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December 2004December, filled with festivities, presents a wonderful opportunity to learn about aspects of our culture that originated in the rainforest. It is also the perfect time of year to give something back to the rainforest. In this issue, you'll find fun holiday facts, gift ideas, the latest news from the Learning Site and updated resources for teachers. Happy holidays!
Pondering Poinsettias
A ubiquitous holiday symbol is the brilliant red or white poinsettia, a flowering plant that originated in the tropical forests of Mexico and Central America. The poinsettia is actually a small tree that was brought to the US in 1825 by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico. While the poinsettia has become a seasonal favorite, it is also a beautiful reminder of the many things in our everyday lives that originated in the rainforest. See our new poinsettia species profile for fun facts about this holiday favorite. A Gift That Keeps Giving
Donations to the Rainforest Alliance's Adopt-A-Rainforest projects support the purchase and sustainable management of tropical forest lands in Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Nicaragua. When you make a donation through Adopt-A-Rainforest in the name of a friend or relative, the gift recipient will receive a beautiful certificate and letter describing the area you are helping to protect. At the same time, a Rainforest Alliance partner organization in Latin America will gain your support to continue their conservation work. To send your gift or to learn more, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org/programs/aar. Working With Brooklyn Teachers
With support from Con Edison, the Rainforest Alliance and the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment, held an interactive workshop for twenty-six third and fourth grade teachers from three schools in Bushwick, NY. Teachers were introduced to the Learning Site and given the opportunity to participate in activities from our third grade units. For example, they examined land-use issues in Bushwick, compared them with those in Ecuador, and created stories similar to the original Rainforest Alliance story Romel's Rainforest Home, which highlights the similarities and differences between life in a rainforest and life in an urban environment. Joanne Mejías, principal of PS 377, enthusiastically described her staff's reaction to the workshop saying, "Our teachers can't stop talking about the Rainforest Professional Development." Workshop participants are now bringing Learning Site lessons into their classrooms so that their third and fourth graders can learn valuable science, culture, math and history lessons and connect their own environment to that of students in Latin America. A Page For Your Thoughts
"This is such a worthwhile curriculum that embraces so many wonderful interdisciplinary possibilities. The pathways are unending when you embrace the Rainforest Alliance, and promote meaningful and authentic lessons while having fun that satisfies students' curiosity!" says Joanne Bergamotto, Assistant Superintendent of Newark Public School of NJ. Toyota TAPESTRY Grants
The 2005 Toyota TAPESTRY program will award more than 20 mini-grants of $2,500 each and 50 grants of up to $10,000 each to K-12 science teachers. To apply, teachers should propose original science projects that can be implemented in their school or school district over a period of one year. To win a Toyota TAPESTRY grant, your project should "exhibit creativity, involve risk-taking, possess a visionary quality, and model a novel way of presenting science." If these fit your ideas for a new science project, visit www.nsta.org/programs/tapestry for more information. Sign up to receive Eco-Education Matters each month by email! |
