Freeport Public Schools

During the month of January, students in Ms. Megan Reiss’ second grade class at Archer Street School expanded their knowledge about the Amazon Rainforest. From their reading lessons and learning more about the species of animals and plants that live there, the students were eager to learn more.

“I was excited the class was so intrigued, and happy to teach them more about the Amazon Rainforest because it is such a vital part of the environment,” said Ms. Reiss. “To harness their interest, we decided to construct a rainforest diorama.”

During a two-week lesson, students learned about the tropical habitat as they brought their diorama of the Amazon to life. Students created the four layers of the rainforest - the emergent layer, to dense canopy, understory and forest floor using recycled materials and modeling clay. Each layer took several days to construct with the students working together on the different elements.

The lesson culminated with the presentation of their diorama to classroom guests including Archer Street Principal Ms. Paula Lein and Assistant Principal Ms. Judy Freidman.