Download Rainforests

Rainforests
Geography | Year 3 | Unit Overview
Introduction
In this Unit, children take a closer look at the mysteries of tropical rainforests. From the layers of the forest and its animal inhabitants,
to the unique climate found in the tropics. They compare a British forest with the Amazon rainforest, and begin to explore some of the
conservation issues surrounding the destruction of rainforest habitats.
Assessment Statements
By the end of this unit...
...all children should be able to:
Home Learning
Comparing the Weather: In this task, children collect weather
information about the UK for 7 days, and compare this to information
for Antalaha in Madagascar.
Design a Rainforest Animal: In this task, children design a rainforest
creature, thinking about where it might live, its diet, and whether it
has any predators.
Wider Learning
Visit to the Living Rainforest in Newbury.
Visit the Eden Project.
• name some countries where rainforests are
found.
• label a map to show countries where
rainforests are found.
• find the Equator on a map.
• tell you that rainforests are found near the
Equator.
• describe what the weather is usually like in
a tropical climate.
• name the four layers of a rainforest.
• tell you about the climate in each layer.
• tell you more about one animal living in a
rainforest.
• tell you some similarities between the
Amazon rainforest and Sherwood Forest.
• tell you some differences between the
Amazon rainforest and Sherwood Forest.
• tell you what deforestation means.
Compare real images of the Madagascan rainforest with that
depicted in DreamWorks Animation’s film, Madagascar.
Borneo Orang-utan Survival UK.
Fairtrade.
Rainforest Alliance.
...most children will be able to:
• tell you more about one country where
rainforests are found.
• use an atlas to find countries of the world
where rainforests are found.
• can find the tropics of Cancer and
Capricorn on a map.
• tell you that rainforests are found between
the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
• tell you about the plants found in each layer.
• name some animals that live in each layer of
...some children will be able to:
• tell you the difference between weather
and climate.
• tell you some animals that live in each layer.
• explain why different animals live in
different layers.
To look at all the resources in the Rainforests unit click here.
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Lesson Breakdown
1. Where Are the Rainforests?
To locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on
Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and
South America, concentrating on their environmental
regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries,
and major cities in the context of rainforests.
•I can identify areas of the world containing
rainforests.
Resources
• Globe
• Internet access for research
in pairs
• Information books about
rainforests
To use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping
to locate countries and describe features studied in the
context of rainforests.
•I can use maps and atlases to locate rainforests.
2. The Rainforest Climate
To identify the position and significance of latitude,
longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern
Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic
and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and
time zones (including day and night) in the context of
rainforests.
•I can identify areas of the world containing
rainforests.
• Sticky tack or short sticks for
weather icons
To describe and understand key aspects of physical
geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation
belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and
the water cycle in the context of a tropical climate.
•I can describe the key aspects of a tropical climate.
3. Layers of the Rainforest
To describe and understand key aspects of physical
geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation
belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and
the water cycle in the context of the layers of a rainforest.
•I can describe and understand the features of the
layers of a rainforest.
4. Life in the Rainforest
To describe and understand key aspects of physical
geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation
belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and
the water cycle in the context of rainforest inhabitants.
•I can describe the animals and plants living in the
rainforest.
• Information books about
rainforests
• Information books about
rainforests
• Internet access for children’s
research
• Use the Layers of the
Rainforest Display Pack to
create a display for this lesson
in advance.
5. The Amazon
To understand geographical similarities and differences
through the study of human and physical geography of
a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European
country, and a region within North or South America by
comparing the Amazon rainforest and Sherwood Forest.
•I can compare the Amazon rainforest and Sherwood
Forest.
6. Protecting the Rainforests
To describe and understand key aspects of human
geography, including: types of settlement and land use,
economic activity including trade links, and the distribution
of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and
water in the context of rainforest conservation.
•I can explain the effects humans are having on the
rainforests.
To look at all the resources in the Rainforests unit click here.
National Curriculum Aim
Lesson Context
Child Friendly
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