Informational Writing

# All About Tropical Rainforests *Grades 3-5, 8-11* **Exploring the structure, climate and biodiversity of tropical rainforests, students apply what they learn in a nonfiction writing task.** This collection examines tropical rainforests worldwide, with a particular focus on the Amazon basin in Peru and the Indigenous communities that call it home. Use these resources to support a nonfiction writing project that highlights rainforest ecosystems, structure, and the rich biodiversity found within them. ## Key Learning Outcomes: 1. Recall relevant information about the rainforest ecosystem 2. Organize information and evidence about a rainforest region into a clear structure, focusing on a specific topic, such as plants or animals 3. Produce a short informational text about one of the world's tropical rainforest regions using key facts and evidence ## How to Use This Playlist: This playlist includes a range of resources to help students gather key facts for an informative writing task about tropical rainforests. Here are some suggestions on how to use the resources: ***Future Forests Explorable Scene*** – This **new** explorable scene places students in the center of a tropical rainforest where they can explore plants, animals and communities. Use this experience to gather detailed information to support their text. - [Future Forests](https://edvr.se/Y0G-SjV-4lc/av-scene-future-forest-01) ***Tropical Rainforest Animals 3D Models*** - Guide students to examine 3D models of rainforest animals and plants and use them to enhance description in their nonfiction writing. For example, students can describe the poison dart frog's bright coloring and explain how it deters predators. - Jaguar - Poison Dart Frog - Capuchin Monkey (Animated) - Rubber Tree - Anaconda on Tree (Animated) - Toucan - Kapok Tree - Sloth and Baby in Tree (Animated) ***Writing Stimulus 360° Images*** - Support literacy development by encouraging students to record their observations, using the images as inspiration for their informational writing. - Rainforest in the Philippines - A Monkey on a Tree Branch in a Rainforest - Tropical Waterfall in Sri Lanka - Trees by the Lake and Swamp. Sri Lanka - Cerrito Bongo Indigenous Reservation ***Tropical Rainforest Thinglink Fact File Image*** - For Thinglink users, this 360° image shows how students can use Thinglink to prepare and present their informational texts. - [Fact File](https://www.thinglink.com/view/scene/1984281892328833892) ***Explore Sloths in the Tropical Rainforest – WildFacts 360° Videos*** - Discover the interdependence between sloths, moths and algae. Students can use WildFacts as evidence in their informational texts, for example, to illustrate that ecosystems can also exist on a microscopic scale or to discuss interdependence within the tropical rainforest ecosystem. For MFL learners, there is also a version narrated in French. **You will need an Eduverse+ subscription to access this resource.**