The Great Kapok Tree

A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest

written by Lynne Cherry

These activities are intended for 5-6th graders

and were created by Julie Hamm

Book Summary:

In the Amazon rainforest, a man is on a mission to chop down a tree. However, he becomes quite tired after a few cracks with the ax and lays down to take a nap. During his nap, the different animals from the different layers of the rain forest come to whisper in his ear the importance of the trees in the rainforest. He awakes and looks around, staring at all the animals that surround him as he makes an important decision that will not only affect his life, but the lives of many others as well.

           About the Author/Illustrator:

Lynne Cherry actually traveled to the Amazon Rain Forest to do research and create sketches for this book. She has always been a nature lover and feels that when she is in nature her imagination is truly working. Among the awards she has won for her books include new York Academy of Science Annual Children's Book Award, National Science Teacher's Association Award, and the new Jersey Institute of Technology Award for Outstanding Children's Book Illustration. Her goal is to remind readers of the beauty of nature and how rapidly nature is being destroyed. She believes that one individual can make a difference in the world and this is one reason why she wrote the book you are reading today!                                                                    

Complete the following list of activities

IN THE ORDER THEY ARE LISTED!

Before Reading:

- Activity One:

Print out this K-W-L chart and fill out what you already know and what you want to know about rainforests. Leave the L (what you have learned column) blank.

- Activity Two:

Check out THIS WEBSITE to learn more about Kapok Trees. Write down 3 interesting facts you learned in the L column of the K-W-L chart.

- Activity Three:

Print off this worksheet. Look at this website to learn more about the layers of the rainforest.  After you have completed the worksheet. You may play this online game to quiz yourself.

While Reading:

- Activity One:

Print off this this vocabulary sheet and use the clues the author gives you to figure out what the different verbs mean. When you are finished, check your answers using this online dictionary. If your answers were not correct, add in the correct definition. Do not erase your original answer!

- Activity two:

Pay special attention to the illustrations. Look carefully to find animals that might be camouflaged. Keep a list of the animals you think were the hardest to find on each page on the back of your vocabulary sheet. Explain characteristics of the animals that made them hard to find.

- Challenge:

The author stated that no one had noticed the jaguar because "his spotted coat blended into the dappled light and shadows of the understory." The jaguar was hiding on two previous pages before this. Did you find him? If so, where was he? Write the answer on the back of your vocabulary sheet.

After Reading:  

- Activity One:

Open up Microsoft Word and type a journal entry from the man's point of view about what happened to him that day in the rain forest. Be specific! Your journal entry should be 1 page double spaced. Be sure to proofread your journal. It might be helpful to ask a classmate to proofread it too! Print your essay ONLY AFTER IT HAS BEEN PROOF READ!

- Activity Two:

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Visit this website and think about some of the items that are made from different resources in the rainforest. Could you live without these items? Should we continue to cut down trees or should we work on preserving the rainforest? Open up Microsoft Word and type a 2 page (double spaced) essay describing your opinions about cutting down the rainforest. Should we continue to cut down trees or should we work on preserving the rainforest. Before you start, think about your needs and the needs of the animals in the rain forest. Reread parts of the story if necessary.  Your opinion does not matter as long as your answer is justified! Be sure to proofread your essay. It might be helpful to ask as classmate to proofread it too! Print your essay ONLY AFTER IT HAS BEEN PROOF READ.

Now that you are finished, print off this rubric that will be used to grade your work.

Staple all your papers together and put them on the back table.

DO NOT FORGET TO PUT YOUR NAME ON ALL PAGES!

LOOK OVER THE RUBRIC AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COMPLETED ALL ACTIVITIES!

Other cool Sites and Activities To Explore:

Fun and Games                            Canoe through the Amazon                  

Photos                                        Sounds of the Rainforest

(Don't forget to use headphones!)

Help Save the Rainforest            Where are the Rainforests?  

Credits:

*Layers of the rainforest worksheet came from www.enchantedlearning.com

* Clip art obtained from www.clipartguide.com, www.enchantedlearning.com

and http://www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_002.htm