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Jungle Journeys
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
JUNGLE JOURNEYS
Teacher Resource Packet
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
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Dear Teachers,
Tropical rain forests are among the most ancient and complex ecosystems on earth.
Some are more than 60 million years old. The living diversity of these forests is
overwhelming. Within the last fifty years, almost half of these tropical forests have
been destroyed, and without drastic measures taken soon, we could lose the other
half in the next thirty years.
The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is highly concerned about what is happening to
tropical rain forests around the world, so we have created Jungle Journeys, an
educational program for children. The program is designed to stimulate an
appreciation and an awareness of the importance of these quickly disappearing
treasures in the minds of our young people.
Jungle Journeys is intended for students in grades three to six. The program
provides an exciting element that you may incorporate into your classroom
curriculum. Through Jungle Journeys, the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is helping
teachers teach their students about the fascinating ecosystems of the tropical rain
forests and their connections to our lives. Our program is two hours in length.
However, please allow an extra half an hour to walk to and from the rainforest and
for any bus delays.
The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo Jungle Journeys will help children feel the
excitement and explore the wonders of the tropical rain forests.
Sincerely,
Education Department
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
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Acknowledgments
Special Thanks to Russ Voorhees, Fort Wayne Community Schools; Marla
McAfee, Southwest Allen Community Schools; Max Lake, Fort Wayne
Community Schools (retired); Patti King, Fort Wayne Community Schools; and
Pam George, Northwest Allen County Schools; to Karen Gutwein of the Cleveland
Metroparks Zoo for allowing us to view her classroom activities; and to Maryann
Stephenson and Janet Peterson of The Rainforest Connection II from which several
Jungle Journeys activities are adapted from with permission.
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Jungle Journeys
Permission Slip Form for Zoo Field Trip
Dear Parents,
As part of our unit on tropical rain forest, I have scheduled a field trip to the
Indonesian Rain Forest at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. The class will participate
in the Jungle Journeys Program. The Jungle Journeys Program will allow your
child to explore the wonders of a tropical rain forest.
Our trip is scheduled for:
Day
Date
Leave School at
Return to School at
I would like to invite you to be a part of this exciting program by accompanying
the class as an adult supervisor. The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo requires that I
provide one adult supervisor for every eight children attending the program.
The cost of Jungle Journeys is $6.00 per person. *Program length is 2 hours. Please
allow ½ to assemble and walk to and from the rain forest.
Sincerely,
------------------------------------------------------___________________________________ has permission to attend the Jungle
(Student’s Name)
Journeys Program at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo on
_______________________ From _________________________________
Date
Time
Time
Parent or Guardian Signature
________Yes, I would like to volunteer as an adult supervisor for my child’s
field trip to the Jungle Journeys Program at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. I
understand that each adult supervisor will be charged $6.00 for the program.
Please return this slip with the fee to the school by
____________________________________________
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Table of Contents
Preparing for your visit to Jungle Journeys…………………………………………………………….4
Tropical Rain Forest: Background Information…………………………………………….. 7
Pre-Visit Lessons……………………………………………………………………………13
Post-Visit Activities………………………………………………………………………....37
Student Handouts……………………………………………………………………………49
Resources……………………………………………………………………………………65
Glossary……………………………………………………………………………………..73
Evaluation Form…………………………………………………………………………….76
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Preparing for your visit
Thank you for scheduling a Jungle Journeys program at the Fort Wayne Children's
Zoo. Your students will be immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of the rain
forest during this exciting program.
Jungle Journeys programs are available from early November through mid-April.
The program can accommodate up to 65 people.
Program cost is $6 per person (this count includes adults and chaperones as well
as students); $90.00 minimum is required. Teachers & bus drivers are admitted
free. There must be one adult supervisor for every 8 children attending Jungle
Journeys.
Program length is two hours. Please allow an additional 30 minutes for your
group to assemble and walk to and from the rain forest exhibit.
Many of the hands-on learning activities of the Jungle Journeys programs are
taught with a cooperative group in an instructional setting. Before arriving at the
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, please divide your class into cooperative groups of
four to five students.
The lessons in this packet were created to prepare your students for Jungle
Journeys program. Students should have good background knowledge of tropical
rain forests before attending this program. The Jungle Journeys program is
intended to reinforce and enrich what students have already learned about tropical
rain forests.
The Jungle Journeys program and teacher packet was created with students in
grades 3-6, the third to sixth grade in mind. Teachers, please feel free to adjust the
lessons in this packet to fit your students needs.
If you have any questions before or after attending the program, feel free to contact
the Zoo Education Department at 260-427-6808 or e-mail [email protected].
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Tropical Rain Forests:
Background Information for Teacher
What is a Tropical Rain Forest?
Tropical rain forests cover only 6 percent of the earth’s land area, yet they are home to
more than 50 percent (some say up to 90 percent) of the world’s plant and animal species.
Tropical rain forests once circled the globe in an unbroken belt of green around the
equator. In the last two hundred years, this belt has been fragmented into smaller pockets of
green in South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
There are many different types of rain forests. Some are found in North America
(temperate rain forest); some are semi-deciduous, some even evergreen. In this packet we will
only be discussing tropical rain forests, which lie between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of
Capricorn. Tropical rain forests receive between 60 to 400 inches of rain per year (compare that
to the 36 inches received annually in Northern Indiana). Temperatures usually stay between 70 to
85 degrees, varying little from day to night. Because they are close to the equator, tropical rain
forests receive about 12 hours of sunlight each day year round. High temperatures and abundant
rainfall create a very humid environment. Humidity may range from 70 percent at night to 95
percent during the day.
Layers of Life
The plants of the rain forest are arranged in layers. The tallest of trees are called
emergents. These giants tower above the rest of the forest, sometimes reaching heights of 200
feet, but usually growing to about 115 to 150 feet tall. Many of these emergents have thick
buttresses around the base of the trunk for stability.
Trees that are 65 to 100 feet high form the canopy of the rain forest. These trees form a
continuous covering over the forest. The canopy is filled with life. The umbrella of branches and
leaves provides a home for many rain forest creatures.
Below the canopy, in the understory, shrubs and vines grow to heights of 15 feet or so.
Only 2 to 5 percent of the sunlight reaches the understory.
The forest floor is sheltered, still, and always humid. Vegetation is sparse due to the lack
of sunlight and the rapid decay of dead plants and animals.
Trees of the Rain Forest
Most trees of tropical rain forests are evergreen-they do not lose their leaves each year
because there is no change of seasons. The leaves of these evergreen trees are designed for the
wet climate of the rain forest: the leaves have a waxy covering to repel water and a pointed “drip
tip” to speed the draining of water.
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Trees of the rain forest have developed unique root systems. The roots underground are too
shallow to support the immense weight of the tree. The trees instead may have stilt roots (such as
palms) or buttress roots (such as the kapok tree).
Vines of the Rain Forest
A liana is a type of vine that sprouts on the forest floor, and then climbs the side of a tree
as it reaches for the sunlight. Lianas can reach lengths of 3,000 feet, growing higher that the tree
then falling down again, and eventually linking several trees together (thus bringing down
several trees if one is cut). The fibers of the liana, called rattan, are used in construction and
weaving.
Other Rain Forest Plant Life
Epiphytes: The word “epiphyte” comes from the Greek word meaning “upon plant”.
Epiphytes grow on other plants but do not harm their host. Instead, they take all the nutrients
they need from rainwater and decaying plants. Examples of epiphytes include mosses, lichens,
ferns, orchids, and bromeliads. Orchids are plentiful in the tropical rain forest, with close to
20,000 species.
Parasites: Parasites are plants that live off other plants to survive, often killing their host
in the process. Some fungi are parasites, as is the strangler fig. Strangler figs begin as epiphytes
but when their roots reach the ground, they grow rapidly around their host tree, smothering and
eventually killing the tree.
Soils of the Rain Forest
Despite the fact that the tropical rain forest is filled with abundant plant life, the soil is
not very fertile. The nutrients are leached out of the soils by the heavy rains. Most of the rain
forest’s nutrients are stored in the plants themselves.
The roots of rain forest plants are usually concentrated near the surface of the soil, so
they can absorb nutrients from rapidly decaying leaf litter on the soil surface.
Insects of the Rain Forest
It has been estimated that there may be as many as 30,000,000 insect species in the
world’s tropical rain forests, with only a fraction of these described scientifically and named.
Many insects live on the forest floor, such as ants, termites, and centipedes. Some army ants
travel in columns of approximately 20,000,000 eating scorpions, millipedes, katydids,
cockroaches, and other creatures. Mosquitoes are numerous in the rain forest, and can be carriers
of malaria or yellow fever.
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Butterflies are a common sight in the rain forest. Their colors sometimes act as
camouflage to prevent predators from finding the butterflies. Adult butterflies lay eggs on a
specific host plant. When the egg hatches, the caterpillar feeds on the leaves of the host plant.
After shedding it s skin one final time, the caterpillar is transformed into a chrysalis (pupa). The
chrysalis then hatches and the adult butterfly emerges.
Other rain forest insects rely on dramatic camouflage to hide from predators: the
Malaysian giant walking stick resembles a green twig and may grow to 13 inches in length.
Other insects may look like green leaves, or even flowers.
Reptiles and Amphibians of the Rain Forest
Many snakes and lizards inhibit the canopy, their coloration offering protection from
predators. Most snakes are small and thin, allowing easy treetop travel. Other large snakes, like
the reticulated python, which may reach a length of more than 30 feet, dwell in the forest floor.
Many reptiles and amphibians in Southeast Asia who live in the canopy have adapted to
traveling from tree to tree by “flying”. Flying frogs have large webbed toes that act like
parachutes. Flying lizards have flaps of skin on their sides, and the flying snake can flatten its
body and glide. Many species of frogs and salamanders live on the forest floor.
Birds of the Rain Forest
Birds inhabit all levels of the rain forest. The large hornbills of Southeast Asia live in the
canopy, feeding on abundant fruit. The swallow fruits whole, passing the seeds in their droppings
throughout the forest. Asian sunbirds are similar to hummingbirds, using their long thin beaks to
sip nectar from flowers.
The understory is home to birds of paradise. The brilliantly colored males gather and
dance to attract the plain colored females. In Asia, the forest floor is home to peacocks,
pheasants, and the jungle fowl, which is the ancestor of all modern domestic chickens.
Mammals of the Rain Forest
Mammals inhabit all levels of the rain forest. The canopy is home to the primates such as
monkeys, gibbons, and orangutans. With their limbs well adapted for climbing, these animals
can spend nearly all their time in the trees feeding and even sleeping there. The orangutan lives
only on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra, where it feeds on tender leaves. Many
bats live in the rain forests. Most feed on fruit, and assist with both pollination and seed
dispersal. Large animals like the leopard, tiger, and elephants live on the forest floor.
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Tropical Rain Forest: Did you know….
*Tropical rain forests cover about 6 percent of the earth’s landmass. Two hundred years
ago, they covered 20 [percent of the earth’s land surface.
*More than half (some say up to 90%) of all plant and animal species on earth are found
in rain forests.
*One fourth of all medicines in use today are derived from plants. Seventy percent of the
plants containing compounds useful in cancer treatment are found only in rain forests. Yet less
than one percent of tropical rain forest plants have been thoroughly studied for their chemical
compounds.
*Each year, an area the size of the state of New York-over 30,000 square miles-of
tropical rain forest is destroyed. At the present rate of destruction (about one acre per second),
the remaining rain forest could be depleted by the year 2020.
*The country of Indonesia is home to one-sixth of the world’s fish species, 10 percent of
the world’s flowering plant species, and 12 percent of the world’s mammal species, making it
one of the planet’s most important centers of biodiversity.
A typical 4 square mile area of rain forest contains:
1500 species of flowering plants
750 species of trees
125 species of mammals
400 species of birds
60 species of amphibians
150 species of butterflies
*It is a common myth that rain forests are the “lungs of the world”. While it is true that
rain forests produce vast amounts of oxygen through photosynthesis, they consume as much as
they produce in the decay of organic matter. Rain forests do play a critical role in our
atmosphere, though, because they hold huge amounts of carbon in their vegetation. When the
rain forest is burned, or the trees are cut and left to decay, the carbon is released into the
atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This is the second largest factor contributing to the greenhouse
effect.
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Rain Forests: Problems and Solutions
Everyone knows that the rain forests are being cut down in countries all over the world.
Growing populations are putting tremendous pressure on these great resources. The governments
of these countries often see rain forests as solutions to their problems of overcrowding, poor
economic growth, and food for the hungry. Slash-and-burn agriculture is sometimes the only
alternative for a poor family. Until other methods of farming are found and put into practice,
deforestation of the tropics is likely to continue.
What are the problems?
Slash-and-burn Agriculture: Up to 20 million acres of tropical rain forest are cleared each
year for farming. In earlier times, when populations were smaller, small plots of cleared forest
had time to regenerate. Today, population pressures are greater. Too much forest is cut to allow
for regrowth. Soils erode and the land loses fertility.
Logging: Commercial logging operations cut hardwoods for export abroad. Most logging
though, id for firewood or charcoal, which are used as cooking fuels.
Cattle Ranching: Abandoned farms are often converted to cattle ranches. But because the
soil is so poor, it cannot support enough vegetation for profitable ranching.
Illegal Wildlife Trade: The demand for exotic pets and products has created a thriving
black market in illegal wildlife trade. Many rain forests are losing species to this trade.
Hydroelectric Projects: The need for inexpensive electricity and the creation of jobs leads
to many countries to build hydroelectric dams. Huge amounts of rain forest are flooded,
displacing native wildlife and people.
What are the Solutions?
Protecting Habitats: Identifying and protecting critical habitats by creating national parks
and reserves can help save wildlife. Laws must be enforced and the support of local people must
be gained.
Restoring Endangered Species to the Wild: Reintroducing endangered animals to
protected area of their native habitat can restore once-extinct populations.
Stopping Illegal Trade: Close monitoring of wildlife trade and enforcement of laws can
help protect endangered animals.
Education and Training: Helping local citizens understand the importance of
conservation activities creates support for wildlife conservation.
Research: Scientists do not know all there is to know about rain forests. Research must be
on going to develop effective programs.
What can we do?
*Become better informed about the issues surrounding rain forest conservation.
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*Write letters to your senators and representatives urging them to support legislation and
programs that may benefit tropical rain forests.
*Don’t buy animals or plants that are illegally taken from the wild.
*Recycle.
*Save a space for wildlife in your schoolyard or backyard.
*Raise money to support conservation groups that are working to save rain forests.
MOTHER FOREST
Half of all the wildlife
That is found upon the earth,
Can be seen among her branches..
Thank her for cradle for their birth.
There is layer after layer
Of life within her trees
So, treat her very gently
And shelter that life, please.
Be friends to Mother Forest.
It is sure that if you do,
All residents of Earth will owe,
A debt of thanks to you.
By Melinda Eckhart
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Pre-Visit Lessons
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Day One
Tropical Rain Forests Discovery:
An Introduction to Tropical Rain Forests
Background Information:
Tropical Rain Forest-Habitats with a relatively tight canopy, or closed canopy, of mostly
broad-leaved evergreen trees. Poor soil, warm temperatures, high humidity, and lots of rainfall
characterize these forests.
Tropical Rain Forest Discovery:
An Introduction to Tropical Rain Forests
Time: Approximately 30 minutes
Objectives:
1. Students will be introduced to the concept of tropical rain forests.
2. Students will use guided imagery to visualize being in a tropical rain forest.
Vocabulary:
Tropical Rain Forest
Temperate Forest
Habitat
Evergreen
Deciduous
Canopy
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Tropical rain forest visualization script
Cassette tape of tropical rain forest sounds
Cassette tape recorder/player
Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
9 x 12 white construction paper
Student handout, “Tropical Rain Forests: Did you know”
Chart paper for class recording chart or concept map
Tablet or writing paper for journal
Introduction:
Ask students to relax and get comfortable. Play the cassette tape of tropical rain forest sounds.
Ask students to listen to the sounds and imagine the characteristics of a place that would have
such sounds. Once all the students are settled, ask them to close their eyes and listen to your
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voice as you read a short passage to them (visualization script). Continue to play the tape softly
in the background.
This activity stimulates the children to think about the general topic of tropical rain forests. Some
students may wish to share their experience and what they might have felt after the reading.
Procedure:
Choose one of these Activities:
A. Recording chart: Construct a chart similar to the one below. Work as a class in recalling
what things they already know about tropical rain forests and write them on the chart.
Brainstorm what they want to know, record responses. Then after each new lesson, record
what students have learned about rain forests.
What we know
What we want to know
What we have learned
B. Develop a concept map for the topic “Tropical Rain Forest”. This will help students
organize information. You may wish to add to the concept map as students learn new
information.
Tropical
Rain
Forest
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C. Daily Journal Writing: Have students create a journal and write what they already know
about rain forests, and what they would like to know as their first entry in the journal.
Have students write an additional entry after each lesson to add new information that they
have learned about tropical rain forests. You may also want students to include new
vocabulary words in their journals.
After students have completed one of the above, lead students through a brief discussion and
provide background information that will aid students in further developing the concept for
tropical rain forests.
Ask students. “What is a tropical rain forest? Describe a tropical rain forest. How is a tropical
rain forest different from a temperate forest?”
Distribute student handout, “Tropical Rain Forests: Did you know.” Read and discuss the
amazing facts about tropical rain forests.
Closure:
On 9 x 12 white construction paper, have students create a picture of a tropical rain forest based
on what they know and have learned about tropical rain forests. You may wish to play the
cassette tape of tropical rain forest sound to stimulate visualization of tropical rain forests. Have
students draw what they imagine a tropical rain forest would look like.
Extension:
Have students collect newspaper and magazine articles about tropical rain forest issues. Display
in classroom.
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Tropical Rain Forest Visualization Script
Close your eyes. Imagine that you are lying on your tent on the floor of a giant rain forest
where the trees tower over you. The morning sounds wake you up. The barking calls if howler
monkeys and the rustling of branches as they jump from limb to limb. The constant drone of
cicadas, a wonderful chorus of birdcalls and songs-delicate, harsh, melodic, raucous, soaring, and
the scratching sounds of lizards moving through the leaf litter outside the tent.
Even through the netting, all you see is green, in every shape imaginable. The air feels
heavy and moist waiting for the clouds to spill their morning shower. It’s rather damp and
clammy in the tent. The sun doesn’t reach this spot. You can smell the dampness of the soil and
its leaf litter covering, rotting fruit on the ground, and blossoms hanging low on a bush.
You leave your tent and are now standing in the forest. It is still very dark because the
leaves of the tall trees touch each other forming an umbrella that lets little sunlight reach you on
the forest floor. While there is no sun to make you hot, your body feels wet and water droplets
are forming on your face and arms. The temperatures must be 75 to 80 degrees here on the forest
floor, and even hotter up in the canopy. You hear drops of rain falling through the top of the
forest. While you can hear the rain, you feel very little, because as the umbrella like canopy
blocks the sun, it also breaks the rainfall and little reaches you on the forest floor.
Look around you. All you see is green everywhere. But look up, through the ceiling of
leaves, and you see many vines with bright flowers that add color to the green leaves and
mosses. Look at the bright blues, greens, reds, and yellows of the butterflies and hummingbirds
visiting the flowers, and listen to the buzzing of the bees as they fly among the flowers in search
of sweet nectar and pollen.
Look at the lizards racing up and down the tree trunks and the ten-foot long snake
wrapped around the branch twenty feet up in the air. See the flying squirrels gliding from tree
branch to tree branch.
Listen to the sounds of the rain forest, the monkeys howling, the insects buzzing and the
birds calling. Listen also to the silence that comes when an intruder arrives.
This is the tropical rain forest: hot, humid, noisy, and quiet, windless on the forest floor
and blowing in the canopy. It’s alive and teeming with life and all the processes that make up
that life. It’s something you feel; you don’t have to be told about it. This is the land of paradise.
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Day Two
Where in the World are the
Tropical Rain Forests?
Background Information:
Tropical Rain Forest are found in a broad band that reaches about 1600 miles north and
1600 miles south of the equator, between the Tropic of cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
About 6 percent of the earth’s land mass is covered with these forests. The largest area of
tropical rain forest is found in the Amazon region of South America (33%). In the Zaire area of
Central Africa 10% of the rain forests are found and another 10% is found in Indonesia. Tropical
rain forests are also found in parts of Mexico, Central America and in the archipelago that
reaches from Southeast Asia to Australia.
Our own country (U.S.) has small regions of rain forests in Hawaii, Puerto Rico,
American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Tropical rain forests, because of their location around the equator, experience twelvehour days year round. The sun’s rays are more direct than in temperate regions and provide more
intense sunlight. The average temperature of a rain forest is 75 degrees F. It rarely gets cooler
than 60 degrees F or hotter than 95 degrees F. Humidity is high due to high temperatures and
plenty of rainfall. Tropical rain forests receive 60 to 400 inches of rain a year.
Where in the World are Tropical Rain Forests?
Time: Approximately 30 minutes
Objectives:
1. Students will identify and locate on a map the continents of the world.
2. Students will identify and locate on a map the tropical rain forests of the world.
3. Students will learn that a rain forest’s climate conditions are due to its location.
Vocabulary:
Equator
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
Europe
Asia
Africa
Australia
Antarctica
Continent
North America
South America
Climate
Humidity
Rainfall
Average Temperature
Tropics
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Materials:
1. World map, globe, or world atlas (1 for each student group)
2. Student handout, “Tropical Rain Forest Around the World”
3. Extension-student handout, “Tropical Rain Forests”
Introduction:
Explain to children that now that they have a better understanding of what tropical rain
forests are, it is important to know where they are the worldwide. The location of these forests is
a vital factor in what makes them tropical rain forests.
Procedure:
For this activity, students should work in cooperative groups of four or five students.
Give each student a copy of “Tropical Rain Forests Around the World”. Each group should be
given a globe, world map, or world atlas.
Instruct the groups to use the given resources to locate and label the continents of the
world.
You may also want students to locate and label major oceans and the countries where rain
forests are located.
Allow enough time for groups to research the information and label their maps. Monitor
the group’s progress.
When all groups have finished the assignment, have a representative from each group
report their findings to the class.
Closure:
Discuss with students the importance of rain forest’s location along the equator.
Extension:
Student handout, “Tropical Rain Forests”
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Day Three
Tropical Rain Forests: Layers of Life
Background Information:
Tropical rain forests are complex ecosystems made up of four different vegetation layers.
These layers are identified as the emergents, canopy, understory, and the forest floor. Conditions
vary within each layer, and these conditions dictate the types of plants there and the kinds of
animal life that will live or visit there. Many rain forest creatures find their niche by living in one
layer or another. Some live only in specific areas, but others will be found moving up and down
between two or more layers.
The Emergent Layer consists of trees ranging in height from 115 to 200 feet tall. These
trees with their umbrella-shaped crowns are the tallest and usually the oldest trees of the forest.
These trees receive the most sunlight and are buffered by the strongest winds. Examples of
animal’s life in the emergent layer include birds, insects, and arboreal mammals (mammals that
have adapted to life in trees, such as monkeys and flying squirrels), as well as lizards and snakes.
The Canopy consists of flat crowned-trees, vines and other plants. The canopy rises some
65 to 100 feet above the forest floor. These trees form a continuous covering over the forest. The
upper parts of these trees are subject to hot rays of the sun, heavy rains, and strong winds. Most
of the animal species of the entire rain forest live in the canopy and find food here. It is home to
monkeys, and other mammals, birds, reptiles and countless insects.
The Understory is a tangle of seedlings, saplings, bushes and shrubs that grow
approximately 10 to 20 feet high. The environment in this layer is one of diffused light, high
humidity, and stable temperatures. Most of the animals that live in this layer live upwards near
the canopy.
The Forest Floor is very sheltered, dark, still, and always humid. Vegetation is sparse
due to the lack of sunlight and the rapid decay of dead plants and animals. Most of the large rain
forest animals live on the ground. Some of the animals that live on the forest floor are frogs,
salamanders, snakes, wild pigs and deer.
Tropical Rain Forests: Layers of Life
Time: Approximately 30 minutes
Objectives:
1. Students will identify the four vegetation layers of a tropical rain forest.
2. Students will describe several characteristics of each level of the tropical rain forest.
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Vocabulary:
Environment
Ecosystem
Niche
Emergent
Canopy
Understory
Forest Floor
Materials:
Pictures of tropical rain forest landscapes
Student handout, -stand-up display “Layers of the Rain Forest”
Introduction:
Introduce students to the four vegetation layers of the tropical rain forest by displaying a
picture of a tropical rain forest. Explain to students that a tropical rain forest has four distinct
layers of plant life, however, in a rain forest’s natural setting the division between the layers may
not always be easily recognized. These layers are commonly known as the emergent, canopy,
understory and forest floor. Conditions within each of these layers vary, and these conditions
dictate the type of plant and animal life found within each layer.
Procedure:
Use the overhead transparencies of the four vegetation layers as a visual aid and discuss
with your students the characteristics of each layer of a tropical rain forest.
Closure:
Allow each student to construct a stand-up display of the four vegetation layers. This will
aid students in identifying the four layers of a rain forest.
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Day Four
Tropical Rain Forests:
Soil and Plant Adaptations
Background Information:
Soil in the rain forest is poor and very weathered. It is very old soil, million of years old.
There aren’t many nutrients in the soil. What is not washed away by the intense rainfall is
contained within the living plants and animals. The decomposition cycle in a tropical rain forest
occurs quickly. Once an animal or plant dies, decomposer quickly breaks it down into usable
nutrients, which are reabsorbed by living vegetation.
Most trees in rain forests are evergreen. They do not lose their leaves each year because
there is no change in seasons. Although there is a vast number of different species of trees found
in the rain forest, their leaves are relatively similar in shape. The leaves of these trees are
designed for the wet climate. The leaves have a waxy covering to repel water and a pointed “drip
tip” to speed the draining of water. The rapid drying also helps prevent growth of other
organisms on the leaf’s surface and allows the leaf to conserve nutrients that might otherwise be
lost to leaching. The sizes of the tree’s leaves tend to grow in relation to sunlight. Leaves below
the canopy usually grow very large where sunlight is scarce, and the leaves at the top of the
canopy and emergent layer are much smaller because light is plentiful.
Trees of the rain forest have developed unique root systems to deal with the poor quality
of soil. Their root systems are very close to the surface. Trees in the rain forest may have stilt
roots (such as the palm) or buttress roots (such as the kapok tree). These root systems help the
trees to keep standing and capture water and nutrients for growth.
Other plants adapt to the low light conditions of the lower levels of the tropical rain forest
by growing upon or living in other trees. Epiphytes grow on other plants but do not harm their
host. They take all the nutrients they need from rainwater and decaying plants. Examples of
epiphytes include mosses, lichens, ferns, orchids, and bromeliads.
Parasites are plants that live off other plants to survive, often killing their host in the
process. Some fungi are parasites, as is the strangler fig.
Tropical Rain Forests: Soil and Plant Adaptations
Time: Approximately 40 minutes
Objectives:
1. Students will gain an understanding of the significance of tropical rain forest soil.
2. Students will develop an understanding of the variety of plants in the rain forest.
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3. Students will be able to identify and describe plant adaptations to life in the tropical rain
forest.
4. Students will be able to understand the importance of plant adaptations for survival in the
rain forest.
Vocabulary:
Adaptation
Nutrients
Decompose
Soil
Species
Epiphytes
Photosynthesis
Drip-tip
Bromeliad
Lianas (vines)
Stilt roots
Buttress
Strangler Fig
Parasite
Erosion
Materials:
1. Pictures of plants from the rain forest
2. Student handout, “Leaf Shapes”
3. Light green construction paper
4. Water
5. Shallow bowl
6. String
7. Paper clips
8. Student handout, “Blooming Bromeliads” and pattern
9. Toilet paper rolls
10. Green and blue construction paper
11. Art supplies-pencil, scissors, clear tape, glue, crayons or markers
-OR1. Student handout, “Create a Plant”
2. 9 x 12 white construction paper
3. Crayons, markers or colored pencils
Introduction:
Discuss with students the characteristics of tropical rain forest soil.
-Old soil, millions of years old
-Poor and weathered, little to no nutrients
-Will erode quickly if trees and plant life are taken away
After students have learned the characteristics of tropical rain forest soil, the concept of
plant adaptations is easily addressed.
Introduce the term adaptation to students-a physical or behavioral feature of a plant or
animal that helps it survive in its environment.
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Display pictures of plants from the rain forest and use overhead transparencies of plant
adaptations to help discuss with students types of plants and plant adaptations.
Procedure:
Briefly discuss with your students the importance of leaf shape and size in the rain forest.
In this next activity, students should work in cooperative groups of four or five.
Pass out student handout, “Leaf Shapes”. Explain to students that they will be doing an
experiment to see how the shape of a leaf effects drying time.
Have students count the squares and half squares inside each leaf shape. Both leaves have the
same surface area, 159 squares. Instruct students to cut out both leaves A and B. Tell the students
to trace the leaves onto light green construction paper. Cut the leaves out and soak them in water
for 30 seconds. Direct students to quickly hang up both leaves at the same time, broad end up, on
a horizontal string to dry and observe. Tell them to observe which one drips and dries faster.
Suggest that they place paper under the leaves to see the drops. Leaf A should drip-dry faster.
The drier parts of each leaf will be noticeably lighter in color, especially after a minute or two.
Discuss which leaf shape would be better adapted for a tropical rain forest plant.
Choose one of these activities:
A. Blooming Bromeliads: Explain to children that bromeliads are epiphytes, plants
that grow on other plants but do not harm their host. Instead they take all the
nutrients they need from rainwater and decaying plants. Some of the bigger
bromeliads are leafy, lush, mini-habitats that make perfect homes for frogs,
insects, snakes, and other animals.
Give each student Blooming Bromeliads patters and various art supplies.
Construct bromeliads.
B. Design a Plant: This activity will reinforce what students have learned about
plant adaptations. Students will create a tropical rain forest plant based on the
adaptations discussed. Give each student a copy of “Design a Plant” student
handout and white construction paper. Students should read the information
and ask any questions they might have about the information.
Allow students time to create their plants using various art supplies.
Encourage labeling of special adaptations for life in a rain forest that become
incorporated into their plants. When all students are finished with their plant
designs, have them share their creations with the class.
Closure:
Review common adaptations of tropical rain forest plants.
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Day Five
Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Background Information:
All animals have special features that enable them to adapt to their environment, teeth,
muscle structure, bone structure, feet, skin covering, ears, nose, etc. Many of these specialized
features protect them from predators.
Several animals use camouflage as a strategy for survival. Animals can avoid being eaten
if they can avoid being seen. A moth that resembles bark on a dead leaf is safe on a tree. Some
snakes look like vines or part of the tree.
Other animals do not try to blend in with their environment but advertise themselves with
bright colors. Bright colors are warnings to would-be predators that the animals are poisonous or
distasteful. The red and blue colors of some poison dart frogs warn predators to stay away.
Mimicry is another strategy for survival. By resembling a poisonous or distasteful animal,
predators will avoid it. This strategy has kept many insects from the claws of birds.
Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Time: Approximately 20 minutes plus time for research and sharing
Objectives:
1. Students will learn how an animal’s adaptations help it survive in its environment.
2. Students will do research and report information learned about an animal of the rain
forest.
3. Students will be able to identify and describe several animals and their adaptations to life
in the rain forest.
Vocabulary:
Camouflage
Mimicry
Survival
Predator
Poisonous
Materials:
1. Picture of tropical rain forest animals
2. Student handout, “Research Guide”
3. Art supplies, white construction paper, colored-pencils, markers or crayons
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Introduction:
Display pictures of rain forest animals and discuss their specialized features that help them
survive.
Procedure:
Animal Research: Have student research an animal that makes its home in the rain forests. (See
list of topics below).
Allow students an appropriate amount of time to do research.
Closure:
Have students share the information they learned with the class.
Suggested topics for research:
lesser mouse deer
blue morpho butterfly
rhinoceros beetle
Raja Brooke’s birdwing butterfly
orangutan
great hornbill
colugo
draco
Sumatran rhinoceros
three-toed sloth
Sumatran tiger
Asian elephant
slow loris
bearded pig
ocelot
Komodo dragon
reticulated python
Wallace’s flying frog
poison dart frog
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Day Six
People of the Tropical Rain Forest
Background Information:
The rain forests are home to many indigenous people as well as plants and animals. In the
northwestern part of the Amazon basin the Yakuno Indians live. Among the Xingu River in
Central Brazil the Kayapo farm the land. Mayans live in the forests of Central America. Mbuti
pygmies and members of the Baka and Efe tribes make their homes in Central Africa. The Iua
people live in the rain forests of Thailand, and the Penan populate the tropical forests of Borneo.
The rain forest people have lived in these forests for thousands of years. They have
learned to live in harmony with it. They hunt its game, fish its waters, gather its fruits, and dig its
roots. They use its vegetation to make shelters, tools, and medicines.
People who are native to the forests are disappearing with the trees. Lost with them are
many secrets of the rain forest, which were once passed from generation to generation. This
information could be used to develop new medicines and new foods to benefit all people. Loss of
tropical rain forests is a loss of a way of life for these people of the rain forests.
People of the Tropical Rain Forests
Time: Approximately 30 minutes
Objectives:
1. Students will gain insight into the lives of people native to tropical rain forests.
2. Students will develop an understanding of the importance of indigenous rain forest
people to the tropical rain forest ecosystem.
3. Students will infer what life, as a native to a rain forest might resemble.
Vocabulary:
Indigenous
Materials:
1. Pictures of indigenous people of various regions of tropical rain forests.
2. *Audio tape of child who describes life on the Mentawai Islands
3. Audio cassette recorder/player
Introduction:
Collect and display pictures of indigenous people from various regions of tropical rain
forests. Discuss pictures and the peoples’ way of life.
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Procedure:
Ask children to listen as you play an audiocassette recording of a child who lives in a
tropical rain forest on the Mentawai Islands.
After the tape has played, discuss with your students what it would be like to live in a
rain forest.
Closure:
Have students write a short paragraph expressing their thoughts on how it would be to live as the
native people of the tropical rain forests.
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Day Seven
Biodiversity
Background Information:
Rain forests are home to a huge variety of plants and animals. It is estimated that these
ecosystems are home to anywhere from 50 to 90 percent of all species on earth. This
concentration of species results in an incredibly diverse array of life in the rain forests.
In a single acre of tropical rain forest, more than 200 species of trees may be present.
Only a few specimens of each species are scattered throughout this acre. Because each tree may
have a specific pollinator (insect, mammal, or bird), this creates an even more diverse
environment. This diversity can protect the forest in the event of a natural disaster, such as
disease: if one or two species are susceptible, only a few per acre may be lost. But this very
diversity has a down side too: a single species of a tree may be the sole support of several insect
species. When the tree is gone, there are no other individuals of that species nearby to assume its
role. Therefore, the fauna associated with it have nowhere to turn because of their specific
adaptations for that singletree species.
Temperate forests, like those found in Indiana and much of the northeastern quarter of the
United States, are less diverse than tropical rain forests. Less than ten species of trees are
typically found within a single acre. Each tree species is represented by a large number of
specimens.
Biodiversity
Time: Approximately 20 minutes
Objectives:
1. Students will learn about the concept of diversity as it applies to ecosystems.
2. Students will compare the diversity of a typical temperate forest with that of a tropical
rain forest.
Vocabulary:
Diversity
Biodiversity
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Bags of 15 bean soup mix (dried beans)
Bags of 3 bean soup mix (dried beans)
Empty film canisters or baby food jars
Student handout, “Biodiversity”
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Introduction:
Provide each student (or team of students) with two film canisters: one canister labeled A
filled with 3 bean soup mix (this canister represents a temperate forest) one canister labeled B
filled with the 15 bean soup mix (this canister represents a tropical rain forest). Do not tell your
students which forest each canister represents.
Procedure:
Ask the students to choose one of their canisters. Tell them that each type of bean in the
canister represents one tree species. Dump out the beans and sort them by type. Have the
children count the number of different types of beans. How many of each type of bean are
present in the canister? Have students record their results on student handout, “Biodiversity”. Do
the same with the other canisters. Have children compare their results.
Closure:
Discussion: Which canister would represent the rain forest? Which would represent a
temperate forest? Which one is more diverse?
Ask students what would happen if half of each tree species in the rain forest were
destroyed? How would this affect the animals that depend on these trees?
Which ecosystem is more stable? Why?
Which would have more difficulty returning to its original state once disturbed?
Can you see why tropical rain forests are so fragile?
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Days Eight and Nine
Products form the Tropical Rain Forest:
Tropical Treasure
Background Information:
Probably our most direct connections to tropical rain forests are through its products.
Many products of the tropical rain forest are items we take for granted and use everyday. Many
foods are imported from rain forest areas or originated in or near the rain forests.
It has been estimated that less than 20 plant species produce most of the world’s food.
Many imported food crops like rice, corn, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, bananas, and oranges
originated from tropical rain forest areas. Spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg are
also from rain forests.
Coffee originated in the mountainous tropical rain forests of Ethiopia, sugar cane from
Indonesia, chocolate from the Amazon basin and bananas, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, and tea
from Southeast Asia.
About one fourth of the medicines found in our pharmacies are derived from plants in
tropical rain forests. Tropical plants have been used to treat many illnesses of the world’s
population. The rosy periwinkle produces a substance used to combat childhood leukemia.
Diosgenin, which is made from rain forest plants in Guatemala, Mexico and Belize, is the active
ingredient in cortisone. Of the 3,000 plant species in the world that are known to contain anticancer properties, 70% are grown in the tropics.
Natural rubber comes from rain forests. Rubber, gums, and resins give us surgical gloves,
balloons, band-aids, sporting goods, tires, sneakers and even bubble gum.
From tropical plants we get wood and fiber for items like furniture and insulation.
From palm oil we obtain ingredients for margarine, cooking oil, baking goods, soap,
candles, and mayonnaise.
Products from the Tropical Rain Forest:
Tropical Treasures
Time: 2 days- approximately 20 minutes and approximately 30 minutes
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to identify products that originated in or are from tropical rain
forests.
2. Students will be bale to identify products that can be taken from rain forests with out
any harm to the forests.
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3. Students will begin to identify connections between rain forests and their daily lives.
Vocabulary:
Resin
Gums
Rosy Periwinkle
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Student handout, “Nothing from the Tropical Rain Forest Today”
Various products from the tropical rain forests
Various food ingredients
Student handout, “Tropical Rain Forest Menu”
Student handout, “Tropical Rain Forest Products”
Introduction:
Give students “Nothing from the Rain Forest Today” student handout, and have them try
to fill in the blanks of the story, using the list of words at the bottom of the sheet. When children
are finished, have a volunteer read the answers.
Procedure:
Collect and display a variety of products from the rain forest and lead a discussion about
the importance of tropical rain forest products in our daily lives.
Give each child a copy of “Tropical Rain Forest Products”. Read over the list of products
with the students. Have students take the survey sheet home, where their parents can help them
find products on the survey sheet found in their home. (You may want to ask for volunteers to
bring in ingredients for the tropical feast).
Day Nine
Tally results from the “Tropical Rain Forest Products” survey sheet. Discuss results.
Closure:
For this activity, students may work in cooperative groups of four or five students.
Pass out a copy of “Prepare a Tropical Rain Forest Menu” student handout to each group
of students. Have students read over the recipe they will be preparing. Have students prepare
their food for the feast.
Enjoy the delicious food from the tropical rain forest.
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Day Ten
Tropical Rain Forests:
Problems and Solutions
Background Information:
Tropical rain forests are rich and teeming with the diversity of life, but unfortunately the
world’s rain forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Population growth, poverty, foreign
debt, and multilateral aid are all underlying causes of tropical deforestation.
Vast areas of rain forest are being lost to mining, slash-and-burn agriculture, logging,
urban development and industry.
The world has already lost half of its tropical rain forest, and it has been estimated that if
the loss of rain forests continues at its present rate, most of the rain forests could be gone by the
end of the century.
The world is losing approximately 35 million acres of tropical rain forest a year. That’s
over 60 acres a minute, or an acre a second.
As the tropical rain forests are disappearing, so are the people who call these areas home.
Along with them go their cultural customs and traditions. Medicines from plants that could save
lives may never be discovered. Only 1 percent of the plants in the rain forests have been
thoroughly studied for their chemical compounds and value to medical science. Many of the
products that we use in our daily lives originated or come from these forests. Without these
forests we could lose many of these products and vast amounts of animal species will become
extinct if the rain forests are destroyed.
It has been estimated that 17,000 species of plants and animals become extinct each year
with deforestation of the rain forests. That’s 48 species every day, 2 an hour. The destruction of
the tropical rain forests affects us all. All species of life are bound by a complex system of
interdependence. Each time a species is removed, the foundation of life grows weaker. How
many trees can we afford to lose?
We can all take action to save the world’s rain forest. We can become better informed
about the issues surrounding tropical rain forest conservation. We can raise money to support
conservation groups that are working to save rain forests. We can write letters to our senators
and representatives, urging them to support legislation and programs that may benefit tropical
rain forests. Don’t buy animals or plants that are taken illegally from the wild, and only buy
tropical rain forest products that can be taken from rain forests without harm to them. Recycle
and conserve energy. Save a space for wildlife in your school or backyard. Most importantly,
spread the word of the importance of tropical rain forests.
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Tropical Rain Forests: Problems and Solutions
Time: Approximately 30 minutes
Objectives:
1. Students will identify practices that are contributing to the destruction of tropical rain
forests.
2. Students will identify consequences of tropical rain forest deforestation.
3. Students will discuss how they can help save the world’s rain forests.
Vocabulary:
Deforestation
Slash-and-burn agriculture
Conservation
Extinction
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Student handout, “Rain Forests: Problems and Solutions”
Graph Paper
9 x 12 white construction paper
Crayons, markers or colored pencils
Introduction:
Give each student a student handout “Rain Forests: Problems and Solutions.” Read
handout with children and discuss the problems and solutions. Discuss consequences of tropical
deforestation and what can be done to help save rain forests.
Explain to students that we can lose about 35 million acres of tropical rain forest a year,
or more than 60 acres a minute.
Procedure:
Choose one of these activities:
A. Graph paper- Determine the number of squares on a sheet of graph paper. Outline 14%
of the squares (original area of tropical rain forests). Shade in one half of the outlined
squares (remaining area of rain forests). This page of graph paper represents earth’s total
land surface, and illustrates how small an area is covered by rain forests.
B. Divide class into groups of five and give each group a piece of graph paper. The
individuals in the groups will represent a form of deforestation: Farming (F),
Ranching (R), Mining (M), Logging (L), Dam Building (D). Instruct students to fill in a
square with their letter every 5 seconds. Have students record how long it takes to fill the
graph paper. You may want students to use colors to represent different forms of
deforestation. Have children calculate to the nearest acre of tropical rain forests lost.
Each minute about 60 acres if rain forest is lost, one acre every second.
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Closure:
Explain to children that people must take action to save the remaining rain forests of the
world.
Have children create posters to display in the school to inform others about the
importance of tropical rain forests and how quickly they are disappearing.
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Day Eleven
Tropical Rain Forests: Review
Time: 60 minutes
Objective:
1. To review what students have learned about tropical rain forests.
Materials:
*Video-“3-2-1 Contact: You Can’t Grow Home Again”
Procedure:
View the video and discuss with your class.
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Post-Visit Activities
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Tropical Rain Forest
Charades
Objectives:
1. To explore the meaning of terms that deal with rain forest interactions.
2. To communicate these to others non-verbally.
Procedure:
This game can be played in several different ways. The teacher may assign each pair of
students a term or phrase that they can act out for their classmates. Or, students may be divided
into two teams, with each team developing charade phrases that are then presented to the other
team’s actors.
Possible Guidelines:
1. Students divide into two teams
2. Each team develops a number of tropical rain forest terms or phrases to be given to the
other team (see list below). There should be more than enough terms for each member of
the opposing team, so that each person will be able to act out at least one.
3. One player form Team A is presented with a phrase that has been developed by Team B.
After being given a few moments to think about it, the actor must act out the term for
his/her own team members, getting them to guess the term. The teacher, or a designated
timekeeper, keeps track of how long it takes for the actor to convey the phrase to his or
her teammates. A two-minute limit may be used for each phrase.
-The actor can use no verbal cues.
-Spelling or signing is not allowed.
-Symbolic clues, such as “sounds like” or “first word” are allowed.
-Acting may take the form of mimicking words and sounds.
**Encourage students to act out the concept itself, rather than simply acting out the sounds of the
words.
4. The team that successfully communicates the most concepts in the least accumulated time
is the winning team.
Suggested topics for Charades:
Epiphytes
Deforestation
Erosion
Think Globally, Act Locally
Global Warming
Biological Diversity
Extinct is Forever
Slash and Burn Agriculture
Indigenous People
Endangered Species
Tropic of Capricorn
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THE RAIN FOREST REVUE
Putting on a variety show is a great way for students to share what they have learned
about tropical rain forests and bring your study to closure. To get the class started, assign a
different group to one of the performances printed under “The Rain Forest Revue” on the next
page. (See the “Performance Tips” below for ideas on how many to assign to each group.) Or let
them choose which performances they would like to do. If you are working with older students,
you may want to have them try creating their own songs, poems, or chants to add to the show.
Give students time to research their topics and to draw pictures and create props and
costumes to use during the performance. Then have them put on “The Rain Forests Revue” for
the class and/or their parents.
Performance Tips:
Narrator: You might want to split up the narration among several people, with each
person being responsible for saying a different block of narrator copy.
“Jungle Rain” Group: This rhythmic chant works well with two or more students in
charge, saying each verse and performing the corresponding movements.
“World Above the Ground” Group: Four to six students is a good number of performers
for this song. You might want to have two or three sing the first two verses and two or three sing
the last two, and then have all of them repeat the first verse. The audience and students who are
not singing can shout the “echoing” phrases at the end of the first, second, and last lines of each
verse.
“Day and Night in the Jungle” Group: Try having three pairs of students take turns saying
two lines of this poem. For example, the first pair could recite the first two lines: “in the daytime,
monkeys swing”; the next pair could recite, “Sloths cling, songbirds sing”; and so on until the
end of the “daytime” verse. Then the first pair could start the “nighttime verse” by reciting the
first two lines, followed by the next pair, and so on until the end of the poem.
“The Okapi” and “Blue Bird of Paradise” Group: Any number of students can perform
these limericks. You might want to suggest that some act out the animals while others recite the
lines.
“The Leaf-Cutter Ants’ Parade” Group: Either a small or large group can perform this
song. But before they perform, have one or more of them talk about leaf-cutter ants and show the
ants use leaves to grow fungus “gardens” for food. You may also want to have them add
marching steps or other movements.
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WORLD ABOVE THE GROUND
Narrator: All the rain and warmth in the rain forest means that trees and other plants are green
and growing all year-round. Many of the trees become giants, forming a thick layer of leaves,
branches, and flowers high above the forest floor. This leafy forest covering, called the canopy,
is loaded with life!
(Sing to the tune of “When You’re Happy and You Know It.”)
In the jungle there’s a world above the ground
(Above the ground! – say it out loud)
In the jungle there’s a world above the ground
(Above the ground!)
Leaves and branches touch the sky
In the canopy so high
In the jungle there’s a world above the ground
(Above the ground!)
The canopy is plush and lush and green
(Lush and green!)
The canopy is plush and lush and green
(Lush and green!)
Nearly 60 feet or more
Up above the jungle floor
The canopy is plush and lush and green
(Lush and green!)
The canopy is home to many beasts!
(Many beasts!)
The canopy is home to many beasts
(Many beasts!)
Some may never, ever go
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To the forest floor below
The canopy is home to many beasts
(Many beasts!)
They leap and climb and fly among the trees
(Among the trees!)
They leap and climb and fly among the trees
(Among the trees!)
Monkeys, spiders, sloths, and slugs
Frogs and snakes and birds and bugs
They leap and climb and fly among the trees
(Among the trees!)
All groups repeat the first verse together.
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DAY AN DNIGHT IN THE JUNGLE
Narrator: From the canopy to the forest floor, many different kinds of animals live in tropical
rain forests. But not all of these animals are out and about at the same time. For example, some
rain forest creatures are active during the day and sleep at night. Other rain forest animals sleep
all day long and come out when it gets dark.
In the daytime
Monkeys swing
Sloths cling
Songbirds sing
Orchids bloom
Insects zoom
Parrots chatter
Raindrops patter
Snakes slide
Lizards glide
And nighttime creatures
Sleep and hide
In the nighttime
Big cats grow!
Owls holler,
Hoot and howl
Spiders crawl
Night birds call
Insects click
Crickets “crick”
Bats beep
Frogs leap
And daytime creatures
Hide and sleep
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THE OKAPI (oh-KAH-pee)
Narrator: many scientists feel that some of the world’s most interesting and beautiful animals
live in rain forests. Did you know that rain forests are home to gorillas, toucans, orangutans, and
all kinds of cats, bats, birds, insects, and other animals? Some of these species are so amazing it
is hard to believe that they are real.
A strange animal is the Okapi
With its stripes and its ears big and floppy.
It seems that whoever
Put it all together
Got tired or maybe just sloppy.
The Okapi’s a sight, but don’t laughIt’s a relative of the giraffe.
It eats leaves by the dozen
Just like its tall cousin,
But its neck is shorter by half.
BLUE BIRD OF PARADISE
Narrator: Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you have enjoyed our show! We hope you will help
protect these special habitats so that there will always be rain forests full of marching ants,
beautiful birds, incredible Okapis, and all kinds of other fascinating creatures. Thanks for coming
to our performance!
In far away jungles, I’ve heard,
Lives a strange and mysterious bird.
It hangs from a tree
Upside down, so you seeIts behavior is truly absurd.
This jungle bird outs on a showIt shimmies and shakes to and fro
It jostles and jiggles,
It waggles and wiggles,
Its long, silky plumes seem to glow.
You may wonder just why it should be
That a bird acts so strangeWell, you see
It hangs from a tree
Because it’s a he
And he wants to impress a she.
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THE LEAF-CUTTER ANTS’ PARADE
(Sing to the tune “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”).
The ants go marching back and forth
Hooray, hooray!
The ants go marching south and north
Hooray, hooray!
The ants go marching east and west
Looking for their leaves to take back to their nest
And they all go marchingThe leaf-cutter ants’ parade.
The ants go marching day and night
Hooray, hooray!
The ants go marching, what a sight
Hooray, hooray!
They munch and they crunch and they bite and they tear
Cutting up leaves that they find here and there
And they all go marchingThe leaf-cutter ants’ parade.
The gardens are growing underground
Hooray, hooray!
The gardens are growing underground
All over the leaves that the leaf-cutters found
And they all go marchingThe leaf-cutter ants’ parade.
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Whose Side Are You On?
In this activity, students will discuss the pros and cons of saving the world’s
endangered rain forests.
Option 1: Divide your students into six teams. Assign each team one of the
options stated below.
Each team must come up with arguments to support the opinion that has been
assigned to them. The students could then debate the issues they have researched.
Team A1 and A2 should debate each other, Team B1 and B2 debate each other,
and so on.
Option 2: Assign one of the opinions to each student and have them write an essay
supporting that opinion.
A1: “So many small farmers cut down trees that the rain forest has no chance to
grow back.” Scientist
A2: “To feed my family, I must cut down the rain forest to grow rice and other
crops.” Farmer in developing nation
B1: “Rain forests are so far away. I don’t need to care about them.” American
B2: “Rain forest plants may hold a cure for cancer or AIDS. The forest must be
saved so we can learn its secrets.” Doctor
C1: “Rain forests should be preserved for future generations. Man has no right to
destroy them completely.” Ecologist
C2: “Laws protecting the rain forest are expensive to enforce. Our people need
food, not trees.” Government official of developing country
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ANIMAL SCRAMBLE
Unscramble the names of the animals you saw at the Indonesian Rain Forest at the
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.
GASMIAN___________________________________
OECKG______________________________________
TINORBUNG_________________________________
GLUFNLEJOW________________________________
CLADETERUTI TONHYP______________________
MOODKO GRANDO___________________________
UTIFR TAB___________________________________
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ANIMAL SCRAMBLE
Teacher Key
Unscramble the names of the animals you saw at the Indonesian Rain Forest at the
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.
GASMIAN_____________SIAMANG_________________________
LUBYFERRT_____________BUTTERFLY_____________ _______
OECKG__________GECKO _______________________________
TINORBUNG_______BINTURONG____________________ _____
GLUFNLEJOW_____JUNGLEFOWL _____________ __________
CLADETERUTI TONHYP_RETICULATED PYTHON_______ __
MOODKO GRANDO___KOMODO DRAGON ___________ ____
UTIRF TAB_____FRUIT BAT_____________________ ________
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CREATE A MINI RAIN FOREST
Materials Needed:
A large fish tank, gravel, charcoal, compost, small stones, exotic plants (ferns,
small orchids, moss, bromeliads, etc), water.
Directions:
1. Layer gravel and then charcoal (both available at an aquarium shop) on the
bottom of the tank.
2. Spread small stones over the gravel/charcoal layer; create small hills and
valleys.
3. Cover the stones with about an inch of compost.
4. Dampen the compost with water and plant the ferns, orchids, moss, and
bromeliads. Allow plenty of growing space between the plants.
5. Cover the aquarium wait a glass top. Keep in a warm place out of direct
sunlight.
6. You may need to add a little water every few months.
Ideas:
Have students maintain a rain forest observation journal. Ask them to record the
date and time and write down any changes that occurred. Measure plant growth;
draw pictures or sketches.
Investigate and ask students to offer a hypothesis:
Why does the rain forest require so little water?
What processes are taking place inside the aquarium?
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STUDENT HANDOUTS
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Tropical Rain Forest: Did you know…
*Tropical rain forests cover about 6 percent of the earth’s land mass. Two hundred
years ago, they covered 20 percent of the earth’s land surface.
*More than half (some say up to 90%) of all plant and animal species on earth are
found in rain forests.
*One fourth of all medicines in use today are derived from plants. Seventy percent
of the plants containing compounds useful in cancer treatments are found only in
rain forests. Yet less than one percent of tropical rain forest plants have been
thoroughly studied for their chemical compounds.
*Each year, an area the size of the state of New York-over 30,000 square miles of
tropical rain forest is destroyed. At the present rate of destruction (about one acre
per second), the remaining rain forest could be depleted by the year 2020.
*The country of Indonesia is home to one-sixth of the world’s fish species, 10
percent of the world’s flowering plant species, and 12 percent of the world’s
mammal species, making it one of the planet’s most important centers of
biodiversity.
A typical 4 square mile area of rain forest contains:
1500 species of flowering plants
750 species of trees
125 species of mammals
400 species of birds
60 species of amphibians
150 species of butterflies
*It is a common myth that rain forests are the “lungs of the world”. While it is true
that rain forests produce vast amounts of oxygen through photosynthesis, they
consume as much as they produce in the decay of organic matter. Rain forests do
play a critical role in our atmosphere, through, because they hold huge amounts of
carbon in their vegetation. When the rain forest is burned, or the trees are cut and
left to decay, the carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This is
the second largest factor contributing to the greenhouse effect.
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Tropical Rain Forests Around the World
There are tropical rain forests in many parts of the world. Look at the map below. The dark areas
are tropical rain forests. Tropical rain forests are found in a band along the equator between the
Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Label the following on the map below: Equator,
Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia,
Australia, Antarctica.
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Tropical Rain Forests
Tropical rain forests are found where it is wet and hot. They are located in an area
known as the tropics. Use the map below to learn more about the world’s tropical
rain forests and to answer the questions below.
1. The world’s tropical rain forests are near what imaginary line?
________________________________________________________
2. The world’s largest tropical rain forest is located in which continent?
________________________________________________________
3. Which tropical rain forest is located mostly on islands?
________________________________________________________
4. Which two continents have no tropical rain forests? One is Antarctica. The
other is __________________________________________________
5. Which state of the United States has a tropical rain forest?
________________________________________________________
6. Which ocean would you cross to travel from the tropical rain forests in
South America to the ones in Africa? ___________________________
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LAYERS OF THE RAIN FOREST
Make a stand-up display showing the layers that make up a rain forest.
1. Color the pictures. Cut along the heavy lines.
2. Fold on the dotted lines so that the pictures stand up.
3. On a sheet of 5x8 tagboard, arrange the pictures one behind the other in
order of height. Glue them so they stand up one the tagboard.
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Leaf Shapes
Directions:
1. Count and record
the number of
squares and half
squares inside the
leaves A and B.
2. Trace leaf shapes
on construction
paper and cut them
out. Soak them in
water for 30 seconds.
3. Hang the leaves,
with broad end up,
on string to dry.
Observe the way
they dry.
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Beautiful Bromeliads
Directions:
1. Cut out the patterns.
2. Trace the leaf pattern onto green construction paper.
Trace the larger leaf pattern two times. Cut out construction
paper leaves.
3. Trace water pattern onto blue construction paper.
4. Tape water on to toilet paper roll.
5. Tape or glue small leaves to top portion of toilet paper roll.
6. Tape or glue larger leaves underneath the smaller leaf on the roll
so that leaves do not overlap.
7. Curl ends of leaves by rolling paper around your fingers.
8. Glue or tape frog to one of the Beautiful Bromeliad’s leaves.
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Design a Plant
In this activity, students will design a plant that is adapted to survive in the
tropical rain forest. Students will become familiar with at least four ways
that tropical plants survive conditions of high temperature, high humidity,
plant eaters, and decomposers.
Materials: Design a Plant Student Activity Sheet, teacher background
information, and the facts listed below.
Extensions: Students may be asked to create their plant in three dimensions
using crepe paper, paper mache, clay, fabric, or other material.
Teacher Background Information
Researchers in tropical rain forests have noted these plant survival strategies.
Some of these may been seen at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo’s Indonesian
Rain Forest exhibit.
Buttress Trunks: Flange-like root growth on the trunk or base of tall trees
that help stabilize and support the shallow root system.
Prop Roots: Long, aboveground roots which radiate from the trunks of
smaller trees and act as stabilizers.
Drip Tips: Tips of leaves that come to a long and very pronounced tip and
are thought to help shed moisture that would encourage fungal and bacterial
growth on the leaf surface.
Poison Leaves or Bark: The taste or smell of chemicals deters insects or
other animals that might eat the leaves or bark.
Smooth Bark: A feature that deters climbing plants from gaining a hold.
Hard Bark: Deters boring and chewing insects.
Thorny Bark: Deters climbing animals.
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Research Guide
Name of animal you have chosen to research:
Scientific name:
Range (in what countries is it found):
Habitat:
Physical characteristics (size, color, other physical features):
Adaptations (survival strategies):
Other interesting or important information about your animal, related
species, enemies, behavior, family size, social structure, etc):
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Biodiversity
Canister A
Pile
# of beans
Canister B
Pile
# of beans
A
______
A
_______
B
______
B
_______
C
______
C
_______
____
_______
____
_______
____
_______
____
_______
____
_______
____
_______
____
_______
____
_______
____
_______
____
_______
Which canister represents a temperate forest? ________________________
Which canister represents a tropical forest? __________________________
Why? ________________________________________________________
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Name____________________________
NOTHING FROM THE RAIN FOREST TODAY
“Breakfast is ready,” Mom called. “Hurry so you won’t be late to school.”
I made a quick trip to the kitchen and looked at breakfast on the table. Apple juice! I
always drank ______________ or ______________ juice. Plain corn flakes! I always had a
____________ sliced on top. My toast was plain. Everyday I had ____________ toast. There
was no cup of hot _____________ for me. It seemed strange to see Dad at the table reading the
morning paper with a cup of _____________ in his hand.
Then I remembered. It was the day without any tropical rain forest connections. Things
had just disappeared for the day.
Mom was running behind schedule and asked if I would have time to water her new rose
bushes before leaving. No problem, I thought. It seemed unusually quite when I went outside.
Where were the songs of the _______________ and the _______________?
“Mom, somebody stole our garden hose,” I hollered. “It’s gone.” Then I remembered it
was made of ____________. I filled the sprinkling can a few times and watered the roses.
Thursday was the day I got money to go to the fast food place for lunch. I really looked
forward to a large _____________ and a _________________. Maybe I could get a sandwich,
but not the drink. I decided that it might be time to try a chicken sandwich and a _____________
milkshake. That wouldn’t work either. I decided on a strawberry milkshake.
I headed into the dining room to pick up my book bag. I had left it on the table the night
before after doing my homework. I couldn’t believe it! My book bag was on the floor. There was
no dining room set. Of course, I remembered. The table and chairs were made of
_____________ wood.
I shouted goodbye on my way to the garage to get my bike. No _________.
I looked at the car. The same thing. There wouldn’t be any buses running either. No wonder
Mom and Dad had on comfortable shoes. It was a day when everybody walked.
banana
coffee
hamburger
orioles
vanilla
chocolate
cola
mahogany
rubber
warblers
cinnamon
grapefruit
orange
tires
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Rain Forests: Problems and Solutions
Everyone knows that the rain forests are being cut down in countries all over the world.
Growing populations are putting tremendous pressure on these great resources. The governments
of these countries often see rain forests as solutions to their problems of overcrowding, poor
economic growth, and food for the hungry. Slash-and-burn agriculture is sometimes the only
alternative for a poor family. Until other methods of farming are found and put into practice,
deforestation of the tropics is likely to continue.
What are the Problems?
Slash-and-Burn Agriculture. Up to 20 million acres of tropical rain forest are cleared
each year for farming. In earlier times, when populations were smaller, small plots of cleared
forest had no time to regenerate. Today, population pressures are greater. Too much forest is cut
to allow for re-growth. Soils erode, the land loses fertility.
Logging. Commercial logging operations cut hardwoods for export abroad. Most logging
though is for firewood or charcoal, which are used as cooking fuel.
Cattle Ranching. Abandoned farms are often converted to cattle ranches. But because the
soil is so poor, it cannot support enough vegetation for profitable cattle raising.
Illegal Wildlife Trade. The demand for exotic pets and products has created a thriving
black market in illegal wildlife trade. Many rain forests are losing important species to this trade.
Hydroelectric Projects. The need for inexpensive electricity and the creation of jobs leads
many countries to build hydroelectric dams. Huge amounts of rain forest are flooded, displacing
native wildlife and peoples.
What are the Solutions?
Protecting Habitats. Identifying and protecting critical habitats by creating national parks
and reserves can help save wildlife. Laws must be enforced and the support of local people must
be gained.
Restoring Endangered Species to the Wild. Reintroducing endangered animals to
protected areas of their native habitat can restore once-extinct populations.
Stopping Illegal Trade. Close monitoring of wildlife trade and enforcement of laws can
help protect endangered animals.
Education and Training. Helping local citizens understand the importance of
conservation activities creates support for wildlife conservation.
Research. Scientists do not know all there is to know about rain forests. Research must be
on going to develop effective programs.
What Can You Do?
Become better informed about the issues surrounding rain forest conservation.
Write letters to your senators and representatives urging them to support legislation and
programs that may benefit tropical rain forests.
Don’t buy animals or plants that are taken illegally from the wild.
Recycle.
Save a space for wildlife in your schoolyard or backyard.
Raise money to support conservation groups that are working to save rain forests.
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Resources: Children’s Books
Aldita and the Forest. Thelma Catterwell. (Hougton Mifflin, 1989).
Animals of the Tropical Rain Forests. Sylvia Jonson (Lerner, 1976).
At Home in the Rain Forest. Diane Willow (Charlesbridge, 1991).
Disappearing Rain Forest. Robert Prosser (Dryad, 1987).
The Great Kapok Tree. Lynne Cherry (Gulliver, 1990).
The Jungles: A Science Activity Book. Chris Moore (Puffin, 1988).
One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest. Jean Craighead George. (Harper Collins
Child Books, 1990).
Our Endangered Planet: Tropical Rain Forest. Mary Hoff and Mary M. Rodgers
(Learner, 1991).
People of the Tropical Rain Forest. Denslow and Padoch, editors (University of
California Press, 1988).
Rain Forest. Barbara Taylor (Dorling Kindersly, 1992).
Rainforest Homes. Althea (Cambridge University Press, 1985).
This Place is Wet. Vicki Cobb (Walker & Co., 1989).
Tropical Rain Forests Around the World. Elaine Landan (Watts, 1990).
A Walk in the Rain Forest. Kristen Joy Pratt (Dawn Publications, 1990).
Wonders of the Rain Forest. Janet Craig (Troll, 1990).
Resources: Adult Reference
Caufield, Catherine. In the Rain Forest. (University of Chicago Press, 1984).
Collins, Mark. The Last Rain Forests. (Oxford University Press, 1990).
Forsyth, Adrian and Miyata, Ken. Tropical Nature. (Charles Scribner’s Sons,
1984).
Hamilton, Jean. Tropical Rain Forests. (Blake Publishing, 1990).
Mitchell, Andrew. Wildlife of the Rainforest. (Mallard Press, 1989).
Newman, Arnold. Tropical Rainforest. (Facts on File, 1990).
Resources: Periodicals
The Canopy. Published quarterly by the Rainforest Alliance, 295 Madison Ave,
Suite 1804, New York, NY 10017.
Save the Rain Forest Updates. Free resource guides and updates published by Save
the Rain Forest, Inc., a student-teacher organization. Write Save the Rain Forest,
Dodgeville High School, 912 W. Chapel, Dodgeville, WI 53533.
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Resources: Teaching Kits
Our Only Earth-The Future of Our Tropical Rain Forests. 80-page book includes eight lessons,
fact cards, student handbook, and teacher’s guide. Grades 4-12 $16.95. Zephyr Press, 33865 E.
34th Street, #101 PO Box 13448-B, Dept 8, Tuscon, AZ 85732 (602) 745-9199.
Rain Forests: A Teacher’s Resource Guide. An 8-page guide to rain forest resources. Complied
by Lynne Chase of Southern Regional High School in Manahawking, New Jersey. Send $5
(includes postage and handling) to Rainforest Action Network, 450 Sansome, Suite 700, San
Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 398-4404.
Rain Forests: Kids for Conservation. Teacher’s guide with activities, puzzles, worksheets.
Grades K-12. FREE from Marine World Africa USA, Education Department, Marine World
Parkway, Vallejo, CA 94589.
Rain Forests: Tropical Treasures (NatureScope, Vol. 16) A 68-page booklet for teachers of
grades K-8. Order No. 75044 for $9.50 (includes postage and handling) from National Wildlife
Federation, 1400 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036.
Vanishing Rain Forests. 28-page color booklet, teacher’s manual, poster, and 6-minute
“Rainforest Rap” video. Entire kit is $20 (including postage). Order from Publications
Department, World Wildlife Fund, 1250 4th Street NW, Washington, DC 20037.
Resources: Conservation Organizations
Conservation International
1015 18th Street NW-Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 429-5660
National Audubon Society
950 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(212) 832-3200
National Wildlife Federation
1400 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 797-6800
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Resources:
Adopt-An-Acre Projects
Below are several organizations that
adoption of rain forest
acreage in specific tropical rain forest
areas. You are encouraged to write or call
for detailed information before sending
funds to any organization.
Donations help support
a research station in Costa Rica
and purchase canopy research
equipment.
Children’s Rainforest- Rio Bravo Preserve,
Belize
Save the Rain Forest
604 Jaimie Street
Dodgeville, WI 53533
Adopt-An-Animal Projects
Land can be purchased for $30 and acre
and endowed for $20. Deeds are sent at $50
or more.
Ecosystem Survival PlanCosta Rica or Belize
Norman Gershenz
San Francisco Zoo
100 Zoo Road
San Francisco, CA 94132
(415) 753-7080
www.sfzoo.org
Adopt-An-Animal Program
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
3411 Sherman Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46808
(260) 427-6827
Individuals and groups may
sponsor an animal for one year.
Adoption fees start at $25.00
$50 provides for the acquisition of one acre
of land to be set aside as a national park
in Belize. $130 for one acre in Costa Rica.
Tropical Canopy ResearchRio Avis, Costa Rica
Tropical Research and Education for the
Environment
PO Box 152
Tomales, CA 94971
(707) 878-2537
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Animal Facts:
Binturong
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Viverridae
Scientific Name: Arcitis binturcng
Range: Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and
Palawan Island; Burma, Malayan
and Indochinese peninsulas
Physical Characteristics: Resembles
a small bear; coarse, black hair arranged in tufts behind the ears;
prehensile (grasping) tail used to
climb trees. Weight about 45 pounds.
Life span about 18 years. Plantigrade
(walks on soles of feet).
Behavior: Solitary, nocturnal;
displays playful behavior similar to
that of a raccoon. Good climber, does
not leap or jump.
Habitat: High trees in dense forests
Natural Diet: Fruits, leaves, insects
birds, small mammals, and fish
Reproduction: Breeding season
occurs in March & October; one or
two young are born after gestation
period of 84-99 days.
Zoo Diet: Meat, monkey chow,
grapes, apple, orange, banana.
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Animal Facts:
Siamang
Class: Mammalia
Scientific Name: Hylobates
syndactylus
Range: Mountainous regions of
Sumatra and mainland Malaysia
Habitat: Tree dwelling in evergreen
tropical forests; usually found at 25-30
meters in the trees
Natural Diet: Leaves, fruits, sometimes
insects, bird eggs, small vertebrates
Zoo Diet: Apples, oranges, carrots, bananas,
sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, spinach,
grapes, pears, melon, tomatoes, broccoli
Physical Characteristics: Largest of the
gibbons; arm spread up to 1.5 meters. As a
member of the ape family, siamangs lack a tail.
Weight approximately 30 lbs. Fur is black;
throat sac expands when singing. Thumb of
hand and great toe of foot are deeply detached
for grasping. Webbing unites the second and
third toes. life span about 25 years.
Behavior: Diurnal. Feed in trees about 10.5
hours daily. Family group will hoot in unison
in early morning to establish its claim to a
feeding area, and again at night to mark home
territory. Call alternates between hoots and
barks, which are made louder by resonance
across greatly inflated throat sac.
All gibbons move by brachiation, a
hand over hand movement through
the treetops. When moving on the
ground, will walk upright with arms
held high for balance.
Live in groups consisting of a mated
pair and their offspring. Groups stay
close together throughout the day.
Social bonds reinforced by mutual
grooming.
Reproduction: Monogamous.
Gestation is 230-235 days. Single
young clings to its mother’s body
like a belt. Early in second year,
father takes over most care.
Conservation: Wild gibbons have
suffered severe losses through
destruction of habitat. Gibbons are
still fairly widespread throughout
their range but are classified as
endangered.
Note: Hylobates means “dweller in the trees.”
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Animal Facts:
Reticulated Python
Family: Boidae (boas and pythons)
Scientific Name: Python reticulates
Range: Southeast Asia, Philippines,
Indonesia
Color varies from tan to purplish
brown with a network of dark,
diamond-shaped markings.
Heat sensitive pits located on upper
and lower lips assist in detecting
warm-blooded prey in total darkness.
Habitat: Tropical forests
Natural Diet: hares, rats, wild pigs,
sometimes antelope; a large meal will
animals last the snake several weeks.
Zoo Diet: Chickens, rabbits
Physical Characteristics: Heavy
build with broad, flat head. Reaches
lengths up to 33 feet, average length
is about 20 feet; can weigh up to 440
pounds. Known as the world’s longest
snake, while the anaconda of South
America is the world’s heaviest.
Behavior: Largely arboreal in habit
but frequently descends to the ground
to feed on rodents or domestic
animals in the vicinity of villages.
Quick and skillful travelers. Often lie
in wait for prey, and then spring out
with front of body. Grip prey with
teeth, then constrict prey with body
coils to suffocate prey.
Reproduction: Egg-laying; may
produce 15-100 leathery-shelled eggs.
Female pythons are among the few
snakes which incubate their eggs by
coiling their body around the eggs. By
twitching the muscles in her body, the
female may be able to raise the
temperature in the immediate vicinity
of the eggs by as much as 12 degrees
above air temperature.
Conservation: Many large snake
species are endangered due to habitat
destruction and illegal hunting for
their skins, which are made into
purses, shoes, and belts.
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Animal Facts:
Malaysian Giant Walking Stick
Class: Insecta
Scientific Name: Pharnacia acanthopus
Range: Southeast Asia, Australia, and New
Guinea
Habitat: Warmer regions of the tropics;
found in trees and shrubs
Natural Diet: Plants
Zoo Diet: Plants
Physical Characteristics: Green or brown
in color; small head, antennae and eyes; legs
and body long and slender; resembles a twig
or branch. Reaches lengths up to 13 inches.
Behavior: Feed and move about at night;
motionless during the day; can mimic color
of the plant it is resting on; capable of regenerating lost limbs; can emit chemicals from a
special gland located on thorax as a defense
mechanism.
Reproduction: Female lays large, hardshelled eggs; several hundred eggs can be
laid which take several months to hatch;
parthenogenic- female can lay fertile eggs
without mating.
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GLOSSARY
Adaptation- a specialized physical or behavioral feature of a plant or animal that helps it to
survive in its environment.
Average Temperature- the result of adding up temperatures for a period of time and dividing
the answer by the number of figures. Average temperatures are usually worked out over a period
of at least 35 years.
Biodiversity- many different kinds of plants and animals living in one area. Also known as
biological diversity.
Bromeliads- s tropical plant, a member of the pineapple family that grows on the branches or
trunks of trees.
Camouflage- appearance that renders an organism less visible to other organisms.
Canopy- a thick, overhead layer of forest made by the tops of trees and vines.
Climate- type of weather in a particular area. It is described in terms of factors such as
temperature, amount of rainfall and humidity.
Continent- one of the principal landmasses of earth (north America, South America, Africa,
Asia, Europe, Australia, Antarctica).
Deciduous- the characteristic of vascular plants that shed their leaves.
Decompose- the process by which dead plants and animals are broken down into nutrients that
can be used again by living things; organisms involved in this process are known as
decomposers.
Diversity- variety of things
Drip-tip- leaves that come to a point allowing rainwater to drip off.
Ecosystem- a place where certain animals and plants live and depend on each other for life. An
ecological unit formed by the interactions of the organisms within a community both with
themselves and with the non-living environment. An ecosystem has four components: producers,
consumers, decomposers, and the non-living environment. An ecosystem is a self-contained unit;
the plants and animals interact to produce all the materials they each need.
Emergent- a broken layer of trees that tower in height above the canopy.
Environment- surroundings.
Epiphyte- a plant that grows on another plant but does not harm it, also called an air plant.
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Equator- the imaginary line around the center of the earth dividing it into two equal halves
called the northern and southern hemispheres.
Erosion- the process of wearing away or destroying gradually by or as if by abrasion.
Evergreen- a forest that remains green throughout the year. An evergreen tree, shrub, or bush.
Forest Floor- the lowest level of the tropical rain forest where herbs, mosses, and fungi grow.
Gums- any variety of trees yielding gum; substance from various gum trees that dries into a
water-soluble solid.
Habitat- the home of any animal or plant which includes its food, water, shelter, and protection
from danger; the locality or natural home of a group of living things or a single living thing.
Small habitats can be found within large habitats, e.g. a river in a tropical rain forest.
Indigenous- the original or native people of a land or region.
Liana- a woody vine that is rooted in the soil and grows up the tree trunks.
Mimicry- resemble closely.
Niche- locality occupied by an organism in its habitat; level or position of importance of an
organism within its community. The place held in an ecosystem by a plant or animal.
Nutrients- substances such as vitamins and minerals that are necessary for life.
Parasite- a plant or animal that is unable to provide its own food and so gets all its food from
another plant or animal- the host organism.
Photosynthesis- a process in green plants where complex organic compounds are synthesized
from mineral-containing water and carbon dioxide using energy absorbed from sunlight by
chlorophyll. In all green plants, this process takes place in the chloroplasts. This process
produces oxygen as well as the plants’ food.
Poisonous- to have poison, a substance that causes injury, illness, or death.
Predator- an animal that hunts and kills other animals (its prey) for food.
Rainfall- the amount of rain that falls in a given time at a particular place.
Resin- a substance of plant origin used principally in varnishes, adhesives, plastics, and
pharmaceuticals.
Rosy periwinkle- a flowering plant that has medical value for treating childhood leukemia.
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Jungle Journeys
Soil- the top layer of the earth’s surface suitable for the growth of plant life.
Species- a group of animals or plants that is alike in many ways and can breed or mate to
produce seeds, eggs or live young.
Stilt Roots- a root system of some trees such as palms, which supports the tree.
Strangler Fig- this plant begins as an epiphyte but as their roots reach the ground, they grow
rapidly around their host tree smothering and eventually killing the tree.
Survival- to remain alive or in existence.
Temperate Forest- forests in the temperate zones. Temperate-lying in the middle latitudes in the
northern and southern hemispheres.
Tropical Rain Forest- an evergreen forest found in an area around the equator. There is much
rainfall and the climate is warm and humid year round. Sometimes called a jungle.
Tropic of Cancer- a tropical region above the equator.
Tropic of Capricorn- a tropical region below the equator.
Tropics- the regions north and south of the equator where the climate is warm year round.
Understory- a foliage layer of the tropical rain forest beneath and shaded by the canopy.
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