The Latin America Classroom Package

After reading Part 1 of the poem, have students circle rhyming pairs and underline instances of alliteration. What words are repeated at the beginning of some of the lines which also add to the rhythmic effect? Once they're on the beat, have students put squares around each animal they find in the poem. Then have students choose and research one of these or another rain forest animal. Ask students, "What rhythmic patterns does your animal follow in its every day life?" In other words, "What behaviors does it repeat over and over?" Also ask, "What variations might occur in these patterns?" Next, have students choose two to six action words that represent some of these behaviors. Then make up poems by having students create a pattern of repeating the words which matches the order and frequency that the animal might do them. For example:

Monkey

swing, swing,
munch, munch,
yawn, stretch, groom
swing, swing
munch, munch
yawn, stretch, groom
take a break to play
enjoy the beautiful day
swing, swing
munch, munch
yawn, stretch, groom

Add a beat, a melody, some masks and a few rain forest props, and you'll have instant material
for a musical rain forest adventure right in your classroom.

Amazon Rain Forest	The Galapagos Islands
Where to Begin	Where to Begin: Introductory Social Studies and Math Activities
Related Activities and Lessons	Links to the Best Galapagos Islands Web Sites on the Internet
Reading Fun	Spanish-English Animal Cognates
Other Fun Stuff	Additional Classroom Resources
Links and Resources