Layers of the Forest Diorama – F is for Forest Geography Project

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As part of our ongoing Geography Projects from A to Z series, we’ve reached the letter F—F is for Forest! For this hands-on geography project, we created a Layers of the Forest Diorama to help my kids visualize the different forest layers and the animals that inhabit each one.

This was such a fun activity to go along with our geography and science lessons. We also tied in nature study, read forest-themed books, and explored interactive websites to deepen our understanding. This is the kind of multi-subject learning we love!

If you’re following along with our series based on the book Geography from A to Z by Jack Knowlton, be sure to check out our past letter projects linked at the bottom of this post.

What Are the Layers of the Forest?

Forests are made up of multiple layers, each with its own plant and animal life. For our diorama, we learned about the five main layers:

1. Canopy – The upper layer formed by mature tree crowns that blocks most sunlight.

2. Understory – The layer just beneath the canopy, made up of smaller trees and shrubs.

3. Shrub Layer – Low woody plants and bushes that grow in filtered light.

4. Herb Layer – Grasses, ferns, and wildflowers grow in this layer close to the forest floor.

5. Soil Layer – Rich in decomposing leaves and organic matter, home to fungi, insects, and roots.

These projects are based on the book Geography from A to Z by Jack Knowlton. It’s a great, simple book for learning about different landforms.

How to Make a Forest Diorama

Materials Needed:

• Cardboard box or shoebox

• Green and blue paint or paper

• Brown construction paper

• Toilet paper and paper towel tubes

• Clay or modeling dough

• Scissors and glue (hot glue for heavier items)

• Construction paper, markers, and craft supplies

Steps:

Paint the Inside of the Box:
We painted the inside walls and bottom of a cardboard box green to mimic the forest and blue on the top flap for the sky.

Create the Forest Floor:
We glued brown paper to the bottom for the soil layer and added our tree trunks made from paper tubes.

Add the Layers:
We represented each layer using paper leaves, shrubs, and hanging vines to mimic the canopy and understory.

Create Forest Animals:
My kids loved making tiny forest animals and insects from clay. They also added birds to the canopy and worms and insects to the soil layer.

Final Touches:
We decorated the top flap with a paper sun and clouds and added labels to each layer for a visual science connection.

We found some great books to read about forests, too.

12 Forest Books for Kids

We always love tying great books into our lessons. Here are some of our favorite children’s books about forests, animals, and ecosystems:

This Tree Counts by Alison Formento
One Small Square- Woods by Donald Silver
Explore the Deciduous Forest by Linda Tagliaferro
A Walk in the Deciduous Forest by Rebecca L. Johnson
Over in the Forest: Come and Take a Peek by Marianne Berkes
Who Lives Here? Forest Animals by Deborah Hodge
The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward
Whose Tracks Are These? by Jim Nail
One Small Place In a Tree by Barbara Brenner
Around One Log by Anthony Fredricks
Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad by Joanna Cole
The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton Burgess (free on Kindle)
See my Learning Guide for this book.

See more Geography Projects from A to Z:

Explore the rest of our hands-on geography projects from A to Z:

Geography Nesting Cans
A is for Atoll & Archipelago
B is for Beach & Bay
C is for Continent
D is for Delta
E is for Edible Earth’s Core

Want More Nature-Inspired Learning?

Try these next:

• Tree Fractions Math Activity

• Summer Nature Study for Kids: Ideas for Exploring and Learning Outdoors
• Nature Study Notebooking Journal
• The Seeds We Eat- Nature Science