THE RAINFOREST

PEELING AWAY THE LAYERS

How to use this program

Read the informat ion on each page and writ e your answer to the quest ions on

. your worksheet Then check your answer . with the answer key When you come to

, a Quick Quiz just click on the correct.answer

When you have finished this program, you should be able to:

• Name and discuss the different layers of the rain forest.

• Identify at least two characteristics of any eight rain forest animals.

• Locate the areas in which the world’s rain forests exist.

• Identify the many products that originate in the rain forest and explain why scientists study those forests.

• State at least two important characteristics of any four native people of the rain forest.

• State at least three reasons why we should try to save the world’s rain forests.

Vocabulary

Equator: An imaginary line around the middle of the earth. It is halfway between the North and South poles.

Ethnobotanist: A special scientist that studies how rain forest people use rain forest plants for food, medicine, and materials.

Indigenous: Originating in the region of country where found.

Tropic of Cancer: An imaginary circle around the earth, 23.45 degrees north of the equator.

Tropic of Capricorn: An imaginary circle around the earth 23.45 degrees south of the equator.

It is dawn in the rain forest. On this hot, sunny morning, steam rises from the trees. Far away, a rustling waterfall can be heard. What mysteries does this warm, wet forest hold? Whose home is it? Well, actually, it’s my home. Hi! My name is Molly. I am a Morphos butterfly and I live in this lush forest, along with half of the different kinds of animals in the world.

At first, the forest seems like a still, almost empty place. Seen from above, the treetops look like a giant umbrella. It is an umbrella made from patches of every shade of green. Tall trees grow so closely together that the ground below cannot be seen.

Look carefully among the trees. There are many surprises to be found. Here and there, a giant white or red flower adds a spot of color. A flock of brightly colored birds suddenly takes flight. And here is a monkey. At first it is still and nearly invisible among the branches. Then, with a loud chatter, off the monkey goes, swinging through the trees. As you work through this program, you will learn many more interesting facts about my home.

The rain forest is comprised of a number of layers, sort of like a cake. While all of the layers share common characteristics and together make up the rain forest as a whole, each layer has a slightly different environment.

Question 1:What is the rain forest made up of?LayersCakeEnvironments

The top layer of the rain forest is called the emergent layer. It is made up of the tops of the tallest trees, which usually stand one hundred thirty (130) feet or higher. Boy, is that tall! They tend to be very straight, with just a few lower branches and leaves to intercept sunlight.

Question 2: The tops of the tallest trees

make up the ____________ layer of the rain forest.

Below the emergent layer is the canopy layer of the rain forest. The canopy trees are usually sixty to ninety feet tall and closely spaced. The top of the canopy in most rain forests is in nearly constant sunlight. But the branches of the canopy block most of the sunlight from reaching the lower layers of the forest.Question 3:The __________ of the canopy block most of the sunlight from reaching the lower layers of the rain forest.Moon Branches Birds

Below the canopy is the understory layer of the rain forest. The understory extends from near the ground up about forty or fifty feet. It consists of the trunks of canopy trees, of young trees still growing toward the canopy, and of shade trees.Question 4:The layer below the canopy is called the understory.

True or False?

The bottom layer of the rain forest is called the forest floor. There are several distinctive features about the rain forest floor. One is that vegetation is very sparse except where sunlight filters through a light gap. The quality of the soil is also very unusual. The nutrients of the rain forest soil are found mostly on top of the ground.

Question 5:There is an overcrowding of vegetation throughout the forest floor. True or False?

Quick QuizClick on the correct answer to

the following questions.

What is the bottom of the rain forest called?

Understory Forest Floor Emergent

Great Job!Click on the correct answer to

the following question.

What is the layer below the canopy consisting of trunks of

canopy trees?

Emergent Forest Floor Understory

Good Work!Click on the correct answer to

the following question.

What layer has trees that usually reach sixty to ninety feet in

height?

Understory Canopy Forest Floor

Super!Click on the correct answer to

the following question.

What is the top layer of the rain forest called?

Forest Floor Emergent Canopy

Sorry, Try Again!

Click here to continue

You are a real expert on the layers of the rain forest!

Now read a little about the animals in the rain forest and

write the answers to the questions on your worksheet.

The keel-billed toucan has a bill like a large lobster claw. A toucan’s bill comes in handy when it feeds on fruit. The bill looks heavy, but it has many air pockets in it that make it light. The toucan’s bill is especially colorful. Maybe that’s why the toucan is a favorite in zoos.Question 7:The keel-billed toucan feeds on:Insects McDonald’s French Fries Fruit

The three-toed sloth is an animal that moves in slow motion. It moves as slowly as a tortoise, taking about three hours to go one mile. The sloth spends its entire life high in the threes of the rain forest. It finds plenty of food there without having to move quickly to get it. Green algae grows in its hair and moths live there, making the sloth almost part of the forest.Question 8:The three-toed sloth moves as slowly as a:Hare Tortoise Rollerskate

The jaguar is the largest cat in the western hemisphere. It can weight up to 300 pounds. The jaguar has yellow fur with deep black markings. Jaguars are fine climbers and swimmers. They eat large rodents, deer, tapirs, and even fish. The jaguar is at home on the forest floor or higher in the trees of the rain forest.Question 9:Jaguars eat plants and berries. True or False?

The red-eyed tree frog is a small green frog with large red eyes. It has long hind legs, so that it can leap at any passing insect. The frog catches the insect in mid-air. Then it lands safely because it has suction pads on its long toes.Question 10:The red-eyed tree frog has ___________ on its long toes.Brakes Suction Pads Hair

I am the largest cat in the western hemisphere. I am known for my deep black markings.Who am I?

Quick QuizClick on the animal that fits each description

Jaguar

Sloth

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

I have a bill like a lobster claw. I am know for my colorful markings.Who am I?

Great Job!Keep going!

Jaguar

Sloth

Toucan

I move as slow as a tortoise. Green algae grows in my hair. I am known for my three toes.Who am I?

Wow! Try this One!

Red-eyed Tree Frog

Sloth

Toucan

I have long hind legs and can catch insects in mid-air. I am known for my red eyes.Who am I?

Super! Here’s another!

Jaguar

Red-eyed Tree Frog

Toucan

Sorry, Try Again!

Click here to continue

You really know your rain forest animals!

Read about four more animals who make there home here…

The fer-de-lance is a poisonous snake that can grow to be nine feet long. It is a pit viper. There is a small pit between its eyes and nostrils that senses any tiny change in temperature, so the snake knows when a warm blooded animal is near. The fer-de-lance kills its prey with a poisonous strike and then eats it whole. The snake eats small animals such as mice, lizards, and frogs.Question 12:The fer-de-lance kills its prey with a:Gun Poisonous strike Banana

The iguana is a large lizard that can grow to be six feet long. Most iguanas live in deserts, but some live in the trees of rain forests. Unlike other lizards, which eat insects, the iguana eats fruit, flowers, and leaves. Iguanas like to lie motionless on a large branch of a tree.Question 13:The iguana is a large ______________.Lizard Rodent Building

Spider monkeys hunt for leaves and fruit in small groups. They are wonderful acrobats. They can leap twenty feet through the air to land safely in another tree. A spider monkey has a special tail that can be used like a hand to hang from trees or to reach for fruit. Spider monkeys can be found in any layer of the rain forest - from high in the trees to the ground.Question 14:The spider monkey has a special:Mother Hat Tail

The harpy eagle is the largest and most powerful eagle in the world. It builds its nest high in the forest canopy. From there, the harpy eagle can hunt for monkeys and other mammals, macaws, and snakes.Question 14:The harpy eagle builds its nest in the forest ___________:Dungeon Canopy Floor

I am a lizard. I eat fruit, leaves, and flowers. I am known for my green skin.Who am I?

Quick QuizClick on the animal that fits each description

Fer-de-lance

Iguana

Spider Monkey

I am a poisonous snake. I kill my prey with a poisonous strike and then eat it whole.Who am I?

Great Job!Keep going!

Fer-de-lance

Iguana

Harpy Eagle

I hunt for leaves and fruit in small groups. I am known for being a great acrobat and hanging by my tail.Who am I?

Wow! Try this One!

Iguana

Harpy Eagle

Spider Monkey

I am the largest and most powerful bird in the world. I hunt for monkeys and other mammals.Who am I?

Super! Here’s another!

Harpy Eagle

Fer-de-lance

Spider Monkey

Sorry, Try Again!

Click here to continue

You are becoming a rain forest expert!

Now read about where rain forests grow…

Rain forests grow in tropical parts of the world in South and Central America, Africa, Asia, and in the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Tropical lands lie near the equator and in the bands between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Question 17:

Tropical lands lie near the North and South Poles. True or False?

In the tropic areas near the equator, the seasons do not change very much. The weather is hot all year round. This makes it easy for many kinds of plants and animals to live and grow in the rain forest.Question 18:The weather in the tropics is ________all year round.Hot Frosty Cold

Rain forests near the equator are called tropical rain forests. In these rain forests, every day is like a hot summer day. Other rain forests are father from the equator. They are not as hot, but are slightly cooler. They are called temperate rain forests. All rain forests are very wet. More rain falls in these areas than anywhere else on earth.Question 19:The farther the rain forest is from the equator, the _________ it is.Hotter Windier Cooler

Answer the questions on the next six slides to see the

secret picture!

#2

#1 #3

#4

#5 #6

Question 1

What are the rain forests near the equator called?

Answer 1

Tropical rain forests

#2

#3

#4

#5 #6

Question 2

Where do rain forests grow?

Answer 2

In tropical regions

#3

#4

#5 #6

Question 3

What are the rain forests farther from the equator called?

Answer 3

Temperate rain forests

#4

#5 #6

Question 4

Where do tropical lands lie?

Answer 4

Near the equator

#5 #6

Question 5

What is the weather like in the tropics?

Answer 5

Hot and wet all year round

#6

Question 6

How is a tropical rain forest different than a temperate rain forest?

Answer 6It is hotter in a tropical rain forest and

cooler in a temperate rain forest

Great Job! Now read on about the people who live in

rain forests around the world.

The indigenous people of the rain forest are often called forest people and they have lived in the rain forests of the world for thousands of years. Tribes of Mbuti Pygmies live in Central Africa. The

Mbuti Pygmies are not farmers. They live by hunting for food and gathering wild fruits and plants to eat. For other things they need, the Pygmies trade with farmers.Question 20:The Mbuti Pygmies live by hunting for food and gathering wild plants to eat. True or false?

One hundred years ago, almost the entire island of Borneo inSoutheast Asia was arain forest. A tribecalled the Penan followed game and gathered fruits in thevast forest. Today, forty percent of Borneois deforested. The Penan, who oncenumbered more than ten thousand, have been reduced to afew thousand. Their future is threatened.Question 21:A tribe called the ________ lives on an island in SoutheastAsia and gathered fruits in the rain forest.Penan Power Rangers Borneo

In Brazil, the remaining Indians cling to their traditional ways of living. The Kayapo are a group that live in central Brail along a major tributary of the Amazon called the Xingu River. The Kayapo farm the fertile land along the river and its tributaries. They harvest Brazil nuts that grow there and they fish.Question 22:The Kayapo are a group that live in:Africa Brazil Europe

The Amerindians of South America grow food as well as hunt. They cut down trees to make a clearing in the forest and then plant vegetables. They build a village and fence in the crops to keep out animals. They stay in one village until no more crops grow, then move on. The Amerindian women grate, dry, and sift roots to make flour for bread.Question 23:The Amerindian women grate, dry, and sift __________ to make flour for bread:Trees Roots Cucumbers

ReviewWrite the letter that best matches

each description1. This Brazilian tribe lives and

farms along the fertile Xingu River.

25. This tribe lives in Central Africa. They live by hunting for food and gathering wild fruits.

26. This tribe grows food as well as hunt. They stay in one village until no more crops grow and then move on.

27. This tribe follows game and gathers fruit in the northern part of Borneo.

A. Amerindians

• Mbuti Pygmies

• Penan

D. Kayapo

When the forest is destroyed, it may be possible to save indigenous people who live in the forest, but it will not be possible to save their cultures. These people will no longer be able to make traditional houses using traditional tools because the materials will be gone. It will become difficult or meaningless for these people to practice religion or hold festivals related to the forest.Question 28:When the forest is destroyed, it may not be possible to save the people’s ____________.

Burning the rain forest can affect the world’s climate, because burning releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This contributes to the greenhouse effect, which is when the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere warms up, causing many environmental problems.Question 29:The burning of the rain forest releases ____________ into the atmosphere.carbon dioxide oxygen

cheese

Medical doctors also look to the rain forest for useful drugs. There are probably many more drugs waiting to be discovered. There are 250,000 of species of rain forest plants that might be useful for making medicine.Question 30:The rain forest has over 250,000 ____________ that can be useful to doctors.animals dirt plants

Rainforest Test

• What are the four layers of the rain forest?

• List two characteristics of any two rain forest animals.

• Where do the world’s rain forests exist?• What familiar products come from the rain

forest? Name at least three.• Name at least two native people of the rain

forest.

Rainforest Test Continued

• What effect does the destruction of the rain forests have on the world’s climate?

• Name at least two characteristics of any layer of the rain forest.

• Explain why we should help save the rain forest.

• Why do scientists study the plants found in the rain forest?

• Name two countries that contain a rain forest.