Summary Compare our temperate rainforest plants to those in a tropical rainforest, and find features they have in common. Science content Biology: Features, Adaptations of Living Things (K, 1, 3, 7) Science competencies (+ questioning + manipulation + others that are in every activity) Planning/conducting: data collection/recording (K up) Processing/analyzing: experiencing and interpreting the local environment (K up) Lessons activity is in Plants of Temperate and Tropical rainforests Materials temperate rainforest to walk in clipboards and worksheet Procedure We live in a rainforest. What are differences between our rainforest and tropical? Look for plants that have similar features to tropical rainforest plants, using the worksheet: Find canopy, understory and forest floor layers Find living things of the forest floor: ferns, fungi, mosses (not all plants) Vines Drip tips Epiphytes Evergreen trees (conifer instead of broadleaf) Discussion: Review what they have found. Talk about how the soil is different between tropical and temperate rainforests. Although they both have relatively poor soils, temperate soil is rich compared to tropical rain forest soil. This is because the temperate rainforest is colder, and the soil has more acidity from the coniferous needles dropped, so decomposition is much slower, therefore more nutrients remain in the soil. Attached documents rainforest_plant_features_worksheet.pdf Grades taught Gr 4
