Interdependence of Organisms
Why should I care about the rainforest?
You have probably heard something about rainforests before. Do you know where they are located? Can you think of something that lives in a rainforest? Rainforests are an important part of our global environment. In this activity you will learn about some organisms that live in the Costa Rican Rainforest. You will investigate the transfer of energy between organisms in this rainforest. You will also learn about one of the many endangered animals in the Costa Rican Rainforest and about how deforestation might affect this animal. We hope that by the end of this unit you will understand why life in the rainforests is something worth thinking about and what it might have to do with you. ---
Rainforests are pretty complicated. Over half of the plant and animal species in the whole world live there! So before we explore the rainforest, let’s get started a little closer to home.
1. Read the rain forest story. As you read, classify all the organisms mentioned into producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores or decomposers.
2. Read the rain forest story again. As you read, you will be assigned an organism to research. During this second reading, pay close attention to the food chains your organism belongs to. You will need to write those down on the "organism coloring" sheet your teacher gives you.
4. Work with your table to create a food web that includes all 4 of your organisms. You may need to visit other tables.
3. Research your organism. The rain forest story has links for you to begin your journey. Use this organizer so that you have all the required information.
5. Draft a letter to Mr. Cuttatree
You will take on the persona of your assign organism and write the letter in the first person. Your letter needs to be addressed to Mr. Cuttatree, provide the common and scientific name for your organism, give a detailed description of yourself (as your organism), and clearly identify your role in the rainforest ecosystem. You will sign your letter by providing a picture of your organism. You have all this information in your organizer.
Make sure you read the letter from the Kapok Tree, so that you can see exactly what is expected.
Publish your letter in your BLOG.