biomes - chewonki · biomes connecting climate and geogra phy chewonki’ s biomes – connecting...

BIOMES

Connecting Climate and Geography Chewonki’s Biomes – Connecting Climate and Geography program brings exotic ecosystems to life in your classroom using slides, activities, and live animals. We explore the incredible array of biological interactions occurring in a rainforest, discuss how plants and animals survive in the arid climates of hot deserts, and look at how winter in Maine affects the local �ora and fauna. Using hands-on activities, we take a look at the adaptations of plants and animals in three distinct biomes. The highlight of the programs is seeing an array of animals from around the world, from a gigantic Texas Millipede, to an Australian lizard, or one of Maine’s endangered species of turtles. Students will leave the program with a heightened understanding of the biodiversity, resilience and global importance of these amazing biomes.

Equipment and Room Requirements

● Classroom or multi-purpose room space is �ne. The room must be adequately darkened for slides. ● The school must provide a screen for the slide show. ● Chairs (or desks & chairs) for students, or comfortable �oor space. ● Presentations may be done at a single location or in individual classrooms, if 15 minutes is allowed

between presentations to move equipment. ● Group size maximum- 30 ● Teachers must be present in the room during the program. ● It is helpful to have a rolling cart available to help move boxes into the building and between classes. ● Please have students wear the name tags provided in this packet.

Note: Permits are required for most of the specimens (living and stuffed) that are used in Chewonki Traveling Natural History Programs and students are reminded of the legal limitations of private collections. All of our living animals are non-releasable because of injuries or were captive raised before arriving at Chewonki. No animals have been harmed or taken specifically for use in Chewonki programs.

Chewonki Wiscasset, Maine Traveling Natural History Programs

(207) 882-7323

Class Outline

Each presentation takes one hour. The program is designed for grades four – adult. Adjustments are made for each grade and ability level. This is an outline of what may be expected during a typical Chewonki Biomes presentation: A. Introduction:

1. What is a biome? 2. Why should we study them? 3. What are some different types of biomes around the world?

B. Tropical Rainforests 1. Tropical rainforests are fascinating places that contain huge amounts of

biodiversity. Using stunning pictures in a slideshow students will learn what biodiversity is and how animals in the rainforest are adapted to competitive pressures.

2. Live tropical lizard or insect

C. Deserts 1. While deserts are dry places the amount of animals and plants that thrive in them is

surprising. What is actually inside of a cactus? We’ll explore that question and discuss how plants and animals survive in some of the harshest climates on the planet.

2. Live tarantula or desert-dwelling lizard

D. Temperate Forests 1. Our local biomes are fascinating as well. The plants and animals that live in Maine

need to be able to survive yearly �uctuations of almost 100 degrees (Maine’s winter lows can dip below zero while summer highs can soar to above 90 degrees.) We’ll talk about how plants and animals can thrive in such a dynamic environment.

2. Live animal from temperate forest that could be a turtle, duck, snake, etc.

Chewonki Traveling Natural History Programs www.chewonki.org

PRESS RELEASE

Date: Contact:

Biomes: Connecting Climate and Geography What: A one-hour program for those interested in biomes around the world When : Time : Where : Cost : Presenter : How do plants in Maine thrive in hot, humid summers but survive during the frigid winters? Does a cactus actually have water inside of it? Our Biomes program address these questions as well as exploring other exotic biomes from around the world. The incredible biodiversity of a tropical rainforest, the resilience of animals living in arid deserts, and the dynamic adaptations of organism living in temperate zones is explored through a slide presentation, as well as several hands-on activities. The highlight of the programs is seeing an array of animals from around the world such as our Texas Desert Millipede, Australian Water Dragon, or one of Maine’s endangered species of turtles. Students will leave the program with a heightened understanding of the biodiversity, resilience and global importance of these amazing biomes.


Vocabulary

Adaptation A behavior, physical feature, or other characteristic that helps an animal survive and make the most of its habitat.

Arid Having little or no rain.

Biological Diversity The full array of all species on earth, the genetic variation in their respective populations, and the varied ecosystems in which they interact.

Biome A complex biological community characterized by distinctive animals and plants and maintained under speci�c climates.

Conifers Also known as evergreens, these trees have needles instead of broad leaves.

Deciduous Broad leaved trees that lose their leaves during cold fall and winter months then re-grow them once spring arrives.

Desert A dry, often sandy, region of very little rainfall, extreme temperatures and sparse vegetation.

Ecosystem All the living and nonliving things that interact in a particular place in the environment.

Epiphyte A plant that grows on other plants. The roots of many epiphytes can absorb moisture directly from the air.

Hibernation A state of inactivity and metabolic depression during the winter to conserve energy.

Indigenous To occur naturally in a certain area. "Indigenous peoples" is most often used to mean the tribal peoples, such as American Indians, who lived in an area before Europeans arrived.

Migration The movement of animals from one region to another in search of new habitat.

Nocturnal Occurring or active at night.

Seed Dispersal The way that seeds travel from the parent plant to the ground by wind, gravity, or animals.

Succulent Also known as fat plants, succulents are water-retaining plants that grow in dry, arid regions.

Temperate Forest A forest that goes through different seasons. The plants and animals that survive in these habitats are adapted for the constantly shifting temperatures.

Tropical Rainforest A lush, green forest located at low elevations in regions between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Tropical rainforests are characterized by abundant rainfall and a very warm, humid climate year-round.


Classroom Activities Here are a few activities to enhance your lesson on rainforests and environmental awareness. Activities are designed to be interdisciplinary and easily adapted for almost any age group.

Social Studies Activities • Conduct an informal survey of land use in your community (this can involve the students or not depending on their age) and �nd out what percent of the land is used for residential, business, recreational and industrial purposes. Use this information to initiate a discussion about why land is apportioned this way. What purposes are served? Is this the only way to divide the land? What happens to wildlife when land is used in di�erent ways. Then move the discussion to land use decisions in rainforest nations-- how does land use di�er and what are the probable reasons for these di�erences? Could the land be used in di�erent ways? •Set up a role-playing simulation involving a land issue like the dispute over Yanomano lands in Brazil. Roles could include tribal leaders, government o�cials, gold prospectors, anthropologists, conservationists. Students must clearly state the legitimacy of their position. Can a solution be reached? What important issues arise from these negotiations? After the role-playing, discuss di�culties in negotiating and given these di�culties, what might be the best possible solution(s). •Prepare a chart about how life might be di�erent in the rainforest. Include such chart headings as Home, Foods, Clothing, and Pets. •Have the students research and prepare a presentation about businesses selling products that do not harm the environment. They may want to look both locally and nationally.

Math Activities • Some trees in tropical rainforests grow to heights of 200 feet, or 60 meters, above the forest �oor. Create a bar graph comparing the average heights of rainforest trees (at each layer) with the average heights of trees in your own neighborhood. •Create a chart or graph comparing the average temperature and average rainfall amount in your city with both tropical and temperate rainforests. • Look at current projections for environmental statistics about soil erosion, gas emissions, species loss, deforestation and any other issues that might capture students’ interests. Based on the current �gures, try to project 10, 20, and 30 years ahead. Hold a discussion, give a writing assignment, or ask the students to create charts or draw maps that highlight the scale of these projections and their e�ects on the planet and our lifestyle. •Have the class design and do an environmental survey that would examine local knowledge (meaning the awareness of people who live in or near rainforests) and awareness of rainforest issues. The class would have to think about what questions to ask, how to ask them, and the signi�cance of the results.

Science Activities •Look at readings about successful campaigns by environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to give students a sense of the potential impacts of intelligent citizen action and lobbying. Possible topics might include the drift-net ban, dolphin-safe tuna, or the Rainforest Alliance’s ECO-O.K. certi�cation program [web site] or Smart Wood [web site]. Analyze why certain techniques are e�ective in prompting governments or corporations to modify their behavior. Brainstorm other conservation ideas. •Compile an illustrated booklet with information about medicinal plants from the rain forest.


•Use a variety of weather maps to answer the question: “why did rainforests form?” Look at ocean, wind and weather patterns. Note the sorts of conditions along the equator that create this ecosystem. This could be coupled with a visual “tour” of the major rainforests, noting their similarities and di�erences and what might be the climatic or other underlying reasons for these.

Language Arts •Some possibilities for student essays based on discussions centered around rainforests:

-describe a world with no rainforest, what is lost? -why do we value the environment? In other words, what are the spiritual or philosophical roots of

environmentalism? •Create a poster or pamphlet to tell about the state of rainforests today. Include information from a pen pal who lives in an area with tropical or temperate rainforests. •Compare the writings of a variety of cultures about the origin of earth and nature. Look at myths, legends, the role of gods, etc. Look at themes they have in common involving stewardship of the earth, human’s role towards nature, and so on. These myths could be illustrated or added to by the class. •Have an older class design and teach a lesson or lessons on rainforest issues to a younger group. They would have to create visual hand-outs and could prepare photographs or illustrations of a rainforest plant and animal life. They would have to agree in advance on the objectives of their lesson, based on research. •Students could do a report on an animal from the rainforest, with facts about its habitat, food, babies, etc. They could include pictures that they �nd or draw. •Create word search and crossword puzzles using newly learned rainforest vocabulary.

Art, Recreation and ideas for younger students •Make paper mache masks such as those some indigenous tribes use for dances and dramatic productions. •Create a dioramas or mural showing each layer of the rainforest and the plants and animals living in the rich ecosystem. •Make blocks for a class rainforest theme quilt by illustrating a scene, using natural dyes, on a 12-by 12-inch piece of unbleached fabric. Consider showing plant and animal species that are already extinct or endangered due to human interference. Work as a team to assemble the quilt. •Younger children will enjoy a smell identi�cation game made with �lm canisters, rubber bands and some cloth squares, and various fragrant tropical products like cloves, lemon peel, pineapple or chocolate. Put a little of the fragrant item into the canister and convert it with a cloth and rubber band. After the children guess what the smells are, they will probably want to see what’s in the canisters so rubber bands work better than tape. •Make a rainforest fruit salad using all of the fruits that we get from the rainforest.


TROPICAL FOREST PRODUCTS WOOD: Although one has to be careful when buying tropical woods, it is not necessarily something to be completely avoided. There is now a certi�cation process, where wood is labeled as being grown in an ecological way. Look for this labeling when buying tropical woods such as:

teak balsa mahogany sandalwood rosewood

These tropical woods are found commonly in our homes and surroundings. They are used for:

doors garden furniture toys packing cases and boxes windowsills insulation �ooring general construction sub�ooring railroad ties paneling warf pilings veneer boat building cabinetry chemical vats jointry buoyancy materials dresser drawers drawing boards salad bowls

HOUSE PLANTS: Many of the plants in our homes come from rainforests. They do well inside because they are adapted to live with the low levels of sunlight found on the forest �oor. Some of the most common houseplants are:

Crotons Philodendron Fiddle-leaf �g Rubber tree plant Mother-in-law's tongue Sche�era Parlor ivy Bromeliads Swiss cheese plant Zebra plant

FIBERS: Plants in the rainforest often are �brous and commercially useful for things like:

bamboo- furniture, baskets jute/kenaf- rope, burlap kapok- insulation, soundproo�ng, life jackets ra�a- rope, cord, baskets ramie- furniture, wickerwork, baskets, chair seats

ESSENTIAL OILS: Often fragrance and �avorings we use daily contain essential oils found in the leaves or bark of tropical plants such as:

camphor oil- perfume, soap, disinfectant, detergent coconut oil- suntan lotion, candles eucalyptus oil- perfume oil of star anise- scenting, confections, beverages, cough drops palm oil- shampoo, detergents patchouli oil- perfume rosewood oil- perfume, cosmetics, �avoring sandalwood oil- perfume ylang-ylang- perfume

GUMS AND RESINS: Natural gums and resins we use are:

Chicle latex- chiclets chewing gum copaiba- perfume, fuel


copal- paints and varnishes gutta percha- golf ball covers rubber latex- rubber products tung oil- wood �nishing

FOODS AND SPICES: SPICES: allspice lime cardamom cayenne tumeric

chili cinnamon cloves ginger sesame seeds mace nutmeg paprika vanilla

FRUITS: avocado banana breadfruit coconut passion fruit

guava lemon grapefruit jackfruit black pepper mango orange papaya durian pineapple plantain rambutan tangerine

VEGETABLES AND OTHER FOODS:

brazil nuts cane sugar co�ee cashew nuts chocolate chayote cucumber hearts of palm okra peanuts peppers macadamia nuts cola tea vermouth mayonnaise(coconut oil)


Background Info or Links to sites/other activities: Websites that are good for background: Rainforersts http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/ http://kids.mongabay.com/ Deserts http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/ http://horizon.nmsu.edu/


http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/

biomes - chewonki · biomes connecting climate and geogra phy chewonki’ s biomes – connecting...

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