English Language Learners – Amazon
The Amazon
Kori Clot
Art Activity
Content area: Art
Grade Level: 4th
Objectives: The student will…
recall information from a story, which is read aloud.
label various objects in the “classroom Amazon.”
identify nouns.
Materials:
Reynolds, Jan. Amazon Basin. Harcourt Brace and Company.
Orlando, Florida 1993.
construction paper
paints markers
any other everyday materials
Procedure:
Preview:
The teacher reads Amazon Basin by Jan Reynolds: A story of a young boy who lives in the Amazon basin among other Yonamama tribe members. The story is very basic with wonderful photographs. The story focuses on a day in the life of a Yonamama boy.
The students then brainstorm, as a class, the various plants, animals, waters, etc. that existed in the boys environment.
Present:
Breakup into small groups. Each group creates several items found in the Amazon environment and labels the items with its name. The student’s creations are hung around the room, transforming the classroom into the Amazon.
Review: The teacher points to objects in the “classroom Amazon,” and the students respond by saying the name of the object. The teacher may want to refer to the objects when lecturing about other aspects of the Amazon (visual aide).
Followup:
Following a period of time where the class becomes familiar with the labels, the students become “tour guides.” The students will give a tour of the “Amazon” to students from other classes. They will use labels to describe the scenery.
Rhythmic Exercise
Content Area: Poetry
Grade Level: 4th
Objectives: The students will…
become familiar with various parts of the body (toe, knee, thigh, neck).
identify Amazon animal life.
use rhythm in presenting poetry.
create a variation of a selected poem.
Materials:
Silverstein, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends. Harper Collins 1974.
Poem: “Boa Constrictor” (printed or oral version) paper pencil, pen, marker, etc.
Procedure:
Preview:
Ask students to list the various animals that inhabit the Amazon. If they do not recall the boa constrictor, remind them that boa constrictors lives in the Amazon jungle.
Present:
Listen to Shel Silverstein’s presentation of “Boa Constrictor” on audio tape (note: teacher can also read the poem aloud).
The class should follow along with the reading of the poem by looking at printed copies of the poem. As the poem is read, the students can point to the various regions of the body recited.
Without the audio tape, the class will recite the poem using only the printed version as a guide.
Review:
Break the class into small groups. Each group is responsible for choosing one animal, other than the boa constrictor, that exists in the Amazon jungle. The students must alter Shel Silverstein’s poem, by putting the name of the animal they choose in place of the boa constrictor (e.g. Oh, I’m being eaten by a crocodile…).
The groups then recite their version of the poem to the class.
Followup:
Students can study/research the animal they chose.
Students can take a step further in altering Silverstein’s poem, by changing the names of the body parts and expressions used in the original poem (e.g. Oh, haste, it’s up to my waist…). This activity is a little more complex.
Computer Activity
Content Area: drama/creative writing/technology
Grade Level: 4th
Objectives: The students will…
record experiences and observations in a log.
become familiar with the art of storytelling.
use words associated with the Amazon.
Materials:
“Amazon Trail” (CD ROM)
logs (journals)
Procedure:
Preview:
Each student is given an opportunity to explore the rain forest, while playing “Amazon Trail.” The object of the game is to get some Cinchonaa medicinal plant that cures Malaria and deliver it to the Inca King in the hidden city of Vilcabamba. It may take several days or more for all students to complete a full game (note: games can be saved). While the students play the game, they will keep a log of their adventures (e.g. what they saw, what dangers they faced, etc.)
Present:
With the information in the logs, the students create a story about their adventures in the Amazon.
Students should be encouraged to “spice up” their story if they want to add extra detail.
Review:
Each student shares their adventure story with their classmates. The teacher should first demonstrate and example of effective storytelling (voice inflection, etc.).
Followup:
Students can evaluate their performance on their first experiences on Amazon Trail, determining what they would do differently. They can create a plan, and develop a way to reach their goal, prior to playing the game again (goal setting activity).
Jigsaw Activity
Content Area: Social Science
Grade Level: 4th
Objectives: The student will…
become familiar with various causes of rain forest extinction.
use critical thinking skills to devise solutions.
use problem solving skills, through group consensus.
practice conversation skills, while working with peers as a team.
Procedure:
Preview:
Lecture/Discussion: Have students name the benefits of the rain forest: Why is the rain forest important? Facilitate the discussion, leading to recognition of the rain forest’s contributions to plant and animal life, as well as the climate (the trees release moisture into the air, helping clouds to form, which encourages the rain to fall).
Lecture: (Note: lecture should be accompanied by pictures of the burning and cutting of the rain forest, along with pictures of the crops and cattle that now reside on the land).
The rain forest is disappearing incredibly fast. 4050 million acres are cleared each year; the size of the state of Washington.
Why is the rain forest falling so quickly? Money.
- Cutting trees for lumber (5% of forest).
- Burning to enrich the soil for growing crops, such as coffee, sugar, and bananas. Also, burning to clear land for raising cattle.
After the forest has been cleared, it is burned. Burning releases the nutrients from the plant tissues so that the land can support crops for a year or two. Next, it may be used for cattle pasture for two years or so. It has little use after this.
The Amazon has other resources that do not require burning or cutting down the rain forest.
- nuts (Brazil nuts and Palm nuts)
- tapping rubber trees (Yet, land that contains rubber trees is being bought by ranchers).
- food
- oil
- fiber
- medicine
Present:
In small groups of five (in a class of 25 students), students will devise a plan for combating the problem of the falling rain forest. How can we save the rain forest?
Review:
One member of each group comes together to form a separate group. Now, there are five new groups with one member from each old group together. These new groups are considered “Brazilian Regional Planning Committees.” The committees must bring all of their ideas, from their former groups, together to form a plan to present to the Brazilian Government. When the group comes to a consensus plan, they will present their idea to their peers (Brazilian Government).
Follow up Activity:
Brazilian Regional Planning Committee can write a letter to the Brazilian Government discussing their ideas for rain forest survival (letter writing lesson and envelop addressing lesson).
Video Activity
Content Area: Language Arts
Grade Level: 4th
Objectives: The students will…
use descriptions (adjectives) in storytelling.
retell a scene from a short video clip.
discover that one event may be described in many different
ways.
Activity:
Preview:
Discuss the use of description. Teacher will give an example of a story with description and a story without description, to emphasize the role of description in storytelling.
Present:
Divide the class into twos (partners). One partner leaves the room or goes to the back of the room, while the other partner views a short segment of the film “Medicine Man:” The story of Dr. Robert Cambell (Sean Conory), who travels to the Amazon in search of the cure for Cancer. Amongst extraordinary Amazon scenery, he faces many dangers. (NOTE: watch video with no sound).
After viewing the video segment, the viewer describes the events that took place in the segment, including descriptions of environment (trees, animals,…), etc. Partners switch roles. The other student will watch a video segment and describe the events to her/his partner.
Review:
The teacher will reveal that both partners watched the same video clip. The teacher leads a discussion on how the descriptions may have differed or remained similar depending on the individual’s perspective.
Followup:
Class discussion (conversation skills): Watch more of the film “Medicine Man.” Review the story line: A man in search of cure of Cancer in Amazon. Ask students: “If you were Dr. Cambell, would you risk you life to find the cure for Cancer? Do you think the cure for Cancer exists in the Amazon?”
Resource List
Amazon Trail, IBM/Tandy. MECC. Washington D.C. July 1993.
Baker, Lucy. Life in the Rainforests: Animals, People, Plants. Franklin Watts, 1990.
Jordan, Tanis and Martin. Jungle Days Jungle Nights. Kingfisher Books. New York 1993.
“Medicine Man.” Hollywood pictures. 1993.
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. The Challenge of Extinction. Enslow Publishers 1991.
Reynolds, Jan. Amazon Basin. Harcourt Brace and Company. Orlando, Florida 1993.