Viewing Activities

BEFORE VIEWING:

PARTS OF A RAINFOREST ECOSYSTEM

Directions:

The film you are about to watch documents an indigenous population that lives in the Amazon rainforest. Activate your prior knowledge about this - ing what types of organisms might exist at each level of this particular ecosystem. Then respond to the reflection question below to consider how

type of ecosystem by recalling the functions of the producer, consumer, and decomposer trophic levels in a rainforest’s food chain and brainstorm deforestation might affect the balance of these trophic levels. Don’t worry about total accuracy or completeness in this exercise. The point is mainly to recall any knowledge you have about the complexity of biological relationships in an ecosystem.

DECOMPOSERS

List either the function of decomposers or some examples of possible decom poser species in a rainforest ecosystem.

CONSUMERS

List either the function of consumers or some examples of possible consumer species in a rainforest ecosystem.

PRODUCERS

List either the function of producers or some examples of possible producer species in a rainforest ecosystem.

REFLECTION

What effects could deforestation have on the organisms in each trophic level?

INVADERS & DEFENDERS NOTECATCHER

Directions:

The film you are about to watch follows the Uru-eu-wau-wau, an indigenous population who live in the Amazon rainforest, as they defend their land from encroachment and deforestation at the hands of outsiders. Use this chart to track the events of the conflict, noting actions taken by the invaders in the left column and actions taken by the Uru-eu-wau-wau in the right column.

INVADERS

What actions and tactics do non-indigenous invaders and farmers use to try and claim Uru-eu-wau-wau land?

DEFENDERS

What actions and tactics do the Uru-eu-wau-wau people use to defend their land from encroachment by outsiders?

RESPONSE QUESTIONS

Directions:

Respond to each question, referring to specific scenes, events, and dialogue from the film as evidence for your interpretation.

1. The Uru-eu-wauwau have a small population of less than 1,000 people. What methods did they use to compensate for their small population when fending off invaders? Which tactics do you think were most important to their cause?

2. Bitate was only 20 years old when he took on a role as a leader of the Uru-eu-wau-wau. What qualities made Bitate an effective leader, despite his young age? What advantages might his age have brought to their efforts?

3. How did the popularity and election of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro reflect or influence the actions of non-indigenous peoples in the Uru-eu-wau-wau’s lands? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What do you think was the overall message the filmmakers were trying to convey? What imagery in the film was most effective at conveying that message? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOUR C’S

Directions:

Respond to each prompt in complete sentences, citing specific scenes, events, and dialogue from the film as evidence for your response.

CONNECTIONS

What connections do you draw between the film and your own life or your other learning?

CHALLENGE

What ideas, positions, or assumptions do you want to challenge or debate in the film?

CONCEPTS

What key concepts or ideas do you think are important and worth holding on to from the film?

CHANGES

What changes in attitudes, thinking, or action are suggested by the film, either for you or others?

Adapted from Harvard Project Zero’s Thinking Routine Toolbox:

http://www.pz.harvard.edu/resources/the-4-cs