First graders at The Summit celebrated Earth Day in several ways. Joining with second and fifth grade, we headed outdoors to enjoy the beautiful weather and participate in a neighborhood trash walk. After working to clean up our community, we headed back to the classroom to share books about the rainforest and discuss the importance of rainforests to our planet.
Students have discovered rainforests are warm, dense, and wet habitats that are home to millions of plants and animals. They have learned the rainforest is comprised of four layers: the forest floor, the understory, the canopy, and the emergent layer. Puzzles, habitat mats, memory matching, artwork activities, and projects have provided students with the opportunity to discover the plants and animals present in each layer.