Meeting Needs and Wants

 

 

Rainforests in Our Region and Our World, 6th grade

 

 

PRINT RESOURCES: NON-FICTION

A North American Rain Forest Scrapbook, Virginia Wright-Frierson

http://tinyurl.com/ykocy2h

This looks like a great book for your study.  Readers join the writer on her journey through the rain forest on the Olympic Peninsula.  Using this "scrapbook" format, students could use her book as a model to show what they have learned and make one of their own as a culminating project.

 

A Walk in the Rain Forest, Rebecca Johnston

http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Forest-Biomes-North-America/dp/1575055252/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267552030&sr=1-1

Defines the biome and includes information on temperate rainforests. Lots of full-color, close-up photos. For grades 3-5 and might be a very accessible book for your students.

 

Atlas of Rain Forests,  Anna Lewington

http://tinyurl.com/yzqtxzh 

Covers all the important topics and then some, including strong section on temperate rainforests.  2 page spreads of photographs, animal and plant diversity as well as candid approach to habitat destruction. 

 

Green giants: rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, Tom Parkin.

http://tinyurl.com/yhw36pp

Published in 1994, this is an older book and not one that I think you will want to order.  However, since it is specifically about the PNW, I thought you should know about it and that it is in the WCLS catalogue. 

 

How Monkeys Make Chocolate: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Rainforest, Adrian Forsyth

http://www.amazon.com/How-Monkeys-Make-Chocolate-Unlocking/dp/1897066783/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267554286&sr=1-1

Ecologist Adrian Forsyth uses humor and eye-catching graphics and photography to help students understand the interrelationships in the world's rain forests connecting plants, animal, people, economies and environmental protection.

 

Journey Into the Rainforest, Tim Knight    

http://tinyurl.com/yfs2q2b

Readers don the gear and load up for a visual and informational journey through a tropical rainforest.  Along the way, 2 page spreads of fantastic photographs introduce them to the world of the rainforest.  Guided by native peoples, the readers end up on a mountain-top and with a discussion of habitat destruction.  School Library Journal Review notes that the book "is engaging enough to hold readers' attention and help them view tropical rainforests in a broader context."

 

Journey Through the Northern Rainforest, Karen Pandell

http://tinyurl.com/yhxrqhl

This book focuses on our regions rain forests.  However, be forewarned that reviewers note that it is written from the perspective of an eagle and at time is confusing.  The photographs by Art Wolfe are wonderful, but the text may not serve you as well as you may hope.

 

People of the Rain Forests, Anna Lewington and Edward Parker

http://tinyurl.com/ykq5so5 

Written for grades 4-7, this book focuses on the human interaction with the environment.  It has strong reviews and looks like a good choice for your topic as it covers temperate rain forests as well as tropical.

 

Protecting Earth's Rain Forests, Anne Welsbacher

http://www.amazon.com/Protecting-Earths-Forests-Saving-Living/dp/1580138543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267553962&sr=1-1#noop

Lots of depth on a variety of topics while presented in an up-dated and visually appealing format for kids.  Filled with maps, diagrams and charts that help kids visualize processes such as the carbon cycle.  Discusses problems and strategies for improving some of the effects of and prevention for further deforestation. Strong reviews; grades 5-8.

 

Rain Forests, Lois Markham

http://tinyurl.com/ykw3nrb

This single issue of Kids Discover magazine focuses on the basics of what is a rain forest, who lives there, what kinds of plants and animals use if for their habitat as well as a section entitled "Who will save the rainforests?" 

 

Rain Forests, Richard C. Vogt

http://tinyurl.com/yg9t2so

This book gets high kudos from reviewers;  a Booklist reviewer notes that "the stellar Insiders series scores again with this macro/micro examination of a habitat in crisis."  It has visual appeal that is hard to not want to look at from the 3-D cover to the vertical spread of the rain forest drawn in detail.  I am not sure how much it covers on temperate rain forests,  but the text seems to be informative and substantial enough to potentially cover it.

 

Rain Forest Explorer, Greg Pyers

http://tinyurl.com/yjs26m7

Using the storyline of a fictional explorer, this book discusses concepts such as interdependence, animal adaptation and ecological balance.  The book is listed at the 3-4th grade reading level, but I includ it as it seems to cover fairly complex topics. 

 

Rain Forests in Danger, Sally Morgan

http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Forests-Danger-Earth-SOS/dp/1597712256/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267553722&sr=1-1

This book was newly published in 2009 and has high praise from School Library Journal Review.  The Review notes that the book's "accessible, over-the-top encyclopedia entries, with facts and statistics so captivating that students will want to read more."  Grades 3-6

 

Rain Forests of the World, Marshall Cavendish

http://tinyurl.com/yzgjlek

An encylopedia for grades 4-6 exclusively on all things rain forest, from plants and animals to photosynthesis to human impact from logging. While you may not want to purchase as set, you may inquire if singular volumes are available if they interest you and it is good to know that this is at many of our branches in the reference section for students to use.

 

Rain Forest Revealed, Jen Green 

http://tinyurl.com/ykxo8g8 

This book has all of the hallmarks that make DK Eyewitness books so fantastic:  vivid photographs and illustrations, lushly designed and eye-catching spreads that encourage readers to browse its pages, detailed and accurate information on a wide-range of topics about rain forests, including temperate rain forests. 

 

The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: exploring the rainforest canopy, Kathryn Lasky

http://tinyurl.com/yfr96e5

Meg Lowman, a scientist studying tropical rain forest canopy, shares her strong love of the forest along as well as the long hours and hard work of being a scientist.  As the School Library Journal reviewer notes "the long hours the scientist devotes to her work are not minimized, but her love for her research is evident. Her story might encourage young women considering science careers." 

 

The Tropical Rain Forest: a web of life, Philip Johansson

http://tinyurl.com/ygxa7ro

This book discusses the rain forest biome through concepts such as interdependence of plants and animals, food webs and energy flow.  The book lso introduces a scientist studying the tropical rainforest. 

 

Tropical Rain Forests, Darlene R. Stille

http://www.amazon.com/Tropical-Rain-Forests-True-Books Ecosystems/dp/0516267744/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_a#noop

From the True Book Series, this book has solid information on tropical rain forests that includes chapter titles such as "Why Rain Forests Are Important."  Larger font, highlighted glossary words and sharp images make this book kid-friendly.  Unfortunately, there is not one on temperate rain forests.

 

 

DVD/CD-ROM RESOURCES

Animals of the Rainforest

http://tinyurl.com/y8gxksk

Focuses on animals of tropical rainforests.  There is a companion DVD entitled Plants of the Rainforest.

 

Sustainability in the 21st Century

http://www.libraryvideo.com/product.asp?mscssid=2G7BB843DHM78HJHF0DLMHKPKCDC7G8B&sku=V6875&pout=1

This is a new DVD that shows how people are addressing the problems of sustainablity. 

 

 

CURRICULUM RESOURCES

The Remarkable Rainforest: An Active-Learning Book for Kids, Toni Albert

http://www.amazon.com/Remarkable-Rainforest-Active-Learning-Book-Kids/dp/1929432046/ref=pd_sim_b_18#noop

This activity book is worth checking out as it has lots of ideas for integrating your rain forest study through hands-on activities including how to grow your own "mini" rain forest. It also has plays and journal prompts.  The detractor for you is that it focuses on tropical rain forests, but the activities can be adjusted to encompass a wider scope.

 

Facing the Future

http://www.facingthefuture.org/

Has lesson plans and curriculum resources on sustainability issues.  Click on the Curriculum Finder to locate downloadable lesson plans as defined by age-group and subject.  For example, for 6th grade Social Studies, I found this list of possible topics that might dovetail with your sutdy on rainforests: http://www.facingthefuture.org/Curriculum/FindCurriculumthatisRightforYou/tabid/68/Default.aspx

 

 

 

 

ONLINE RESOURCES

     Premium Digital Resources (must have WCLS card to access) 

eLibrary

http://www.world-builders.org/lessons/less/biomes/rainforest/temp_rain/tempweb.html 

This is a great resource to know about for lots of curriculum applications. It is a premium content site, which means you need to plug in your library card number and password. After that, you can search any topic and the stie will collate by source (website, newspaper, encyclopedia etc.) 

          Temperate Rain Forest Food Web

          http://www.world-builders.org/lessons/less/biomes/rainforest/temp_rain/tempweb.html