It's a Jungle in Here!

Pool in the El Yunque rain forest Puerto Rico. Giant tree ferns

courtesy:www.elyunque.com

Student Resources Teacher Notes

Research
Process

Activities

  Scenario

A healthy rainforest!

Community members watch an excavator tear down and dig a drainage canal in one of the last areas of natural forest remaining in the buffer zone of Tanjung Puting

 A rainforest destroyed!

The rainforest plays an important role in our everyday life here on Earth! Rainforests are located in a belt around the equator and provide habitats for 50-90% of all the plants and animals on Earth. Millions of people depend on these resources that the rainforest provides, such as food, animals and medicine.

The destruction of the rainforests is a major world-wide problem.  Every second, a section of rainforest, about the size of a football field, is being destroyed.

Should we be concerned?

Essential Question: How does the destruction of the world's rainforests affect our everyday lives?

 

Task and Product

 

 

 

 

 

 As responsible members of the planet Earth, we have been asked to join in the efforts to help stop the destruction of the rainforests!

Step

You and your group members will research and read about the rainforest.  Use the links provided below to do an informational search about rainforests.  Complete the chart to organize your findings.

Zoom Rainforests Web Site

Kid's Corner Web Site

Step

You and your group members will research and read about one of the three causes (listed below) of rainforest destruction.

1.  Logging (timber)             2. Farming                  3.Mining

 

You will gather the information on one cause and organize your research on an Inspiration Web.

Step

It is important to learn how the members of your family use resources from the rainforest.  If you are going be successful changing the habits of the world, it's always a good idea to start close to home. Complete a rainforest survey of your home. Use this information to assist your work through this project.

Rainforest Products Web Site

Step

You and your group members will research and read about some activities that you can do to stop rainforest destruction.

What Can I Do?

After you have explored the various activities above, pick one idea your group would like to use to create an informational poster using Kid Pix showing how one person can help save the rainforest.

Final Project:

All of these steps will help you prepare for your final product - a Power Point presentation containing the products your group created above.  Here is a planning checklist for you and your group to use when planning your group work.

 

Assessments

 

 You will be graded on these activities using the following assessments:

Click here to see the scoring tool for your research chart.

Click here to see the scoring tool for your web.

Click here to see the scoring tool for your survey.

Click here to see the scoring tool for your Kidpix poster.

Click here to see the scoring tool for your multimedia presentation.

 

Question

 

 


 

  

Essential Question: How does the destruction of the world's rainforests affect our everyday lives?

 

Here are some additional questions you will want to think about as you research about rainforest destruction.

What have you learned about rainforests?
What products from the rainforest do you use in your everyday life?
Which of these products are non-renewable resources?
How does removing these resources affect the animals and plants?
What changes could you make in your life to help save rainforests?
What could you do to change the habits of others to stop the destruction of rainforests?

 

Gather and Sort

 

 You will now begin your research by gathering, reading, sifting, and sorting information to present to your classmates about ways to stop the destruction of the rainforests.
Use the Automated Catalog to locate books in the library about rainforests.
You may want to use the online encyclopedia to gather additional information about rainforests.
Web Links-Student Resource Page

Don't forget to use your research chart, Inspiration Web, rainforest survey and  KidPix poster to help organize your Power Point presentation.

 

Organize

 

 Now that you have gathered all your information. Check to see if you have enough information. If you need more data to fill in your chart, then, go back and revise a question or create new questions to complete the chart.
Do you have the information to answer these questions?
What have you learned about rainforest destruction?
What can you suggest be done to change the way you and your family use resources from the rainforests?
How can you change the behavior of others to prevent this problem from getting worse?

Use your research chart, Inspiration Web, Rainforest Survey  and  KidPix poster to help organize your Power Point presentation. In other words, you will take your pieces of research and survey information and create a whole new product to show what you have learned about rainforest destruction and its effects on your everyday life!

 

Conclusion

 

 Getting ready for your presentation is hard work, here are some things to think about:

Decide in your group who will be responsible for

Gathering information from all group members
Organizing the group information into similar categories (refer to your planning chart)
Creating each product
Use of the technology
Editing
Checking the final product
Remember to check the assessment for your product.

Time to look back and reflect about what you have learned!
Now that you have shared what you have learned about rainforest destruction and what might be done to save the rainforests, write a letter to your local newspaper informing your community of ways it can help save the rainforests. Be sure to include the causes for destruction, the valuable resources we use from the rainforest, changes that can be made, and why it is so important for everyone to help! 

 

Last update: July, 2004
Created by Carol Brooks and Karolyn Mason

BCPS Research Module, Copyright 2004, Baltimore County Public Schools, MD, all rights reserved. This Research Module may be used for educational, non-profit school use only. All other uses, transmissions, and duplications are prohibited unless permission is granted expressly.

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