Rainforest Kapok Tree Cindy Lippincott, Miriam Morris Private School, Trenton, NJ Grade Level: Jr. Kindergarten

Purpose: To show the layers of the rainforest and the animals that inhabit each layer.

We start with a brown paper tree that extends above the bulletin board to the ceiling. We begin by reading the book "The Kapok Tree" and add the leaves and flowers. As we discuss a part of the rainforest we add-on more items to the tree; birds, frogs, snakes, monkeys, etc. The children made the Macaws out of five hand tracings for the wings and tail and a foot tracing for the body. The children made the monkeys by tracing a pattern we made and cutting, gluing the parts together using pipe cleaners for the tail and arms. We have pre-cut felt for the frogs and the children glue on the four legs and the wiggly eyes. I made the Toucan, Sloth, Boa and the leaves, which are used over and over again. The children love watching this bulletin board "grow" and they point out their birds, frogs and monkeys to their parents.