Forest Types
Grade Level
· Grade 5
Main Idea
Like many other species, all forests are different. Like a chocolate cake they have layers and
like animal they have different types. When all elements are combined, forests become unique
of where they reside.
Subject Areas
· English Language Arts
· Fine Arts
· Science
Objectives
Students will be able to describe:
· The 5 layers of a forest.
· The 3 types of forests.
· What animals may live in certain forests.
Teacher Notes
A “Teacher Background Information” handout is available for additional teaching notes.
Materials
· “Teacher Background Information” handout
· “Forest Layers” handout
· “Forest Types” handout
· “Leaf Cut Out” handout
· “Animals in the Forest” handout
· “Forest Crossword Puzzle” handout
· Pencil crayons
· Scissors
Vocabulary
Rainforest: a tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches (254 centimeters)
and marked by lofty broad-leaved evergreen trees forming a continuous canopy.
Coniferous Forest: any of an order (Coniferous) of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs including forms (as pines) with true cones and others (as yews).
Deciduous Forest: falling off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life
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Canopy: A layer of forest foliage that is laterally continuous and usually distinct vertically from
other layers.
Understory: an underlying layer of vegetation; specifically: the vegetative layer and especially
the trees and shrubs between the forest canopy and the ground cover
Outline
1. Ask class to close their eyes and pretend that they are walking through a forest. What
do they see?
a. Combine answers on the board.
b. If students do not touch on the following, ask if they may see these items.
i.
Birds
ii.
Sun
iii.
Bushes
iv.
Leaves
v.
Branches
vi.
Soil
vii.
Grass
viii.
Moss
2. Ask class to think of something that may have layers. Use “Teacher Background
Information” sheet to stimulate discussion.
a. Explain to class that a forest has layers just like everything they had just
mentioned. Tell students that forests have 5 layers.
i. Distribute “Forest Layers” worksheet to each student. Read the
characteristics of each layer from the “Teacher Background
Information” sheet. After reading characteristics of each layer to the
class, have students complete the worksheet.
3. Ask class to brainstorm animals that have different types. For example there are
different types of bears. Use the “Teacher Background Information” sheet to
stimulate discussion.
4. Explain to class that just like animals, Forests have different types.
a. There are 3 different types of forests and each forest has different temperatures,
vegetations and rainfall.
5. Distribute “Forest Types” handout to each student. After reading “Forest Types” from
the “Teacher Background Information” sheet, have students complete the worksheet.
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6. Have students imagine they are in a rainforest, what does it look like?
a. Most students will say that it looks like a jungle.
b. In fact, a rainforest does not look like a jungle at all.
i. The floor of a rainforest is actually bare of vegetation.
• This is because the Trees grow very tall and create a canopy
that protects the floor of the rainforest.
• The canopy blocks out sunlight and dampers wind and rain.
• A flashlight may be more useful in the rainforest instead of a
machete as seen in most movies.
• When hiking, you may not feel raindrops right away during a
rainstorm because the canopy plants about collect most of the
rain.
7. Make wall Trees!!
a. Divide the class into 3 groups. (Coniferous, Deciduous and Rainforest)
b. Each student in a group will name one thing that characterizes their forest on
their “Leaf Cut Out” sheet provided and then decorate according to the forest it
may be in.
c. When all of the leaves/pinecones are done, post them on a construction paper cut
out of a large tree trunk a the wall in the classroom.
d. There will be 3 trees on the wall at the end, Coniferous, Deciduous and
Rainforest, all containing characteristic leaves by the students.
8. Have each student choose an animal from the “Animals in the Forest” worksheet and
write a paragraph of the following:
a. What it may eat/drink?
b. What it may look like?
c. What forest it lives in?
d. Why it lives in that forest?
e. What the forest may look like?
9. As a take home activity distribute the “Forest Crossword Puzzle” to each student.
Further Resources
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Teacher Background Information
Items with Layers:
Cakes
Ground
Books
Hamburger
Animal Species:
Cat:
Snake:
Bear:
Bird:
Fish:
lion, house cat, lynx, tiger
Corn snake, rattle snake, python
Grizzly, black, polar, brown
blue, robin, canary, crow
trout, salmon, gold, cat
Characteristics of Forest Layers:
The canopy has the highest tree tops of the three levels, and it
is perhaps the most exciting, considering the wildlife which resides
there. The canopy houses many different types of birds seeking
sunlight. Normally, vegetation is very compact and has treetops, vines
and other plants all competing for sunlight. Most species of monkeys
are found primarily in the canopy of the Central and South American
rainforests.
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The understory of the forest includes the trunks and small
branches of trees, and all the plants found in between the ground
and the sun drenched treetops.
The forest floor is the lowest of the three levels, and it is
home to massive tree roots, ferns, and other land plants. It is here
that you might be able find the largest animals of tropical
rainforests, the Tapir (a relative to the horse) and large cats like the
Jaguar prowling around. In the rainforest, most animals live in the
canopy. In the Northern Coniferous forest, most of the life is small
and lives in the forest floor.
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Forest Types:
Coniferous Forests
The Temperature is between –40 and 20C. There is between 300 and
900 mm of rainfall per year. The vegetation consists of mostly
evergreens, trees that grow needles instead of leaves and cones
instead of flowers. These trees keep their needles all year to help
the trees survive in cold environments. They are located in Canada,
Europe and the United States. They are in an area that has cold,
long, snow winters and warm, humid summers.
Temperate Deciduous Forests
The temperature is between –30C and 30C. There is between 750
and 1,500 mm of rainfall per year. The vegetation consists of
broadleaf trees. These trees are most notable because they go
through the 4 seasons. Leaves change color in the Autumn, fall off in
the Winter and grow back in the Spring. Because it gets really cold
in the winter, this adaptation allows the trees to survive in the
winter by going to sleep. They are located in Canada, Asia, Europe,
Japan, and Eastern United States.
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Rain Forests
The temperature is between 20 and 25C. There is between 2,000
and 10,000 mm of rain fall per year, it rains all year round. The
vegetation consists of vines and palm trees. The majority of
household plants come from the rainforest. Rainforests cover less
then 2% of the land on the earth and house 50% of all life on the
planet.
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Forest Layers
Draw a line connecting the right definition with the terms.
Term
Canopy Layer
Definition
Has many different types of birds
Has many bats looking for food at night
Lowest of the three levels
Understory Layer
Highest of the three levels
Has tree roots and ferns
Forest Floor
Has trunks and small branches
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Forest Layers Answer Key
Draw a line connecting the right definition with the terms.
Term
Canopy Layer
Definition
Has many different types of birds
Has many bats looking for food at night
Lowest of the three levels
Understory Layer
Highest of the three levels
Has tree roots and ferns
Forest Floor
Has trunks and small branches
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Forest Types
Write the following tree characteristics in the following table.
Tree Characteristics
☺-40C-20C
☺300-900mm rainfall
☺Trees with needles (Evergreens)
☺-30C-30C
☺Palm trees
☺750-1,500mm rainfall
☺Trees with leaves
☺20-25C
☺2,000-10,000mm rainfall
CHARACTERISTICS
Temperature
Vegetation
Rain Fall
Coniferous
T
R
E
E
T
Y
P
E
S
Temperate
Deciduous
Rain Forest
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Forest Types Answer Key
Write the following tree characteristics in the following table.
Tree Characteristics
☺-40C-20C
☺300-900mm rainfall
☺Trees with needles (Evergreens)
☺-30C-30C
☺Palm trees
☺750-1,500mm rainfall
☺Trees with leaves
☺20-25C
☺2,000-10,000mm rainfall
CHARACTERISTICS
Temperature
Vegetation
Rain Fall
☺-40C-20C
☺Trees with
needles
(Evergreens)
☺300-900mm
rainfall
☺-30C-30C
☺Trees with
leaves
☺750-1,500mm
rainfall
☺20-25C
☺Palm trees
Coniferous
T
R
E
E
T
Y
P
E
S
Temperate
Deciduous
Rain Forest
☺2,00010,000mm rainfall
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Deciduous Forest
Wall Tree
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Rainforest
Wall Tree
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Coniferous Forest
Wall Tree
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Animals in the Forest
Write a short essay on the description of one animal from the list below.
a. What it may eat/drink?
b. What it may look like?
c. What forest it lives in?
d. Why it lives in that forest?
Beaver: The beaver is a strong swimmer and can swim up to 5
miles per hour. The beaver can swim underwater for up to 15
minutes. Beavers live in forests in North America and in parts
of Europe and Asia. Beavers do not hibernate over winter, but
they will stay in their lodge, where they have stored enough
food to last until spring. Beavers are herbivores (plant-eaters).
They eat tree bark, leaves, roots, twigs, and water plants.
Coniferous Forest
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Bears: Brown or Girzzly bears are large mammals that live in cool
mountain forests, meadows, and river valleys. Widespread in
the Northern Hemisphere, brown bears are found in North
America, Europe, and Asia. Although they sleep in dens (caves,
hollow logs, or holes they dig) during the winter, they are not
true hibernators and can be easily awakened. Brown bears have
a life span of about 25 years in the wild. Brown bears are
omnivores who eat plants, roots, berries, fungi, fish, small
mammals, and large insects.
Coniferous Forest
Raccoon: Raccoons are small, very adaptable mammals from
North and South America. They live in a variety of habitats,
including marshes and forests. Raccoons are omnivores; they
will eat almost anything, including frogs, crayfish, birds, mice
(and other small mammals), fruit, nuts, plants, crops, and
garbage. Raccoons find much of their food in water.
Temperate Deciduous Forest
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Porcupine: The North American Porcupine is a well-protected,
plant-eating rodent that spends much of its time in trees,
looking for food. They live in forests, deserts, and grasslands in
much of North America. North American Porcupines are
herbivores (plant-eaters) that eat leaves, bark, evergreen
needles, buds, twigs, fruit, and salt.
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Leopards: Leopards are widely-distributed wild cats that live in
rainforests, woodlands, plains, deserts, and shrubby areas.
They are found in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and
parts of China, India, Siberia, and Southeast Asia. Leopards
are a threatened species due to loss of habitat, loss of prey,
and over-hunting. These large cats are carnivores (meateaters). They hunt a wide range of mammals, reptiles, birds,
crabs, and fish.
Rain Forest
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Gorilla: Gorillas are predominantly herbivores, eating mostly
plant material. They forage for food in the forests during the
day. They eat leaves, fruit, seeds, tree bark, plant bulbs,
tender plant shoots, and flowers. They have been known to eat
various parts of over 200 different plant species. Occasionally,
gorillas supplement their diet with termites and ants. Gorillas
rarely drink water; the water contained in their diet is
apparently enough to sustain them. An average adult male eats
approximately 50 pounds of food a day. Gorillas live in tropical
rain forests (in the forest edges and clearings), wet lowland
forests, swamps, and abandoned fields.
Rain Forest
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UNDERSTORY
TEMPERATE
SHRUB
RAINFOREST
LITTER
HERB
FERN
DECIDUOUS
CONIFEROUS
CANOPY
Words
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Unique Forests Answer Key
UNDERSTORY
TEMPERATE
SHRUB
RAINFOREST
LITTER
HERB
FERN
DECIDUOUS
CONIFEROUS
CANOPY
Words