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In this hands-on activity, learners will become familiar with the special adaptations of rainforest plants and discover the conditions needed for tropical trees to survive along with what can impinge on their survival. To prepare for the lesson, educators will cut a mahogany tree model out of cardboard. Learners will then paperclip drawings of epiphytes, vines, and tree leaves onto the tree. As more and more epiphytes are added, the tree may fall over, and if it does not, learners may blow the tree down. This will support their understanding that the pressure of too much wind or epiphytes can cause tropical trees to fall. This lesson is standards-based and includes wrap-up suggestions. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]
- 10 to 30 minutes
- 30 to 45 minutes
- $1 - $5 per group of students
- Ages 8 - 11
- Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan, Model
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per group of students)
- heavy-duty scissors
- tree outline master copy
- markers, colored pencils, or crayons
- large pieces of cardboard
- epiphytes, vines, and tree leaves sheets
- scissors
- paperclips (two or three boxes)
- scotch tape rolls
- pictures of bromeliads, lianas, orchids, and a mahogany tree
Subjects
-
Life Sciences
-
Diversity of Life
- Plants
- Classification
-
Ecology
- Ecosystems
- Populations
-
Diversity of Life
-
Mathematics
-
Data Analysis and Probability
- Data Collection
- Measurement
-
Data Analysis and Probability
-
Physical Sciences
- Electricity and Magnetism
-
The Nature of Science
-
The Scientific Process
- Conducting Investigations
- Gathering Data
- Formulating Explanations
-
The Scientific Process
Informal Categories
- Model Building
- Nature and Environment
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
- be mobile
- touch
Learning styles supported:
- Involves teamwork and communication skills
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
Rights:
- All rights reserved, California Academy of Sciences, 2008