Teacher Guide and Copymaster Discussion Questions for the All in a
Rainforest Day Book
Scaffolded questions for verbal discussion or activities (Students may want to
present their answers and evidence in groups or individually.)
Can you find evidence in the book of how animals can use teamwork to stay
safe?
What does the word “predator” on page 9 mean? What words on the page help
you figure this out?
Look carefully at the lizard on page 9. Does it have any body parts you think it
could use to protect itself? Explain.
Look at the gecko and frog on pages 14 and 15. What is different about the ways
each protects itself? Explain.
Compare the plants on pages 20 and 23. How are they similar? How are they
different?
Animals need resting places. Choose an animal you saw in the book. Tell what
layer of the forest you think that animal might sleep in and why.
Further discussions
Why do animals need to protect themselves in the rainforest? What dangers do
they all face?
A very old and large tree dies and then falls to the forest floor. What effect could
that have in the forest?
Draw a diagram of the parts of a plant. Explain what each part does.
Vines in the rainforest can be thick and large. Vines often grow on trees in the
rainforest. Do you think this helps or harms trees? Why?
Suggested definition of the concept of adaptation:
“The plants and animals shown in the book are used to living in the
rainforest. Plants can change a little bit every time new plants grow. Animals can
change a little bit every time new animals are born. This is called adaptation.
Animals and plants can change over time in ways that help them survive better in
the places where they live.”
©2016 EdTechLens
All in a Rainforest Day Teacher Guide
Quick summary
All in a Rainforest Day uses factual text and authentic photographs to
show plants and animals of the rainforest throughout a day from morning to night.
The enclosed student worksheet, diagram of the rainforest layers, and the
discussion questions found below may be used to follow up a reading of the book.
Instructional Approaches
• In a class or group activity, the book may be read aloud by a teacher or
by students before drawing out student responses in writing and/or discussion.
• In a reading group setting, self-reliant readers may read the book on their
own before answering the written and verbal questions. (see vocabulary
suggestion below)
• Divide students into appropriate small groups and ask them to explore
the questions using a think-share-pair approach, followed up by a whole class
share. (More on think-pair-share: https://www.teachervision.com/groupwork/cooperative-learning/48547.html)
• All in a Rainforest Day appeals to students’ curiosity about wildlife and
exotic habitat so is a good candidate for a close reading approach. The questions
can be spread out over several days so students acquire deeper knowledge of
the rainforest system as opposed to a wide knowledge.
(More on close reading: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/commoncore-close-reading-0)
• Because the rainforest is an easily-understood ecosystem for young
learners, the book can foster systems thinking, an important Crosscutting
Concept in NGSS. (More on systems thinking and its connections to learning
standards: http://watersfoundation.org/systems-thinking/standards/)
Student Responses
Before reading the book, you may want to elicit prior knowledge about
rainforests. You may want to introduce new vocabulary first or, instead, have
students use context clues to help define the new words during the reading.
After reading the book, students can talk about what they see in the
photos. The striking and realistic photographs offer rich opportunities for students
to develop visual literacy skills and to use observed details in evidence-based
critical-thinking responses.
©2016 EdTechLens
When working with pre-writers, the questions on the Student Worksheet
can be discussed rather than written, or else teachers can write with students.
Early writers may benefit from a Word Bank to help them answer written
questions. Confident writers can be asked to explain their answers on the
Student Worksheet.
The Discussion Questions can be used as a formative assessment as well
as a jumping off point for encouraging open-ended student responses.
Vocabulary
You may choose to prep self-reliant readers on the vocabulary they will
encounter. Most of the words are illustrated on the pages where they appear.
katydid
egret
predators
emergent layer
gecko
toucan
canopy
understory
tapir
orangutan
forest floor
Four of the words above refer to the rainforest layers and these words are
also used in some of the worksheet questions. A definition of the rainforest layers
may also be found on page 32 and it may be helpful to review these definitions
during a reading of the book.
Diagram:
Two versions of a copymaster diagram that describes the layers is found
at the links below, should you choose to project the chart during a lesson or
make individual copies for students.
• Black & White Layers Diagram:
https://www.edtechlens.com/sites/default/files/diagram-of-rainforest-layers-blackand-white-8.5X11.pdf
• Color Layers Diagram:
https://www.edtechlens.com/sites/default/files/diagram-of-rainforest-layers-color11X17.jpg
Image Bank: Suggested words for early writers:
water; light;
teamwork;
hiding;
poison;
sharp;
predator; smells; prickly
body parts;
Image bank words for students’ local habitat should be determined in a
discussion with the group.
©2016 EdTechLens