Rainforest Cafe Field Trip

After the Rainforest Unit that we (the third grade teachers) taught at school, we took the kids on a field trip to the Rainforest Cafe.  We did the same thing last year, and there was quite a bit of time between the hour at which we were finished eating, and the hour at which the bus came to pick us up.  So this year, I designed some activities to keep the students busy so they wouldn't tear down the rainforest enhance our learning experience.

One activity was a simple chart the students had to fill out.  They locate as many animals as they could among the Rainforest Cafe's decorations, write down the animal's name, colors, type, and in which layer the animal is located (forest floor, understory, etc...)  You probably need to have the kids bring a clip board for this activity.  I had them bring their whiteboard slates that we use for spelling practice and math activities and gave each child a large binder clip, and viola!  A clipboard!

Download the Chart (Microsoft Word Needed for this one)

Here are some of the kids using the chart:

The other activity, which we ended up doing outside due to the Rainforest Cafe kicking us out of our seats because they needed the space, was the Rainforest food web.  You need to take yarn and roll it onto a ball ahead of time.  Print the rainforest script.  I also printed pictures of each animal and plant and glued it to a card.  Then, using a clothespin, I attached the animal and plant cards to the children.  Then we read the script and as you get to each plant of animal, you unroll part of the yarn ball and have the students hold onto it.  I read the script and pause and let the children read the underlined words.  We do this all the time as way to check for the students following along with any reading.

When you are done, you have what looks like a spider web.  Here is where you teach about conservation.  I talk about how all the animals and plants in the rainforest are connected, and depend on each other, and must remain in balance- not too many nor too few of any species.  Then I choose one animal or plant (child who is holding the string) and have him or her give 2 gentle tugs on the string.  anyone who felt that tug, gives 2 short tugs, anyone who felt that tug gives 2 short tugs until the whole web has been affected.  Then I talk again about balance and how all lives in the ecosystem affects the others. 

It's great fun, and people who were walking by the Rainforest Cafe downtown were very impressed with this lesson, and were stopping to observe.  I felt like super teacher.  Ha ha.