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March 2004 Spring is on its way, and so is the green! Use our new resources and Learning Site activities to bring fun facts about the rainforest’s green animals into your classroom. |
| Poem for Teachers | |||
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Our children are precious, and you help them grow. Teachers work hard ‘cause there’s something they know— That all kids are special; the future’s in their hands; With the knowledge you give them, they make big plans… To be scientists and teachers, and stewards of the Earth Who know how much the planet and its future are worth. As a teacher you guide them each step of the way To help each child discover the role he will play. And if children are precious, then teachers are too, So thank you for every thing that you do! -Fawn Stehlin |
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| The Three-Toed Sloth – Furry, Slow…and Green? | |||
| Have you ever wondered why the three-toed sloth looks green? Lumbering through tropical forests from southern Honduras to northern Argentina, the sloth moves so slowly that blue-green algae have time to grow in its fur. The algae give the sloth a greenish coloring that helps it to blend into its forest habitat, which is a big advantage to this sluggish mammal, whose predators include jaguars, eagles and people. The relationship between the sloth and the algae is symbiotic, meaning both organisms benefit. While the sloth derives the benefit of being camouflaged by the algae, the algae in turn get a free ride on the sloth’s grooved fur, and are meanwhile able to bask in the sunlight. Teach your class more about the three-toed sloth with the new species profile on the Learning Site. |
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| Symbiotic Creatures- The Poison-Arrow Frog & The Bromeliad | |||||
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Speaking of symbiosis, poison-arrow frogs -- also known as poison-dart frogs -- and bromeliads (plants of the pineapple family) also depend on one another for survival. You can teach your class about symbiotic relationships with the poison-arrow frog and the bromeliad exercise in the third/fourth-grade unit. After poison-arrow tadpoles hatch, their mothers carry them on their backs to bromeliads, where the tadpoles live and grow, each in its own drop of water that clings to the bromeliads’ leaves. The tadpoles feed on the algae and mosquito larvae that live on the bromeliads, while the bromeliads benefit from the nutrients found in the waste products of tadpoles. Visit the third/fourth grade unit of the Rainforest Alliance Learning Site to learn more about these amazing creatures and their symbiotic relationships. |
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| Earth Day is on its Way! | |||
| Earth Day is only a month away! On April 22, classes around the country will be celebrating our Earth. Do you have everything you need to celebrate with your students? The Learning Site can help you prepare with stories, slideshows and the new resources that are added to the site every month. Prepare for Earth Day at www.rainforest-alliance.org/education. Be sure to spread the word to your colleagues! |
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