Unit 10 - After the Excursion - Representations

All of these activities are designed to enhance student experience of the rainforest, consolidate experiential learning experiences and progressively build conceptual understanding of rainforest features and processes.

1. Brainstorm
2. Drawing and Painting
3. Collage
4. 2D and 3D Maps
5. Life Size Play Area
6. Retrieval Chart
7. Report
8. Make a Class Book
9. Advertisement
10. Glossary
11. Claymation

1. Brainstorm

Ask students to discuss their experiences. Write the ideas in a list. Group ideas into categories such as:

• vertebrates
• invertebrates
• types of trees
• trunks
• roots
• bark
• layers of the rainforest
• processes.

Make these lists available for students for when they are writing reports, labelling models or writing captions for artwork. The lists are useful when students want to check spelling or need a reminder about an.htmlect of the excursion. They make the learning visible to parents and other community members who enter the classroom.

2. Drawing and Painting

Materials
Have a variety of suitable materials available such as:

• pens
• pencils
• charcoal
• charcoal pencils
• oil
• chalk pastels
• watercolour pencils
• watercolour paints
• good quality paper of different sizes, colours and textures
• paintbrushes of different shapes and sizes.

Demonstrate how to use the different materials. For example use charcoal and chalk pastels to draw and smudge. Draw with watercolour pencils on wet paper or wash over a finished drawing with a paintbrush.

Brainstorm all the living and non-living things the students saw on the excursion. To aid recall look at the photographs taken and the drawings completed while on the excursion.

Students draw images of the rainforest, either from memory or from photographs of places visited. Older students write captions or labels for their work. Drawing insects, plants, and the different layers of the rainforest helps to enhance and extend students understandings, and could be used as an assessable item. 

3. Collage

Students use collage materials in a variety of ways to represent their experiences:

4. 2D and 3D Maps

Materials:

• pens
• pencils
• charcoal
• charcoal pencils
• oil
• chalk pastels and
• watercolour pencils
• watercolour paints
• good quality paper of different sizes, colours and textures
• strong card
• wooden Blocks
• large and small boxes
• collage items.

The students revisit the excursion site by looking at maps of the route taken and of the site. They sequence the activities they undertook there and discuss what they have learned.

Demonstrate and discuss the whole process of drawing or making a map several times, letting the students add more of their own ideas with each demonstration.

For 3D mapping, place students in a circle and construct a map in the centre using a range of materials. Blocks are a useful starting point. Label places of interest and write captions about information they learned.

Collage map

When the students have a clear understanding of what is required they are ready to draw or construct maps independently. Each student shares and explains their map to the class, inviting questions or suggestions for improvement. Older students prepare written instructions so that other students can follow a set route on their map.

2D map

5. Life Size Play Area

Materials:

• large boxes
• poles in cement
• large pieces of various materials
• strong card of various shapes, sizes and colours
• large tubes
• photographs of the excursion site
• photographs of rainforest.

The students discuss their visit to the rainforest and review photographs. In groups they collaborate and plan a play area to represent the visit. Working together they build and modify their play area. The other students and teacher are available to help them problem solve and improve it. When it is finished the students negotiate how it is to be used. Can other students pay a visit? Do they need signs, tickets or labels?

By working in this way students are:

• extending and enhancing their understandings of the rainforest
• making choices and decisions
• applying mathematical concepts
• sequencing experiences
• retaining interest over a period of time
• combining materials
• recalling experiences in a meaningful way
• learning from each other
• thinking inventively
• using literacy in a meaningful way.

6. Retrieval Chart

One method to make a chart is:

• mark a large piece of card with cells for the chart
• laminate or cover the card with contact
• make headings on card to fit the heading cells
• use a KWL chart to generate the headings in negotiation with the students.

The students draw or write information on a card, which is then blu-tacked into the appropriate cell. The advantage of making a chart in this way is that mistakes are easy to change and information can be added or modified easily.

Eg: Chart how different animals distribute seeds in the rainforest:

• vertebrate
• arachnid
• invertebrate
• reptile
• insect
• marsupial.

After making the chart, discuss with students:

• characteristics which are common to each group of animals
• how the animals contribute to rainforest biodiversity
• how the animals are different
• where these animals live
• how the plants have adapted to life in the tropical rainforest.

7. Report

Before writing their own report, students need to have report writing modelled to them. This helps them organise information and present their ideas clearly.

8. Make a Class Book

Discuss the visit and make a class decision how to organise the important information. Include information about what they had investigated before the visit.

Some suggested chapter topics: rainforest trees, layers, roots, birds, distinctive features, seeds, leaves, flowers, hidey holes, camouflage, creepy crawlies, smells.

Include information about representations made after the visit.

Sequence the information so that it follows a timeline.

The whole class constructs the book or groups work together on a particular section.

Students use photographs and artwork to illustrate the book.

Hold a book launch for parents and other classes.

9. Advertisement

Before the students are able to do this it is important to discuss
what an advertisement is:

• its structure
• its intention
• the audience.

Immerse the students in different types of advertising such as television, newspaper and magazines:

• discuss how these may affect them
• discuss the words used to persuade and encourage
• discuss the images used and the emotions they create.

Construct an advertisement as a class activity then the students design an advertisement to:

• promote the area visited
• bring attention to why rainforest is important
• advertise what is special about rainforest.

OR

The students role-play one of the animals they have investigated and write an advertisement to:

• promote the food the animal eats
• promote its home
• promote how this animal is important in a rainforest.

10. Glossary

Students make a glossary of terminology used and create definitions. Work as a whole class for the first part of the glossary list until students understand what is required. Students then work in groups to write their own definitions, the class as a whole then discusses these until consensus is reached on the wording of the definition. Younger students illustrate or dictate rather than write their own definitions.
Examples of glossary words include:

• Canopy
• Leaf litter
• Germination
• Biodiversity
• Cryptosphere
• Arachnid
• Insect
• Segmented.

11. Claymation
Students make a simple storyboard. Working in pairs or small groups they create a simple animation to depict their excursion, the life cycle of one of the animals or plants they have seen, seed dispersal, the different layers of the rainforest and other subjects of interest.