Madison B block- 2
Introduction- Have you ever wondered about the Amazon Rainforest? Have you ever wanted to learn more about the Amazon Rainforest? Well this story is fun and educational! Dennis the Poison Arrow Frog learns about the Amazon Rainforest while having an adventure. One bright day in the Amazon Rainforest Sam the Toucan was picking berries in the canopy layer when all of a sudden BAM! A frog jumps onto Sam! “What on Earth are you doing on my head?!” Sam yelled. “I need help” the little frog said. “Help with what” Sam asked. “I need to learn more about the Amazon Rainforest and everyone said that you knew the most!” The little frog exclaimed. “Oh why didn’t you say so? Hi my name is Sam what’s your name?” She asked. “My name is Dennis!” He said. “Ok Dennis do you know the hemispheres of the Amazon Rainforest?” Sam asked. “That is so easy, the hemispheres are South West and North West also the Amazon is in South America” Dennis said proudly. “Well you’re really smart but you didn’t say the latitude and longitude! 0-15 long and 75-46 lat!” Sam said smiling.
“Oh I forgot! The countries that contain the Amazon are Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia!” Dennis said. “Here are two maps I made! The description for land cover is- there are a lot of deforested areas and so little areas where there are still rainforests! The description of the Climate map is- South America is mostly dry and the wet climate is mostly at the top of South America! Climate is how hot or cold a region is.” Sam exclaimed. “Oh I know how people get around in the Rainforest I’ve seen it all the time! People in the Rainforest get around by walking, building roads and riding in canoes. Most of the roads are too big for cars so people have to walk. The people use their handmade canoes. The people say there are plenty of trees around!! The people also trade for rifles, four wheelers and a lot of other modern resources.” Dennis said smiling. “Wow maybe you don’t need my help after all” Sam said spitting out a laugh. Dennis looked away.
“One thing I’ve always wanted to learn is how do humans affect the environment?” Dennis asked. “Well humans kill the environment and some help the environment. But there are also three other things you need to learn, one is deforestation second is conservation and last but not least ecotourism!” Sam said eating a berry. “Ok well what are deforestation, conservation and ecotourism?” Dennis asked. “Deforestation is trees being cut down, conservation is people trying to save something and ecotourism is a place that is naturally built and people tour it! Many people cut down trees in the Rainforest. We need trees to build houses, but by cutting down a tree were also killing many bugs and animals homes. While people cut down trees about 28 more trees get damaged. They cut down 36 trees a day! Mining also damages the Amazon rainforest! They have to cut down trees and dig big holes into the earth! Cattle ranching also hurt the rainforest; most of the rainforest is cut down for cattle. The world used to be 14% rainforest but now its 6% rainforest!” Sam said with a worried look. “Wow I had no idea this is what’s happening in to the rainforest!” Dennis said in a surprised look. “Many people are trying to save the rainforest. Even though people are still chopping trees there are still people who want to save the rainforest! Also many people build places out in nature that have lakes and woods and a lot people go to see that and the animals.” Sam said with a little bit of hope.
“Well I know that the (rainforest) gives humans food, water and trees. Without the environment (rainforest) we wouldn't be able to live. People get trees, fruits, vegetables and nuts from the Amazon rainforest. Most of the trees, fruits, vegetables and nuts don’t grow anywhere else!” Dennis said. “Ok well the average temperature of the Amazon rainforest is 79 degrees and the average rainfall is 80 inches! The climate zone is hot and humid; it is hot and humid in the morning but very cold at night. When you stand in the sun it is very hot but when you step in the shade it’s nice and cool.” Sam said smiling. “Can we talk about tribes next?” Dennis asked. “Actually that’s what I just going to talk about! First you should learn what a nomadic- a nomadic is the characteristics of people or a tribe. The first tribe I’ll teach you is the Yanomani tribe. The Yanomani tribe hunts, fishes and gardens. They have a lot of feats and rituals. The Yanomani tribe has a large, circular communal house and a large circle for rituals, feasts and games. The Yanomani tribe lives in a large, circle communal house called yanos. Yanos are made out of wood from the rainforest.” Sam said. “So the Yanomani tribe eats the food they get from the rainforest and they use the trees to build houses?” Dennis wondered. “Correct! Also the Yanomani tribe hunts for meat like peccary, tapir, deer and monkey. They also eat fruits, vegetables, fish, honey and nuts. The Yanomani tribe believes that nature creates everything and is sacred. And that’s all I know about the Yanomani tribe.” Sam said yawning after the last sentence. “Well I know about another tribe! It’s the Tikuna tribe! The Tikuna tribe hunts, fishes, gardens, paints and many more. The Tikuna tribe is a very artistic tribe! They like to paint, make dolls and masks. They mainly eat fish but hunt a couple of times.” Dennis said loud and proud. “Wow I didn’t know there was a tribe named Tikuna!”
Sam said. “Well there is one! The Tikuna tribe has a lot of houses and a little school down the river. The houses are next to a river. The school is also next to a river. Their school is not a big building; instead it is a little hut/little wooden house. The Tikuna tribe uses trees for shelter to build big houses for families. Their houses are on stilts to keep dry when it is raining.” Dennis said while Sam took notes. “The Tikuna tribe eats the food they get from the rainforest and they build their houses out of trees right?” Sam asked while she jotted down the question. “Correct! Hey look now I’m teaching you!” Dennis said happily. “And finally the Tikuna tribe poisons the water from a poisonous tree to kill the fish so they could eat. They also harvest fruits and vegetables like pineapples.” Dennis said looking for a pineapple. “Well I think you know what culture is but just in case you don’t culture is the behaviors or beliefs of a group!” Sam said acting smart. “Ooh ooh lets learn about the layers of the rainforest!” Dennis said getting all excited. “Ok well the top layer of the rainforest is the Emergent layer! The trees are 200 feet above the ground, gets a lot of sun, hardwood and broadleaved!” Sam said amazed. “The animals that live there are Eagles, Monkeys, Bats and butterflies also the trees are evergreen!” Dennis said looking up. “So the next layer is the Canopy layer. Also the layer that were in right now! The Canopy layer is the primary layer of the rainforest, has oval smooth leaves and acts like a roof to the two lower layers.” Sam said. “Ooh ooh I know the animals that live in this layer! Toucans, Poison Arrow frogs and snakes!” Dennis said shaking. “Do you know the next layer?” Sam questioned. “Um is it the… the… the Understory layer?” Dennis tried. “Correct! The Understory layer gets very little sunlight so they plants have to grow larger to reach the light and has a lot of insects! Now the animals that live there are jaguars, Red eyed tree frogs and leopards.” Sam said looking down.
“And last but not least the forest floor! The forest floor doesn’t get any sunlight and if plants grow there they decay very quickly! Anteaters live down there and there are no plants.” Sam said pointing down to an anteater. “A rainforest is a tropical forest with tall trees and lots of animals!” Dennis said with a smile. “Next we will learn about animals! I am a Toucan; I am black with a yellow stomach and a large beak to eat food. My beak is black with a red tip. My habitat is in the Amazon as you can see and I live in the Canopy layer. Habitat is where someone or something lives. My predator is the Harpy Eagle- A predator is an organism that eats another organism.” Sam said while Dennis yelled “Oh.” “My prey is fruits, berries, lizards and small birds- prey is what one organism eats. Also my adaptation is that when I go to sleep I turn my head around and tuck it under my wing and tail…. Adaptations are what animals and plants do to survive.” “I am a Poison Arrow frog and I am red with black spots and a black back, I can also be blue and black or yellow and black. My predators are some snakes and spiders that are able to eat my poison. My prey is ants, termites and beetles. My habitat is the Amazon Rainforest and in the Canopy layer.” Dennis said with a delayed smile. “Wait is an organism a form of life that grows and usually reproduces?” Dennis asked
“Yes. Also Camouflage is what a plant or an animal uses to blend in their surroundings. I made a food web to show you! There are 2 producers, 4 consumers and 1 decomposer. Producers are organisms that make something and decomposers are organisms that brake down molecules. Oh and here are three little words that I want you to knowOmnivore, Carnivore and herbivore. Omnivore is an organism that eats both plants and meat, Carnivore is an organism that eats only meat and finally herbivore is an organism that only eats plants.” Sam said taking in a deep breath. “And the last thing I’ll teach you today is plants! One plant that I’m learning about is the Pualinia Cupana. The Pualinia Cupana looks a little like an olive. It has a white center and red around it, the white center also has a black dot on it. The Pualinia Cupana lives in the Amazon Rainforest and the only predators it has is humans. People use this plant for when they want to be awake and alert when there drowsy.” Sam said acting like a scientist. “And the last plant is the Brunfelsia Uniflorus. The Brlunfelsia uniflorus is a small, tubby tree that grows up to eight feet. It grows purple and white flowers. The Brunfelsia uniflorus lives in the Amazon Rainforest, also in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador. The only predator is
humans and people use this plant to try and cure leukemia.” Sam said tiredly. “Hey do you know these three words? Foliage, Indigenous and photosynthesis.” Dennis asked. “Yes I know all those words. Foliage is leaves, Indigenous is where stuff originated/ came from and Photosynthesis is the cycle where plants take light and turn it into food/ energy.” Sam said with a smile. “Well I guess I don’t need your help anymore. Good Bye Sam oh and thanks.” Dennis said hopping away. Dennis learned a lot about the rainforest! And he found the most important part of that lesson was that the rainforest is disappearing. If everyone helps save the rainforest we could save animals, plants and ourselves!
http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/whlayers.html http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nomadic http://www.rain-tree.com/Plant-Images/guarana-pic.htm http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/7th/7block/jungle_research/new_cards/40/report40aa.html http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/animals/toucanpage http://www.honoluluzoo.org/poisonarrow_frog.htm http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/poison-frog/ http://www.aqua.org/animals_bluepoisondartfrog.html
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nomadic http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/rainforest/transportation.html http://www.crystalinks.com/yanomami.html http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm http://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes/yanomami/wayoflife#main http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Amazonia/Facts/basinfacts.cfm http://www.indian-cultures.com/Cultures/ticuna.html