships
• For several years we have worked with the Jane Goodall Foundation and her
program “Roots & Shoots” to reinforce the conservation theme. In September our
upper grade students were rewarded with a “Project of the Month” recognition on
the roots & shoots website.
• Roots & Shoots Project of the Month
• Last year we partnered with the Rainforest Alliance to raise awareness and
contributed to the organization using money from a fundraising activity built into
the curriculum. This year we plan to expand our fundraising to contribute more!

4. Scope
The project begins with teaching basic knowledge of the rainforest.
We cover:
• what is a rainforest
• where they are located
• layers of the rainforest
• types of animals and plants
• treasures of the rainforest
• threats to this special habitat.

5. The project has three main components:
• Poster – students use their knowledge to create a poster that is attractive and
informative.
1. Each of the four primary layers of the rainforest must be represented.
2. Each layer must have at least one plant and one animal that
students have learned about (research on their own may be done this year as a way
of freeing some of our limited class time).
3. There must be at least one fact about each layer in the rainforest.
4. They are asked to include at least one diagram in their poster

6. Poster Duties
• While the students are working on their posters they must carry out tasks:
1. leaders help organize and allocate duties
2. writers are in charge of making the text legible and neat
3. drawers work on laying in the basic shapes and
4. painters can work on coloring in images that I’ve brought in for them (to
be glued on later) and painting the poster itself

7. Presentation
• The second component of the project is a presentation which takes two forms.
1. Poster presentation: while working students must plan to speak about each one of their
layers and point out at least the one required animals and plant from each layer. Each
student must speak and all students will recite a simple script to begin and end their
presentation.
2. Parents’ Day slide show presentation: we plan this project to coincide with the yearly visit
parents make to see how their students are performing in class. It’s evolved over the years
to include something of a show and we like to work in a science presentation on our
conservation topic. As a class we create a slideshow that includes at least as many slides as
the number of students in the class. I ask each student to help me select the slide and work
up the lines for that slide. Each student must memorize his or her lines and recite them in
order in front of all the assembled parents on Parents’ Day.

8. Fundraising
• The last component of the project is to raise some money to donate to Rainforest Alliance.
Each student gets a certificate and a special sticker for their involvement. Students all have
their picture taken with their certificates and stickers for the school website.
• We use money from a class funds to buy foods that are related to plants from areas around
the rainforest like nuts, chocolate and dried fruits. Students draw and color labels that we
make for packages of these nut, fruit and chocolate mixes.
• Selling these packages to students and faculty raises some money, but the primary source of
revenue is from a nearby high school that helps us to make the packages available for sale to
their students. Last year we sold out and raised several hundred dollars to donate to
Rainforest Alliance.

9. 21st Century Skills
• Students learn to work together: Collaboration
• Students must cooperate to see their vision through: Communication
• Thinking about ways that current human action is threatening rainforests requires:
Critical Thinking
• Finally, coming up with concrete ways that we can change things we do to help
rainforests continue to exist requires: Problem Solving
There are many elements to this ten week project that set students up for real life situations they are likely to encounter.
Presentation and fundraising are applicable skills in many workplaces today.
Of course, critical thinking and problem solving are essential skills, but who actually practices them in a real way before
they get out of school? I hope this project will get students familiar with processes that happen in the real world and can
help bridge the gap between abstract ideas in the classroom and the world that’s really out there.