Did you use the Rainforest Alliance curricula in your classroom this school year? Send us your feedback and enter to win a copy of Encyclopedia of Rainforests by the Rainforest Alliance's director of communications, marketing and education, Diane Jukofsky. This encyclopedia is a wonderful resource for any rainforest study and will make a great addition to your classroom library.

After filling out this brief survey and providing feedback on our educational materials, your name will be entered in a drawing to win the encyclopedia. Please provide examples from your classroom and submit student samples, if possible. Deadline for submitting a completed survey is July 31, 2007.

Looking for an interesting summer activity to engage a group of summer school students, a camp group or an extracurricular club? Whether visiting a local park, watching a bird build a nest or digging for worms in their backyards, children can learn a great deal by observing the nature in their neighborhoods.

This summer, have your students keep a nature journal, where they record in words and pictures information about the plants and animals they see. Encourage your students to visit the same locations during different times of the day and season, and note any changes. When recording observations, remind them to include the date, time and weather along with other reflections. Challenge your class to keep a list of their summer observations.

Learn about how animals in your neighborhood adapt to the climate and habitats in which they live.

This year, the Rainforest Alliance Learning Site received over 1.3 million views and downloads from educators who accessed our free multidisciplinary resources -- a 59 percent increase from the last school year.

To help demonstrate the effectiveness of our educational materials, we created two short videos highlighting the curricula in action at our partner schools. Using the Rainforest Alliance's lessons, interactive presentations, stories and additional resources, each of these schools participated in an in-depth study of rainforests and learned about an on-the-ground conservation project in Latin America.

Students at Lafayette Street School in Newark, NJ are helping to protect rainforests and integrate activism into their studies.

Students at Quitman Street Community School in Newark, NJ are fascinated by the unique wildlife that inhabits tropical forests.

The Yellowstone Association Institute and the National Parks Service are offering professional development courses for educators in Yellowstone National Park this summer and fall. Learn about the history, geology and ecology of this fascinating landscape and bring these lessons into your classroom next school year. Graduate-level semester credits and continuing education credits are available through Colorado State University.

Discovery Southeast offers teacher training expeditions in Alaska during the summer months. The expeditions are led by a veteran naturalist. Participants spend five days studying the ecology of Alaska and the habits of bears, seals or whales. Each course earns three professional development (500 level) credits from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Searching for additional grants to help your classroom? Grant Wrangler is a free listing service filled with funding ideas and awards for science, technology, history, math, art and more. This searchable directory makes it easy for teachers and schools across the United States to find funding to support their work.

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© 2007 Rainforest Alliance