Rainforests are known for having extremely diverse ecosystems. Focus on some of the more interesting plants and animals to use in your hands-on activities. Gorillas, anacondas, toucans, red-eyed tree frogs and sloths are examples of animals you find in a rainforest. Have students create masks of the different animals, then do a class skit. Act out what happens in the rainforest ecosystm. Then remove one species and act out what would happen to the ecosystem. This teaches students how an ecosystem relies on other species for survival. Use jungle music to enhance the activity. Carnivorous plants of the rainforest usually gain students' interest very quickly. You can always keep a carnivorous plant in the classroom and require students to record their observations once a week.
The animals and plants found in the water are quite different from the ones you find on dry land. Students will learn this quickly as they explore the ecosystem. Set up centers in the classroom for students to rotate through. Each center should have a short reading passage, pictures and a blank journal entry log. As a group, the students read the passage, look at the pictures and write what they learned and any questions they still have. Take it a step further by giving each group arts and craft materials so they can create the plants and animals in that particular center. Any material works: feathers, pipe cleaners, sequins and glitter are some examples of easy to find materials. Don't forget to have students title their artwork.
The plants and animals of the forest ecosystem have their own special characteristics. Encourage students to find out more about them by sending them on a web scavenger hunt. Assign each student a plant or animal to research. Give them a list of specific things to find out about each organism. After they have conducted their research, put them into groups and have them present their findings to the other students. Each student should get a turn to present his or her findings.
It's easy for students to get interested in the desert ecosystem. Lizards, snakes, cactus plants, coyotes, road runners and jack rabbits are some examples of life forms found in the desert. Keep a class pet, such as a lizard or an ant farm, for students to observe on a daily basis. Other activities could include: making colored sand, drawing a food chain or dissecting a cactus leaf. (Be cautious when touching the cactus leaf.) If you have free time, a few episodes of "Wily Coyote and the Road Runner" from Merry Melodies should get a few laughs from the class.