The four layers of the rainforest

Science · Rainforests · ages 5-7

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which layer is the thick, leafy roof where most animals live?
- Understory
- Canopy
- Forest floor
Which layer is on the very bottom of the rainforest?
- Canopy
- Forest floor
- Emergent layer
The forest floor is dark and damp.
Circle one: True False
Going up from the forest floor, which layer comes right after it?
- Understory
- Canopy
- Emergent layer
Which layer is the tallest, poking above the canopy into bright sun?
- Emergent layer
- Understory
- Forest floor
Why do most animals live in the canopy?
- It has lots of food and light
- It is the coldest layer
- It is closest to the ground
A leaf falls from an emergent tree all the way down. Which layer does it land on?
- Canopy
- Understory
- Forest floor
Mia says the understory is shady but very sunny too. What did she get wrong?
- The understory is shady, not sunny
- The understory is not part of the rainforest
- The understory is the tallest layer

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Canopy · The canopy is like a roof of treetops. Most animals live there.
Forest floor · The forest floor is the lowest layer, right on the ground.
True · Not much sunlight reaches the forest floor, so it stays dark and damp.
Understory · Going up from the ground: forest floor, then understory, then canopy, then emergent.
Emergent layer · Emergent trees are the tallest. They rise above the canopy into full sunlight.
It has lots of food and light · The canopy has plenty of leaves, fruit, and sunlight for animals to use.
Forest floor · The leaf falls past every layer and lands on the forest floor, the lowest one.
The understory is shady, not sunny · The understory sits in shade under the canopy. It is not sunny.