Earlier this month the Rainforest Alliance in partnership with Project Learning Tree attended the National Science Teacher's Association (NSTA) conference in Baltimore, Maryland, where we introduced attendees to our seventh and eighth grade banana curriculum. For those of you who were unable to participate, we would like to share some lessons and activities that will have your students going bananas.

With a market of nearly five billion dollars a year, the banana is probably the world's most popular fruit and after rice, wheat, and maize the most economically important crop on Earth. Banana businesses are economic pillars in many tropical countries, providing millions of jobs for rural residents.

But, for much of its history, the banana industry was notorious for environmentally destructive and socially irresponsible farming practices. As companies attempted to keep production high and costs low, they tended to cultivate only single crops in their plantations. The lack of biodiversity made the plants susceptible to disease, which farm managers controlled using frequent applications of pesticides that would leak into drinking water, pollute irrigation canals and endanger the health of workers, their families and communities.

In 1991 the Rainforest Alliance, along with local nonprofit organizations, scientists and farmers established the first standards for responsible banana production. Today, more than 15 percent of all the bananas in international trade come from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. These farms are guaranteed to meet a rigorous set of standards that protect wildlands and wildlife, soil and water, reduce agrochemical use, and improve the quality of life for farm workers and their families. The environment and the communities surrounding Rainforest Alliance Certified banana plantations benefit from both on-farm improvements and off-farm recognition, setting the pace for the rest of the banana sector.

Learn how you can buy Rainforest Alliance Certified bananas that help protect forests in Latin America.

View our seventh and eighth grade units for other lesson ideas that will have your class going bananas.

Find out more about why certification is important and how, as a consumer, you play a critical role in rainforest conservation.

Each year people around the world eat over 55 million tons of bananas. Ask your students for their ideas of why people might like bananas so much.

Survey your class to find out their favorite ways to eat bananas. Ask them...

1. Which fruit is your favorite? (Check one.)

____ Apple
____ Banana
____ Grapes
____ Orange
____ Strawberries
____ Watermelon
____ Other (write the name): __________________

2. How many bananas do you eat in a typical week? (Check one.)

____ None
____ 1 - 3 bananas a week
____ 4 - 6 bananas a week
____ 6 or more bananas a week

3. What do you like about bananas? (Check all that apply.)

____ They are sweet.
____ They are soft.
____ They are easy to peel and eat.
____ They are good for you.
____ They are easy to pack in a lunch.
____ Nothing. I don't like them.
____ Other (describe): _____________

4. How do you like to eat bananas?

(Fill in the oval that best describes how much you like each way.)

	Yuck!	So-So	Pretty Good	Yummy	Delicious!
	1	2	3	4	5
Just peel it and eat it	O	O	O	O	O
In smoothies	O	O	O	O	O
In banana bread	O	O	O	O	O
On pancakes	O	O	O	O	O
In banana splits	O	O	O	O	O
Other: __________	O	O	O	O	O

5. Where do you think bananas grow?

After your students have cast their votes, have them develop a survey to find out from family and friends whether they think bananas are popular, and if so, why. Ask students what specifically they hope to learn from their surveys (for example, whether kids like bananas more than adults, whether bananas are the favorite fruit in your community, and so on). Have your class analyze and graph their results to learn why bananas are so popular.

View the complete lesson with more ideas about creating a banana survey with your students.

Download the PDF version of this banana survey to easily print and use with your class.

Contrary to popular belief, banana plants are not trees but giant herbs, which reach their full height of between 10 and 20 feet after only a year. Every banana blossom develops into a fruit, which is ripe enough for consumption after about three or four months.

After producing fruit, the plants' stems die off, and are replaced by new growth. The number of bananas produced by each plant varies. However, 10 or more bananas growing together forms a "hand." Banana stems have on average 150 "fingers" and weigh nearly 100 pounds. The trunks of banana plants are not woody but composed of sheets of overlapping leaves wrapped tightly around one another, a design feature that enables them to conserve water.

Because banana plants are approximately 93 percent water, even moderate winds can knock them down and destroy entire plantations. Powerful storms devastated banana crops throughout Honduras when Hurricane Mitch swept through the country on October 26, 1998.

Check out our NEW banana species profile to learn more about the environment bananas need to grow.

Read a case study of sustainable banana production in Honduras.

The SeaWorld/Busch Gardens/Fujifilm Environmental Excellence Awards, sponsored by Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks, recognizes K - 12 students and teachers who are working to protect the environment on a grassroots level. Eight winning groups will receive $10,000 each to go toward the support of their projects. They will also receive a trip to an Anheuser-Busch theme park where they will attend a special awards event. One environmental educator will receive $5,000, and other prizes including an all-expense-paid trip to the 2007 National Science Teachers Association annual conference. Previously, projects have included initiatives aimed at habitat restoration, school yard beautification, energy and waste reduction, environmental education and community outreach, wildlife protection, and natural resource conservation. Application deadline is November 30, 2006.

Embark on an adventure during your winter or spring break that will help you to foster a connection between your students and nature. The Earthwatch Institute provides fellowships to elementary, middle, and high school educators and administrators of any discipline to participate in one of over 130 Earthwatch expeditions worldwide. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is organizing an International Children's Painting Competition on the Environment. Held annually since 1991, the theme of this year's competition is climate change. Children all over the world who will be between the ages of 6 - 14 on World Environment Day (June 5, 2007) are eligible to participate. Deadline for submitting a painting is December 31, 2006.

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© 2006 Rainforest Alliance