Decide on the approximate length of the rainforest lesson. A one- or two-week lesson plan will enable you to explore the topic in-depth.
Write an outline for the various topics that you want to teach the students. A rainforest lesson plan should include information about the characteristics of the rainforest and its ecosystem; the location of the world's rainforests; the plants and animals of the rainforest; why rainforests are important; and human impact on the rainforests. Focus on one theme per class meeting. If you're planning a one-week lesson, you'll need five topics, or one per day.
Find a book about the rainforest. Many science and social studies textbooks will include a rainforest section. Divide the readings into five sections for a week's worth of reading assignments.
Write a lesson objective for each class meeting. These are generally based on the reading assignments. If you assigned the students to read about the rainforest's ecosystem, the following day's lesson objective should be to teach about that ecosystem.
Write our your lesson plans, one for each class meeting. The first class lecture should include an overview of the entire lesson. The information presented at each class meeting should match the previous evening's reading assignment. Therefore, if the Monday evening reading assignment deals with the characteristics of the rainforest, Tuesday's class lecture should focus on rainforest characteristics. Write out the points that you want to discuss during each lecture. These points should guide you as you work toward the day's lesson objective.
Develop the final test questions or guidelines for the students' final project assignment for the rainforest lesson. Assign a report, presentation, diorama or another final project that will enable the students to use their knowledge about the rainforest.