Lesson Plan

Amazon Rainforest

Subject: ESL Content Class Pull out Topic: Amazon Rainforest

Common Core Objective: RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the
words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

WIDA standard: ELP Standard 2 Reading Level 4 Expanding: Interpret text to identify main ideas and
details from multiple paragraphs, using visuals or graphic support.

Daily Lesson Objective (in student terms): Students will be able to provide imaginary situations in the Amazon
rainforest by writing a 5-sentence paragraph using the conditional would, implementing a copy of sensory
words and a copy of vocabulary words from the quizlet.

Materials/Technology: smart board, laptop, students Chromebooks, pictures of the Amazon rainforest from
Google Images, PDF document What are Rainforests?, educational website: www.quizlet.com, a bag with
products from the Amazon rainforest: an eraser, rubber bands, chocolate candy, bananas, musical instrument
made of wood, cinnamon, chewing gum, and peanuts., slices of paper, pencils.

Grade Level: Third (Beginning)

Activity Description of Activities and Setting Time

First, students will do I see, I think, I wonder activity. They will observe an appealing
series of pictures of the Amazon rainforest. This is the link to the slides:

Focus https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GzobPRrLIs3NO-o-3jegjDTtp0UjTCpM1nG1wcGjHLQ/edit#slide=id.p3 5
(Warm-up) minutes
Students will have 2 minutes to discuss what they see, what they think, and what they
wonder about the pictures. Then, students will have the opportunity to participate and
share their thoughts with the whole class.

Students will take turns to draw a product from a bag. Then, they will show thumbs
up/thumbs down depending if they think those products come from the Amazon
rainforest or not. Once all the items have been drawn, the teacher will explain to
Teacher students that many of the products that are used in our daily lives come from the 10
Input Amazon rainforest; including those who were in the bag. minutes
Note: students will draw from the bag the following products: an eraser, rubber bands,
chocolate candy, bananas, musical instrument made of wood called La Clave,
cinnamon, chewing gum, and peanuts.

Students will create their own word cards by using the following links with the
assistance of the teacher: http://learnersdictionary.com/, http://www.dictionary.com/,
Vocabulary 30
and http://www.wordreference.com/.
Development minutes
Students need to write the word and a draw a picture on one side, and write a brief
definition of the word in English. They are free to write a synonym in their native
 language on the other side if they need to.

The words are:

tropical rainforest, temperate rainforest, emergent, canopy, understory, forest

floor, forest, stems, decay, saltwater, freshwater, prey, descendants, bills, lianas,
shrubs, species, and deforestation.

After that, students will use their Chromebooks to work on the write skill section
through this quizlet: https://quizlet.com/103077924/amazon-rainforest-glossary-flash-
cards/.

The idea is that students get familiar with the words they will find in the paragraphs
they will read.
The teacher will read aloud a PDF document: What are Rainforests? while students
take notes in their journals. This document explains where the Amazon rainforest is
located; it describes the four layers, the flora and the fauna on each layer.

Likewise, the document shows some products originated in the Amazon rainforest.
While the teacher reads the document, there will be a moment of discussion where the
students will participate and give their answers to some reading comprehension
Guided questions the teacher will ask. 30
Practice Also, this moment of the lesson is useful to clarify any doubts about the text, or any minutes
unknown words. At the end of the article, there are some data explaining why the
Amazon rainforest is important and why people should be aware of protecting it.
While reading, the teacher will make brief pauses to think aloud and go over
vocabulary words (some of the words have been reviewed through the Quizlet
activity).

The teacher will ask students the following question: what would you do if you were
able to visit the Amazon rainforest? Highlight the use of second conditional to talk
about unreal situations in the future or in the present. Show students this example:

If I were in the Amazon Rainforest, I would get on a canoe to sail on the Amazon
river.

Show the following structure: If + Simple Past + WOULD + Base Form

Independent 20
Practice Students will imagine what they would do in the Amazon rainforest if they had the minutes
opportunity to travel there for a week. Students will write a 5-sentence paragraph on a
piece of cardboard describing what they would do in the Amazon Rainforest.

Students will not write their names yet. They must use a vocabulary word from the
quizlet on each sentence. They will receive a copy of sensory words in order to use
one of those on each sentence as well. The paragraphs will be anonymous. After 5
minutes, the slips of paper will be collected to be put in a bag.
 Students will follow this rubric:

The paragraphs must include the following criteria:

Criteria Points Possible Points Earned

5 accurate sentences. 20

Correct use of conditional would on each

Assessment 20
sentence.
Method:

At least one sensory word per sentence. 20

At least one word from the vocabulary list

20
per sentence.

Capitalization and punctuation. 20

Total 100

The teacher will read each paragraph aloud and students will guess who wrote each 10
Closure
paragraph. minutes

Amazon Rainforest Key Vocabulary

Tropical rainforest
Temperate rainforest
Emergent
Canopy
Understory
Forest floor
Forest
Stems
Decay
Saltwater
Freshwater
Prey
Descendants
Bills
Lianas
Shrubs
Species
Deforestation