6th Grade Tropical Rainforests Lesson Plan (Social Studies)

Topic: Location and climate of tropical rainforests

Objectives & Outcomes:

• Students will be able to identify the characteristics of tropical rainforests and their location on Earth.
• Students will be able to explain the climate of tropical rainforests and how it affects the plants and animals that live there.

Materials

• Map of the world or globe
• Images of tropical rainforests
• Handouts with information about the climate of tropical rainforests
• Worksheets with questions about tropical rainforests

Warm-up

• Begin the lesson by asking students what they know about tropical rainforests. Write their answers on the board.
• Ask students to share any personal experiences they have had with tropical rainforests.
• Explain that today the class will be learning about the location and climate of tropical rainforests.

Direct Instruction

• Show students a world map and point out the tropical regions of the world.
• Discuss the unique climate and characteristics of tropical rainforests, including high temperatures, high humidity, and abundant rainfall.
• Explain that tropical rainforests are home to a diverse array of plants and animals, and that they play an important role in the environment.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs to research a specific tropical rainforest, using a reference book or website.
• Ask them to gather information about the location, climate, and characteristics of the rainforest they have chosen.
• Have them present their findings to the class.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose a tropical rainforest and create a poster or presentation about it.
• They should include information about the location, climate, and characteristics of the rainforest they have chosen.
• Encourage them to use the information they collected during the guided practice to create a more detailed poster or presentation.

Closure

• Have students share their posters or presentations with the class.
• Ask the students to summarize what they have learned about tropical rainforests and the characteristics of a rainforest.

Assessment

• Observe the students during the sorting activity and during their independent practice to assess their understanding of the characteristics of a rainforest.
• Evaluate the posters or presentations and provide feedback to the students on their presentation skills and their understanding of the topic.