Respect · Activity

The Maya Forest is Our Home

1st & 2nd Grade

Activity:  Students will sit inside a rope that symbolizes their jungle habitat. They will imagine that they are howler monkeys and toucans. Inside the rope on the floor are pieces of paper with food items drawn on them. Two or three students are designated as loggers. When a signal is given to the loggers, “Cut down the trees,” the loggers make a buzzing sound and chopping gestures. The size of the circle made by the rope is reduced and some of the food items are removed. This is repeated until there is very little room left for the students to sit and almost all the food items are gone. The activity concludes with a discussion about what happens when a habitat is removed. Key point: It is much more difficult for the animals to survive and they may have to risk leaving their home in search of another.   Materials needed: A large space in the classroom or on the playground, a large rope, big enough so that when it makes a circle on the floor, all students can fit inside (seated), 50 paper circles, drawing materials; a large blank poster board entitled: “Let’s show respect for our natural world”   Directions: Explain: “This activity will demonstrate what happens when forests are logged with no concern for those that live there. We will begin by making some typical food items that howler monkeys and toucans eat.”    Students prepare materials for the activity (5 - 8 minutes) by drawing various food items on circles of paper around 5 inches in circumference. Students are provided with a list of 5 food items and 5 pieces of paper, one food item per paper, a total of around 50 pieces. The items are the following (food that howler monkeys and toucans eat): bananas, leaves, flowers, insects, and nuts. These materials will be used in the activity.    Designate two students as loggers, and ask the rest to imagine they are toucans and howler monkeys. “Sit down inside the rope circle and place your food items on the floor next to you. I will let you know when the loggers come to chop down trees. Your habitat will become smaller and smaller, and your food supply will diminish.” Give a signal to the loggers, who make a buzzing sound along with chopping gestures. Reduce the rope and remove some of the food. This is repeated until the students have very little space left and there are no more food items. Students return to their desks. Conclude the activity with a review about what happened.   
  1. In the drama we just enacted, what happened to your habitat, toucans and howler monkeys? 
  2. Loggers, why were you cutting down the trees? 
  3. The Maya forest provides not only food, but other essentials for the animals that live there. What are they?  
  4. Do you think it’s a good idea to allow the loggers to remove as many trees as they want in the Maya forest? Why or why not?
  5. Do you think the animals that live in the forest could survive if they didn’t have enough trees? Why or why not? 
  Wrap it up: Explain: respect is a very important virtue. In this lesson, you learned about the need to show respect for nature, especially how animals need us to protect their habitats. Encourage students to look for opportunities to show respect for the earth and all the plants and animals on it. Post a blank poster board and explain that this is where students can make suggestions whenever they find organizations that are helping take care of the environment. For homework, each student must find at least one to record here. Remind them to include contact information so others can find out more. 
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