Exploring the effects of deforestation in the rain forest

In this lesson, students learn about deforestation throughout our world. They will analyze the authors’ messages in The Lorax and The Great Kapok Tree and create visuals to persuade others to stop deforestation in the rain forest.

A lesson plan for grade 5 English Language Arts and Science

By Shannon Page

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Related topics

• Learn more about deforestation, rain forests, and science.

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Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.

—Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Learning outcomes

Students will:

• identify the effects of deforestation.
• demonstrate an understanding that trees are a resource that people and animals need in order to survive.
• compare and contrast the authors’ messages in The Lorax and The Great Kapok Tree.
• create a visual that will inform, persuade, and convey a message to protect rain forests and stop deforestation.

Teacher planning

Time required

Two or three 45-minute class periods

Materials needed

• The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
• The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry
• Chart paper
• Poster board, construction paper, markers, colored pencils, crayons, etc.

Technology resources

• Interactive white board (optional)
• Computers, iPod touches, or iPads (optional)
• Glogster (optional)

Prior knowledge

Students should already have some knowledge of ecosystems and how plants and animals rely on certain factors in order to survive. Students would benefit from having some prior knowledge of deforestation and related negative human impact.

Activities

Day one

1. Ask the students if they have ever heard of or read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.
2. Tell the students that the class will be learning about the negative impact humans can have on the earth. Begin by reading The Lorax aloud to the class.
3. After reading pages 1-11, ask the students to make predictions about what they believe happened to the Lorax. Ask the students to provide clues using the text and the pictures.
4. Continue reading pages 12-23. Stop on page 23 to ask the students why the Lorax is so upset about the Truffula Tree being chopped down. Ask several students to share their thoughts.
5. Read pages 24-49. After page 49, ask the students to discuss the positive and negative effects of chopping down the Truffula Trees. Create a T-chart on an interactive white board or on chart paper to record the students’ responses. Label one column of the T-chart “Positive effects” and the other column “Negative effects.”
1. Positive effects of chopping down the Truffula Trees might include: job-creation, making money, and expanding business.
2. The students should be able to identify the negative effects of chopping down the trees, including: the animals have to migrate because they do not have enough food or shelter and it pollutes the environment.
6. Encourage students to give specific examples from the text.
7. Finish reading the story. Ask the students what message Dr. Seuss wanted them to receive from the following statement: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Give students time to discuss this statement and the message with a partner sitting next to them.
8. Ask the students to think of places where they have seen or heard of humans destroying environments similar to the way the Once-ler did. Give students time to share their thoughts with the class. The students’ answers may vary, but they should be connected to ways that we cut down trees, pollute our earth, or participate in deforestation.
9. Ask the students: “Is deforestation a global issue, or does it only occur here in the Temperate Deciduous Forest?” Allow students to discuss this and share their understanding of deforestation around the world. Students should naturally share information about deforestation in rain forests, but if they do not, you should inform the students of this.
10. Ask the students why humans often cut down trees. Record students’ answers on chart paper or an interactive white board.
11. Ask the class to think about and discuss why chopping down trees can be positive and negative. Have students share their thoughts and record them on a T-chart on chart paper or on an interactive white board. Label one column “Negative effects of cutting down trees” and the other column “Positive effects of cutting down trees.”
12. Wrap up the lesson by reviewing what the students have learned and connections that they made between our world and The Lorax. Inform that they will be learning more about why deforestation in the rain forest is a problem that many people are concerned about.

Day two

1. Ask the students to recall the information they learned in the previous lesson. Revisit the T-charts you created in order to activate their prior knowledge.
2. Ask the students: “Why are rain forests such special environments?” Have them share what they already know about rain forests. Record this information on chart paper or an interactive white board.
3. Display the following facts about rain forests and/or read them aloud to the students. Depending on how much time you have, you could have students research this topic to gather their own information, or you can provide them with the facts below (taken from http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm):
   1. “Rainforests represent a store of living and breathing renewable natural resources that for eons, by virtue of their richness in both animal and plant species, have contributed a wealth of resources for the survival and well-being of humankind. These resources have included basic food supplies, clothing, shelter, fuel, spices, industrial raw materials, and medicine for all those who have lived in the majesty of the forest.”
   2. “The Amazon covers more than 1.2 billion acres, representing two-fifths of the enormous South American continent, and is found in nine South American countries: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname. With 2.5 million square miles of rainforest, the Amazon rainforest represents 54 percent of the total rainforests left on Earth.”
   3. “Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface; now they cover a mere 6% and experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years.”
   4. “Nearly half of the world’s species of plants, animals and microorganisms will be destroyed or severely threatened over the next quarter century due to rainforest deforestation.”
   5. “There were an estimated ten million Indians living in the Amazonian Rainforest five centuries ago. Today there are less than 200,000.”
4. Have students share their reactions to the facts about rain forests. Then ask the students why it is important to protect our rain forests from deforestation.
5. Introduce the book The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry. Inform the students that as they read this book, they will learn many different reasons why we should protect rain forests.
6. Begin reading the book. As you read, invite the students to share why people should not cut down trees in the rain forest. Record these reasons on chart paper or an interactive white board.
7. Discuss with the students the message that they received from The Great Kapok Tree. Compare this message to the message in The Lorax.
8. Have students create a visual product that persuades others to stop deforestation in rain forests. You may have students use posters, construction paper, markers, crayons, etc. for this project. Alternatively, you may have them use Glogster or other digital tools. This step may require an extra 30-45 minutes, depending on how much time you want to give students to complete the project. Their final product should:
   1. send the same message as these books, that saving the rain forests and protecting the resources we have is important.
   2. persuade others to help save rain forests and stop deforestation.
   3. provide factual information about deforestation and rain forests.
9. If students need additional help coming up with ways to persuade others to help stop deforestation in rain forests, you may brainstorm as a class some ideas, including:
   1. teaching others about the importance of our rain forests
   2. informing them of materials and supplies that come only from a rain forest (medicine, food, etc.)
   3. planting trees on land where deforestation has occurred
   4. using less paper
   5. raising money for organizations that help protect rain forests

Assessment

• You may assess the students based on their participation with partners, in small groups, and in whole-group discussion.
• You may assess the students on their final project. Some questions to consider when assessing this products include:
  • Does the visual convey the message that saving the rain forests and protecting the resources in them is important?
  • Does the visual provide factual information about deforestation and rain forests?
  • Does the visual persuade others to help save our rain forests and stop deforestation?

Modifications

• Instead of providing students with facts about rain forests and deforestation, you can give students time to research information in small groups (see Supplemental information below for website suggestions).
• Instead of having students create posters on poster board or construction paper, you can have them create interactive posters using Glogster.

Critical vocabulary

ecosystem

a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment

deciduous forest

a type of forest characterized by trees that seasonally shed their leaves

deforestation

the cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in a forested area

habitat

the natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism

rain forest

a tropical forest, usually of tall, densely-growing, broad-leaved evergreen trees in an area of high annual rainfall

temperate

moderate in respect to temperature; not subject to prolonged extremes of hot or cold weather

Supplemental information

Kids Connected to Conservation and Culture

This site provides information about deforestation, including causes and statistics.

Raintree

This site provides information about the abundance of resources available in rain forests.

Mongabay.com

This site contains information on why rain forests are being destroyed. Additionally, it contains many pictures of rain forest deforestation.

National Geographic

This site contains more information on deforestation in general.

Comments

This lesson plan was created based on an Amazon rain forest workshop in Raleigh, NC. This workshop was funded by North Carolina State University for the purpose of giving teachers information, time, and resources to create lesson plans that communicate the importance of the Amazon rain forest to the global community, including North Carolina teachers and students.