vol 3
February 1998
Swing by and explore our rain forest resources
By Harmony Vanhille
Need ideas for a
unit on rain forests? Need some
visuals to make learning come alive? Look no
further!
The study of rain forests has become increasingly
popular in the last decade, and offers endless
possibilities for creating a meaningful integrated
unit.
Geography, ecology, biology, economics, math,
and just about any other subject can easily be
linked to some aspect of life in the rain forest. As
a current environmental concern, and with so
many exotic animals and plants to study, it has
become a popular theme in schools.
Turn your classroom into a forest with our
collection of posters of the various kinds of rain
forests worldwide, which display the variety of life
found in them. “Let’s Create a Rain Forest” is an
interactive bulletin board set which compares life
found on the four layers of this habitat. These
layers are also illustrated in “Rain Forest
Layers,” a giant shaped floor puzzle, which is
4 feet long when completed. Another bulletin
board idea might include “Endangered Rain
Forests”, a collection of cutouts of 14
endangered rain forest species. Integrated
activities can be found in The Rain Forest, a
new theme unit guide. Ideas for songs,
creative writing, and patterns for art projects
are included in this helpful resource. Sample Destination: Rain Forest,
a new software program which will help you to combine language arts and
science through interactive stories.
A summary of the best rain forest resources in the library collection can
be found in the new rain forest pathfinder.
Learning Plus: A Praxis Practice
Taking tests is a nerve-racking part of becoming a certified teacher, but
the Curriculum Library can help you to prepare. Learning Plus is a program
which allows you to practice taking for the PPST by offering sample questions
in the core subject areas. Use of the program is unlimited with the purchase
of a Learning Plus card in the BYU-Hawaii bookstore for $25. Show your card
at the Education Curriculum Library and workers will assign you a password
and get you started on the program. Strengths and weaknesses will be assessed
by the program to identify which areas should be studied prior to the real
test date. Yvonne Hernandez is the Curriculum Library’s Learning Plus expert
who is available on weekday mornings to offer extra assistance.
break, library staff members were once
again rearranging the Educational
Curriculum Library collection. The walls
of the Education Curriculum Library
were stretched to create more shelf
space for additional teaching resources.
Several new materials have been added,
including two 1996-1997 yearbooks for
The Mailbox , an excellent periodical for
teaching ideas. These books contain
sections for bulletin boards, unit plans,
etc. as well as an index for articles listed
according to topic.
Need to teach a science unit on atoms? The Atom: Building Block
of Nature, is a science activity book to teach grades
5-8 about this important science concept. For the fine arts area, Kids
Make Music is a great resource to help teachers introduce music
concepts without instruments. EcoArt is an art idea book
offering countless creative uses for household items and trash. Make birdfeeders,
vases, dollhouses, and much, much more!
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Make your own crossword puzzles!
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Across:
1. The term for logging, which is a major threat to the world’s rain forests. 9. An olive green snake which is the largest snake in the Western Hemisphere and is found in South America. 10. A shaggy animal which hangs upside down from tree branches. 12. The brilliant green and red bird which is the national symbol of Guatemala. |
Down: 2. A tropical plant with the largest flowers on earth–some weighing more than 20 pounds! 3. A pig-like animal that is related to the rhinoceros and the horse, and roams on the rain forest floor. 4. A bird with a large, colorful bill and black feathers. 5. The part of the forest where most of the trees are found which shade the jungle floor. 6. A large snake which squeezes his prey to death. 7. The layer of rain forest where most vines are found, under the main layer of trees. 8. A kind of tropical plant which is related to the pineapple family which often grows on the trunks and branches of trees. 11. A kind of bean grown in rain forests which is a major export for Latin American countries. |
| Answers:(Across)1. deforestation 9. anaconda 10. sloth 12. quetzal 13. ocelot (Down)2. rafflesia 3. tapir 4. toucan 5. canopy 6. boa 7. understory 8. bromeliad 11. coffee |
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Education Websites http://www.joplin.k12.mo.us/R8WebPage/ www.kenedy.isd.tenet.edu/byteonet/lessonp.html www.dpi.state.nc.us/Internet-LP.html teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/index.asp bulldog.unca.edu/~srashley/lesson.html#a5 www.mcrel.org/connect/lessons.html teams.lacoe.edu/documentation/places/lessons.html www.kent.wednet/edu/toolbox/lesson.html www.flash.net/~risd/lesson.htm And for lessons ideas on the rain forest:
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Na Ke Kumu Waiwai "Wealth of Resources"
Volume 3 February1998
Editor: Shauna Thee
Staff Writers: Harmony Vanhille
Web Design: Angela Allen
Education Curriculum Library Home
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Last updated 05/22/01
