The Tropical Forest
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CREDITS This guide was produced by the Projet manager and supervisor • Manon Curadeau Education and Activities Department, Montreal Biodôme In co-operation with the representatives of the following Literacy Centres: • Carole Doré Centre de lecture et d'écriture • Diane Labelle Lettre en main • Clode Lamare La Jarnigoine and La société des amis du Biodôme Illustrations • Francine Mondor Graphic design and computer graphics • Anthony Cirino and Frida Franco Translation • Terry Knowles and Pamela Ireland Produced with financial assistance from: • Government of Canada Human Resources Development The Montreal Biodôme wishes to thank the members of the above-mentioned literacy groups and the « Le Tour de lire » centre, for their help in evaluatin the project. TABLE OF CONTENTS This guide contains: • an activities reservation form • important information regarding your trip to the Biodôme • pre-visit activities • follow-up activities using the Alpha-Biodôme guides • some other ideas for your group It also comes with: • a videotape; • a colour overhead transparency of the Americas. N. B. Any reproduction of the video or this guide must be authorized by the Education and Activities Department of the Montreal Biodôme. The great majority of trainers at literacy centres are women. At their request, we have used the feminine gender when referring to both men and women representatives in this guide. No discrimination is intended. Thanks! ACTIVITIES RESERVATION FORM HI ! So you’ve reserved for an activity at the Biodôme as part of the « Alpha-Biodôme ». program? Here’s some information that should prove useful. Name of the centre: ________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name of the person in charge: _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date of your visit: ______________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Reservation number: ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Arrival time: _________________________________________________________________________ Starting time for the activity: ____________________________________________________________ We suggest that you bring binoculars along for your visit. If you have a video camera or camera (without a flash), be sure to bring it, too! IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR VISIT TO THE BIODÔME 11:15(A) or 14:15(B): Unless other arrangements have been made, this is Self-guided tour of the ecosystem (without accompanying the schedule for your day at the Biodôme interpreters) 9:45(A) or 12:45(B): Participants will visit the ecosystems, using the "Alpha- Arrival in the Naturalia Room Biodôme" book, a visual questionnaire that will help them observe the animal and plant life around them and build on Your introduction to the Biodôme's ecosystems will be held in what they learned in the previous activity. It is up to the the Naturalia Room, on level 100 (B1). A nature interpreter will instructors and participants to decide how best to use this be waiting for you at the agreed time, and there will be games booklet. specially designed for your group. We strongly encourage you to help those of your group who have the weakest reading skills, either by pairing them with more experienced readers or by increasing the number of instructors accompanying the group. The Naturalia Room is a "hands-on" experience. Visitors can touch mounted animals and plants and examine some of them more closely with magnifying glasses. At the end of the activity, each participant will receive an "Alpha- Biodôme" booklet. CONT’D... During thir self-guided tour, participants can watch a film or a presentation in Environment Place. Times may vary, so ask the nature interpreters about schedules. • You will see nature interpreters along the path in the ecosystems. They are easy to spot, because they are wearing special pith helmets. Feel free to ask them questions – that’s what they’re there for! • There are lots of animals in the ecosystems, some of them more visible than others. You and the person next to you may see different “residents” of the ecosystem. So keep your eyes wide open and use your binoculars. • Temperature and humidity levels sometimes vary considerably from one ecosystem to the next. One of the pre-visit activities involves learning the rules to be obeyed at the Biodôme. Many of these rules are intended to ensure our animals’ comfort and health, so please respect them. Enjoy your visit! PRE-VISIT ACTIVITIES This section contains: • Viewing the video (part 1) • Viewing the video (part 2) • Recreating the Biodôme’s ecosystems • Some new words • Matching game to learn the Biodôme’s rules • Further reading VIEWING THE VIDEO Pre-visit activity Videocassette (part 1): The Sun’s Effect on the Earth Procedure 1. Show the first part of the video. Objectives First part: The Sun’s Effect on the Earth. • To understand, through a video, Time: 4 minutes + discussion period if necessary. how the Sun influences the climates at different places on a continent; 2. Question period on the video. • To locate the Biodôme’s ecosystems on the continents Help the participants to understand: and observe their climates. • that an ecosystems is found in a specific geographic Equipment required location; • that the temperature in an ecosystem depend on its • Videocassette player location; Suggested materials for the activity • why it is hot in Costa Rica and cold at the Poles. • Globe • Map of the world You may wish to view the video a second time, following the question period. You can also show them a three- • Flashlight dimensional example, using the flashlight as the Sun and Material provided directing it on the globe. • Video, part 1 The Sun’s Effect on the Earth VIEWING THE VIDEO Pre-visit activity Videocassette (part 2): 2. Question period on the video Nature, Standby, Action! Help the participants to understand: Objectives • that an ecosystem consists of different parts (water, soil, • To understand what an wind, plants, carnivorous and herbivorous animals, etc); ecosystem is and identify its • that all these parts are interrelated (herbivorous animals different parts. eat the plants; birds use parts of the plants to build their Equipment required nests, etc.). • Videocassette player Material provided You may wish to watch the video a second time, after the question period. • Video, part 2: Nature, Standby, Action ! Procedure 1. Show the second part of the video. Second part: Nature, Standby, Action! Time: 12 minutes + discussion period if necessary. RECREATING THE BIODÔME’S ECOSYSTEMS • sunlight in the ecosystems • aquatic landscapes in the ecosystems Objectives • humidity and rocks in the ecosystems • To combine the illustrations provided to recreate the Biodôme’s ecosystems; • inhabitants of the Polar World • To understand the existence and need for links between • inhabitants of the St. Lawrence Marine Ecosystem the different parts of an ecosystem. • inhabitants of the Laurentian Forest Equipment required • inhabitants of the Tropical Forest • Overhead projector • the Polar World • the St. Lawrence Marine ecosystem Materials provided • the Laurentian Forest ecosystem • Overhead transparency of the Americas, showing the Biodôme’s ecosystems • the Tropica Forest ecosystem Thirteen sets of drawings showing: • in the ecosystems the characteristics of water • temperature in the ecosystems CONT’D.... Preparing for the activity: about three hours Cut out all the drawings from documents 1 to 9 and place them on a board so that all participants can see them. N. B. Because the animals and plants are not drawn to scale, you may want to enlarge some of the drawings. Project the overhead showing the continents on the board. On a large expanse of wall or on a board, place the names of the four ecosystems you will be exploring: the Laurentian Forest, the Tropical Forest, the St. Lawrence Marine Ecosystem and the Polar World. CONT’D.... Conducting the activity: about two hours Once the four zones have been set up… • List all the parts on the board, out loud. Begin with parts • Possible answers: humidity, or moisture, may be in the found in all the ecosystems. form of rain or snow; the air may be very humid or very dry, etc. • For example, what things do we find in all the ecosystems? • Possible answers: sunlight, water, rocks (or soil). As the parts are identified, ask participants to place them under the name of the ecosystem to which they belong. Remember that the aquatic ecosystems are different! • For example, freshwater is found in the Tropical Forest (put freshwater under the “Tropical Forest” heading). Place all the parts representing sunlight, rocks and • Remember that the answers are printed on the back aquatic environments under the appropriate names. of each illustration. • On the overhead, point out the ecosystems to help Continue to list the parts, and try to identify the participants locate and find all the possible parts. specific features of each one. • For example: The Laurentian Forest. What features can • For example, what special features does water have ? we find here in Québec? • Possible answer: water can be