Nature Explorers International Club 4- Rainforests
Join anytime to discover new rainforest animals each week! Learn interesting facts about wildlife and meet live program animals. Through games, art, science experiments and photo slideshows, gain an introduction to rainforest ecology.
Amalia Fernand, M.S. Nature/Earth Science
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(1,107)
What's included
1 live meeting
45 mins in-class hours per weekClass Experience
This club will be a fun way to explore the rainforests of the world together! We will discuss some of the most interesting creatures on earth, from the spider monkeys of Costa Rica, the pink river dolphins of the Amazon, to the forest elephants of Africa, the orangutans of Asia and so much more in between. This is an ongoing class and each class will be an independent lesson. A learner may join in at any week without any previous knowledge required. While sharing her adventures from rainforests around the world, Ms. Amalia will guide learners to become familiar with rainforest ecology, food webs, and the biodiversity of earth's oldest living ecosystems. Students will consistently be introduced to naturalist terms that describe animal behavior (eg: carnivore, nocturnal, arboreal, etc), as well as animal classification terms (eg: invertebrate, amphibian, etc). She will share many of her own photos from traveling to rainforests on five continents, and facilitate games, crafts, and discussions. The beginning of each class will be an opportunity for introductions, sharing, and guided discussion. Students may bring items to class to share related to environmental science such as natural items, feathers, bones, insects, nature journal entries, books, animal toys or stuffed animals, pictures, artwork, etc. Each class will be different from, and independent of every other class. During ongoing classes, learners can attend either one or all of the classes, and can join in at any time. Students will also have the opportunity to listen to animal vocalizations, identify both natural and cultural artifacts, and interact with the Nature Explorers International classroom program animals, including: Scaly: the Corn Snake Slimy: the Tiger Salamander Jumpy: the Cuban Tree Frog Lizzie: The Leopard Gecko Topics may touch on the elements of habitat, rainforest characteristics, endangered animals, deforestation, primatology, herpetology, biology, ethnobotany, entomology, birding, wildlife biology, scientific field work, or volunteer travel, depending on the week. Classes may run up to five minutes over the scheduled time depending on learner discussion and questions. Learners may start or stop a subscription to an ongoing class at anytime, and each lesson is independent. Weekly themes for 2024: THE CENTRAL AMERICAN RAINFOREST September 18: New World Monkeys September 25: Sloths, Tapirs, and Anteaters October 2: Poison Dart Frogs and Venomous Snakes THE AMAZON RAINFOREST October 9: Pink River Dolphins and Piranhas October 16: Colorful Amazon Birds October 23: Amazon Wild Cats THE CENTRAL AFRICAN RAINFOREST October 30: Old World Monkeys and Great Apes November 6: Elephants, Hippos, and Okapis MADAGASCAR November 13: Lemurs and Fossa November 21: Chameleons and Geckos THE BORNEO RAINFOREST November 27: Orangutans, Proboscis Monkeys, and Tarsiers December 4: Clouded Leopards, Sun Bears, and Pygmy Elephants THE DAINTREE RAINFOREST December 11: Marsupials and Monotremes December 18: Reptiles and Giant Birds
Learning Goals
Students will learn about the layers of the rainforests, where rainforests are found around the world, and interesting facts about some of the unique animals that inhabit them.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Scissors are needed for the recommended optional craft projects and parental guidance is required for the use of scissors.
Supply List
Optional supplemental printables will be provided. Weekly craft suggestions will require basic art supplies such as paper, coloring utensils, scissors, yarn, and a hole punch. The below projects are optional, depending on available supplies and learner interest. ONGOING CLASS PROJECT World Map Materials: ~Printed "Nature Around the World Map" ~Printed "Continent Map Labels" ~Coloring Utensils ~Scissors ~Glue-stick ~Blue watercolor paint Optional extensions: hole punch, yarn, star and animal stickers, plastic sleeve or clear contact paper Central American Rainforest Week of January 10: SLOTHS, TAPIRS, ANTEATERS, AND KINKAJOUS Central American Rainforest Stick Puppets Materials ~coloring utensils ~scissors ~white glue or glue gun (alternative: tape) ~popsicle sticks ~print attached pdf “Central American Rainforest Animal Stick Puppets” (preferably on cardstock or mount it on poster board or cardboard after printing). NEW WORLD MONKEYS Spider Monkey Masks Materials: ~coloring utensils ~scissors ~yarn or ribbon ~hole punch ~print pdf “Spider Monkey Mask” (preferably on cardstock or glued onto a paper bag or poster board) POISON DART FROGS AND VENOMOUS SNAKES Layers of the Rainforest Craft Materials: ~light blue, brown, and green construction paper (alternative: a paper bag or computer paper painted or colored) ~scissors ~glue-stick ~coloring utensils ~print attached pdf “Rainforest Layers Craft” Optional Science Activity (for the end of class or after class) Poison Dart Frog Slime Materials: ~cornstarch ~water ~bowl ~pitcher Optional: food coloring Amazon Rainforest PINK RIVER DOLPHINS AND PIRANHAS Piranha Magnet Fishing Game Materials: ~yarn ~magnet (the stronger the better) ~paper-clips ~a strong stick ~scissors ~coloring utensils ~print the pdf. “Piranha Fishing Game” pdf, or cut fish out of craft foam. Optional: craft foam, googly eyes, sequins, glitter COLORFUL AMAZON BIRDS Amazon Bird Mobile Materials: ~one or two strong sticks ~yarn ~hole punch ~scissors ~coloring utensils ~white glue or glue gun ~printed pdf “Amazon Birds Mobile Craft” preferably on cardstock AMAZON WILD CATS Amazon Rainforest Stick Puppets Materials ~coloring utensils ~scissors ~white glue or glue gun ~popsicle sticks ~print the pdf “The Amazon Rainforest Animal Stick Puppets” (preferably on cardstock or mount it on poster board or cardboard after printing). Amazon Rainforest Bingo Materials: ~small rocks or coins to mark the bingo spaces ~printed bingo card, “Amazon Rainforest Bingo,” OR generate a fillable online card at the below link on a separate device or window. https://bingobaker.com/play/70f3441595910d40 *Please note: if you do have a printer that takes cardstock, I recommend printing many of the crafts on cardstock to make them more durable and long lasting. If you don’t have a printer, feel free to be creative and draw your own version of the project, or cut animals out of magazines.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined April, 2020
4.9
1107reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am teaching this class because rainforests are my favorite ecosystem, and I am enthusiastic about sharing my passion for wildlife with students. When I visit rainforests on different continents, I am always struck by the similarities in characteristics such as buttress roots and liana vines, versus the stark differences in wildlife biodiversity. There are so many amazing rainforest creatures, I thought an ongoing class would be the perfect opportunity to explore them all! Reviews
Live Group Class
$15
weekly1x per week
45 min
Completed by 14 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-12
4-12 learners per class
