Activity 1B

A Closer Look

Learner Objectives

After completing this activity, learners should be able to:

• List and describe some functions and values of tropical rainforests.
  
  
• Write a narrative, including use of relevant detail and figurative language, to create an image of setting, characters, and events, including dialogue between characters and a sequence of events or ideas leading to a logical ending.
  
  

Preparation

Photocopy Activity Sheets 1B.1 and 1B.2 for your students. Arrange for students to have access to materials, such as books, about the tropical rainforests (see appendices). Students also may use the library or a computer with Internet access to gather needed background information.

Doing the Activity

In this activity, students will write a narrative about life in the tropical rainforest. Their narratives can take the format of a newspaper story, report, or tale for younger audiences. They should use relevant detail and figurative language to create an image of setting, characters, and events. This narrative also should include a dialogue between characters and a sequence of events leading to a logical ending.

Part I: Overview. Make sure students have seen the Uncovering the Story video that accompanies this teacher's guide. Next, hand out Activity Sheet 1B.1. This sheet provides some facts about tropical rainforests that can spark a general dialogue about the value of forests. Some questions you might want to ask include:

• We learned that forests that have a lot of species have lots of places for organisms to live and hide. Do you think tropical rainforests have a lot of structure? In human terms, does the rainforest act more like a large house or a high-rise apartment building? (High-rise building, because of the ability to harbor many living things in different nooks and crannies.)
  
  
• Tropical rainforests contain valuable things such as wood, food, dyes, and medicines. Do you think we've discovered all the uses of tropical rainforests yet? (No!)
  
  
• These forests have tremendous numbers of animals and plants. Do you think we've discovered all the species in these areas yet? Have they been named and classified? (No.)
  
  

Part II. Getting Ready to Write. Hand out and let students complete Activity Sheet 1B.2. This will help spark their thinking about describing the rainforest. You can ask students to share their responses with the large group.

Part III. Completing the Story. To complete the narrative, students should first focus on what type of format they would like to use. Would they like to create a news broadcast, short magazine article, or children's book? Do they have other format ideas? Students can define which format they will use. Next, give them some parameters for the narrative. Some suggestions are:

• Must contain researched detail;
• Must include characters that talk to each other;
• Must describe the setting and characters;
• Must be centered around an event or idea;
• Must have a logical ending.
  
  

You may also wish to limit the narrative to one or two pages. Optionally, you can assign teams of two people each to write each story.

When finished, let individuals or teams share and process their work. You can let them read their stories to the large group. If the story is a newscast, they can simulate this. If they've written children's stories, they can read to younger grades. They may even choose to act out the story as a play.

Evaluating Results

Ask students to list and describe some functions and values of rainforests (e.g., biodiversity, valuable products such as teak and Brazil nuts, plants that can be used as crops). Did the narratives contain a central event or idea? Were you able to find information about the setting and events in each story? Did each have a logical beginning, middle, and ending? Was research used effectively?