The Great Kapok Tree Author: Lynne Cherry Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Co. 2nd grade TEKS SOCAIL STUDIES ) C, 7) B & 8) A LA & READING ) C & D, 17) B & 20) B ART & THEATER ) A, 3) A, 2) A & 4) B

Lynn Cherry’s story, The Great Kapok Tree lets us experience the rainforest from the point of view of the things that live there. The story helps us to understand the importance of the world’s rainforests and of the useful products that are found there. It is a story of home, community, and of the dependence that all living things have on one another.

In the art center color and put together the Layers of the Rainforest stand up display. Include at least two animals or insects in each layer. Choose your animals or insects from the Rainforest Animal pages or draw your own, color them, and paste them in the layers that they live in. Put your name on the display and put it in the social studies center.

Choose your favorite animal from the rainforest. In the writing center write a paragraph telling how that animal’s life would be changed if the animal’s rainforest home was destroyed. Write at least five well formed sentences with correct punctuation. Use our classroom resources (story books, text books, word wall, and dictionary) for spelling. Include a picture of your animal. You can draw a picture, use a magazine picture, or a picture from the computer. Websites to visit for great animal pictures! ainforest/

In the story a bee tells the sleeping man that “ all living things depend on one another.” In the science center on a rainforest note paper list at least three products you and your family depend on that come from the rainforest. Use our rainforest product board. Stick your list on our rainforest map in the social studies center. Be sure your name is on the list.

With your rainforest community work up a short 5 minute play about what the man with the ax might have said to the animals and boy when he left the rainforest. All the students in each community must have a part in the plays. Your plays will be presented to the class Friday afternoon. See Mrs. Craig for rehearsal schedules.

In the computer center record a message telling what you think the most important resource is that the world would loose if the rainforests are destroyed. Include in your message an idea about how the world can use the resources of the rainforests without destroying them. Be sure to include your name and the date of your message. Here’s a super rainforest resources website to explore! alliance.org/resourceswww.rainforest- alliance.org/resources

Write a short story including at least three paragraphs about two things you would most like to see and to touch if you could visit a rainforest. Tell why you would want to see and to touch these things. Be sure your story has an opening paragraph, and one paragraph about each thing you want to see and touch. Each paragraph should include at least three well formed sentences with correct punctuation. Use our classroom resources for spelling. The stories will be due for editing Thursday afternoon. We choose book jackets on Monday, and will work on publication all week. Friday we will share our books with the class.

Cherry, Lynn. The Great Kapok Tree. New York Harcourt brace & Co., < forest/ <http// <http//