Remember the Rainforest : You are the Explorer
Topic outline
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Intro to Ecology and Environment
While developing knowledge and talent for life in Space, EIS strongly endorses the preservation, celebration and renewal of our Earth.
Choose one or all of these introductory resources before doing the You are the Explorer lesson which follows them. We welcome your suggestions in our Educators Forum.-
Forum
Here is where you can leave comments about the rainforest and the Earth.
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This is a must-see video for grades 3-12. It shows images of the Earth from space through 7 different spectrums of light, each one revealing astonishing truths about the condition of the Earth.This is a perfect lead-in to all Ecology lessons because it shows the "big picture"and helps the students draw some important conclusions that will inspire interest, concern and hopefully, activism for the environment. It would be best to watch this 2 hour video in 2-3 sessions.
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https://pbs39.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/earth-system-science/#.Wh_slK2ZOlF
Click above for resources. Click below for worksheets.
nova earth from space worksheetNOVA's Earth system science collection highlights important Earth processes normally invisible to the human eye. The standards-based media resources expose the intricate web of forces that sustain life on Earth, allowing educators to explore the astonishing beauty and complexity of our dynamic planet with their students.
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Raise Awareness and Eco IQ
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Before you start, watch this this slide show for a site preview.
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Click on the link above to view an animated slide show of the 59 etchings from the Martius-Spix expedition to Brazil. The etchings were created by Karl von Martius, expedition leader. They were digitally colored on Photoshop by Carol Miranda Chor and Alberto Chor. These etchings display the various regions and habitats of Brazil.
When the explorers visited the rainforest in 1817, there were no cameras to take pictures of the beautiful scenery. In those days it was important to practice drawing and painting, so you could remember and pass along what you had seen… and being true scientists, the explorers recorded all of the details of the scenery that they illustrated...the plants, animals and people. The Expedition Etchings will raise your Eco awareness. If a picture is worth a thousand words, think what these thousands of images will teach you !
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NASA"s Landsat photos of tropical rainforests from 1970 to 2012 show the patterns of deforestation that is destroying habitats all over the Earth. Does the land today display the lush, oxygen rich abundance of the rainforest etchings from the Martius-Spix expedition 1817-1820 ?
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Earth is constantly changing. Some changes are a natural part of the climate system, such as the seasonal expansion and contraction of the Arctic sea ice pack. The responsibility for other changes, such as the Antarctic ozone hole, falls squarely on humanity’s shoulders. Our World of Change series documents how our planet’s land, oceans, atmosphere, and Sun are changing over time.
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Lesson : You are the Explorer
Today, you will become explorers. You will follow the path of the old explorers, make your own map, create a travel planner, and record all you have learned in your journal. Download pictures of the people, plants and animals to illustrate your story.
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Click on Expedition Text to read the journals of the Martius-Spix expedition to Brazil, 1817-1820.
You will be traveling between Lorena and S. Jose in the province of S. Paulo, Brazil. You will begin your trip on page 302 of volume1, Travels in Brazil by Karl von Martius, 1820. Follow the explorers using the Expedition Text.
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If you are a really brave explorer, you may want to choose your own route from the Table of Contents of the Expedition Text.
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How will you survive in the dangers of the rainforest ? Create a Travel Planner and compare your supplies with the weapons and utensils used by the natives in 1820. The explorers had to plan their trip carefully to make sure they had all the supplies they needed on their long journey.
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The explorers recorded all of the details of their trip by writing in their journals everyday. They wrote about the weather, described the people and places they visited, drew and described the plants and animals of the different parts of the land. They visited the ancient forest, the riverbanks, the seashore, the grasslands, the mountains, the dry lands that are practically desert and the land where the rainforest had been chopped down and burned. The explorers knew that it was wrong to waste all those trees because trees give off oxygen and oxygen is what we breathe.
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Fill in your point of departure, destination and other facts about your journey.
Download pictures of the people, plants and animals to illustrate your story. Imagine and write about your experiences along the way. Be creative and make your journal as interesting as possible ! Like, did you encounter the Mega trees or get lost in the Mangrove swamp ?
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Being true scientists, the explorers recorded in their journals the name of each city, town and village that they passed through. Then they marked their route on their expedition maps.
Use the Map worksheet to mark your route in red or create your own map. (Ask the Art teacher how to use a grid to enlarge the map or learn how to enlarge on the printer.)
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Copy this map to enlarge so you can fill in the missing towns, villages, mountains and rivers that are mentioned in the Expedition Text.
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For extra activities, use the Easy word search, Advanced word search, and coloring sheets from Remember the Rainforest 2.
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Remember the Rainforest 2 is an Eco coloring book that teaches basic Eco concepts. It is the story of students lost in the rainforest looking for Green Girl's Eco Club. There are suggested readings for older students. RTR2 poses the question, "Why be a Tree Killer when you can be an Eco SuperHero?"
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