Re:
Learning about Rain Forests around the World
Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students
learn about rain forests around the world, using the Barro
Colorado biological reserve in the
Objectives:
Students will :
1. View and discuss a photographic slideshow of the Barro
Colorado rain forest reserve.
2. Learn about the initiative to study plots of rain forests, known as “earth
observatories,” around the world by reading and discussing “A Rain-Forest
Census Takes Shape, Tree by Tree.”
3. Research rain forests in countries around the world, and create interesting
visual presentations on their findings.
Activities:
1. WARM-UP: Locate The New York Times audio slideshow, “An Open-Air
Laboratory,” found online at http://www.nytimes.com/packages/khtml/2006/06/05/science/earth/20060606_TREE_FEATURE.html.
answer the following questions:
-Where is this rain forest study being connducted?
-What animal species can be found there?
2. As a class read and discuss the article “A Rain-Forest
Census Takes Shape, Tree by Tree” (http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20060607wednesday.html),
focusing on the following questions:
a. Why did scientists request the exclusive rights to the top of Barro
b. How many plots like it presently exist worldwide?
c. Who runs the study of these “earth observatories”?
d. Why have non-American scientists found it easier in recent years to travel
to meetings outside of the
e. What, according to the article, are some of the benefits of these research
plots?
f. How many life forms are being studied at Barro
g. What kinds of new technology have helped scientists in their efforts to
study rain forest plots?
h. What types of challenges and dangers do some scientists face while
conducting fieldwork, according to the article?
i. Who is Corneille E.N. Ewango, and how has he contributed to the field of rain
forest studies?
j. According to the article, what percentage of the planet’s plant and animal
species live in rain forests?
k. Which global region is considered to contain “the most diverse of all” rain
forests?
l. What percentage of the Earth consists of rain forest, and how is this
statistic changing, according to the article?
m. How does the rain forest study network plan to expand in the future?
Vocabulary:
audacious, reserve, to bar, inquiries, seedlings, scholarly, fate, ecologist,
arboretum, drought, theoretical, chance, adaptation, niche, regenerate,
base-line, terrain, incursions, poachers, personal digital assistants, global
positioning devices, DNA, trek, tallies, ocelots, idyllic, circumference,
buttress, chigger, insurgents, hydrological, fiber-optics, biodiversity, paleontological
3. Imagine that you are scientists who have been asked to present
information on rain forests from around the globe at an international
conference. As the article mentions, there are currently “earth observatories”
in
Select one of the countries mentioned above. Each student researches the
following information on its assigned country:
-a map of your country
-the location of rain forest in your counttry (indicated on the map)
-the name(s) used to designate this rain fforest territory
-the percentage of this country’s land covvered by rain forest
-the human population who inhabit the foreest including indigenous groups,
settlers, etc.
-three plant species indigenous (native) tto the rain forest
-three animal species indigenous to the raain forest
-a brief recent history of this forest andd its changes
-challenges or threats facing this forest (both natural, such as disease, and
human-made, such as pollution and deforestation)
-laws or efforts to preserve this forest bbiome
-two or three Web site links or print resoources that provide more information
on this forest
Using all available classroom resources, each student researches its assigned country’s rain forest, collecting visual evidence and statistical information as indicated. Suggested online resources include: Cal Tech’s “Where Are the Rainforests?”
(http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/where.html);
The Pachamama Alliance’s “Virtual Rainforest Tour” (http://www.pachamama.org/tour/index.htm);
and the Rainforest Alliance’s “Profiles in Sustainability” (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/profiles.cfm?id=main). Visual presentations may take the form of creative PowerPoint slides or movies depending on your preferences.
Evaluation
|
Warm-up |
Short response |
5 Points |
|
Questions |
Complete sentences a-m |
20 Points |
|
Vocabulary |
Selection of sentence in article, appropriate definition |
20 Points |
|
Summary |
Write a summary of the article, include five of the vocabulary terms |
15 Points |
|
Answer questions, include at least three pictures with editing from Photoshop, and a map. |
40 Points |