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November 2004The sight of leaves turning brilliant orange and red reminds us each autumn to appreciate the splendid beauty of trees. Use the resources from the Learning Site this month to bring a little nature into your classroom. Read on for more activities perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Your Thanksgiving Cornucopia
The Wild Turkey as our National Bird? Listen to this...
Test your student's bird knowledge this month. Benjamin Franklin once suggested that the turkey - not the bald eagle - be our national bird. Do you know what the national bird of Brazil is? The rufous-bellied thrush, known for its vibrant color and beautiful song, was officially recognized only two years ago in October, 2002 as an official symbol of Brazil. Learn more about thrushes with our new species profile, and listen to the song of the Rufous-bellied thrush and other birds of Brazil on the Brazilian Environment Ministry Web site. People Inhabit the Rainforests, Too
As your students learn about the history of Native Americans in the United States during this Thanksgiving season, it's a perfect time to teach them about indigenous people throughout Latin America as well. Native people who have traditionally lived in and depended on rainforests for centuries are being pushed out of their homes as tropical forests are lost to agricultural development and slash-and-burn farming. Students can learn about the home of the Yanomami of Brazil with our second grade units, and learn how the native Chachi of Ecuador depend on the rainforest to harvest cocoa with our third and fourth grade units. Teacher summaries are available on the Great Resources page to get you started. Scholarships to the Amazon Rainforest WorkshopWin a chance of a lifetime - Travel2Learn is offering a
$1000 scholarship to kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers and environmental educators to travel to the Amazon and work with scientists in one of the world's most biologically-rich and most threatened areas. Scheduled for July 5-14, 2005, the Amazon Rainforest Workshop for Educators offers the opportunity for teachers to visit indigenous people of the rainforest and experience the natural wonders of the Amazon rainforest on a canopy walkway. Academic credit is available, and application deadlines are January 8, February 8, and March 8, 2005. For more information and to apply, visit the Travel2Learn Web site or contact: Computers for Learning -- Don't Miss Out
Schools across the US are receiving badly-needed computers through a federal government program called Computers for Learning. Through this initiative, hundreds of classrooms are receiving computers and equipment based on their needs. Most of the computers are older models of Windows-based PCs, but as the government continues to upgrade its systems, the number of surplus Pentium computers will increase. Schools can register to request equipment on the Computers for Learning Web site at www.computers.fed.gov, or by contacting them at (202) 501-3846, computers.learning@gsa.gov. Sign up to receive Eco-Education Matters each month by email! |
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