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Nature Explorers International Club 4- Rainforests

Completed by 18 learners
Ages 8-12
Live Group Class
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.
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(1,118 reviews)

Live video meetings
1x per week
4-12 learners per class
45 min

What's included

1 live meeting
45 mins in-class hours per week

Class 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 2025:

Thursday Class:

THE CENTRAL AMERICAN RAINFOREST
January 30: Sloths, Tapirs, and Anteaters
February 6: Poison Dart Frogs and Venomous Snakes

PLEASE NOTE: Class will not be held on February 13

THE AMAZON RAINFOREST
February 20: New World Monkeys
February 27: Amazon Wild Cats and Colorful Birds
March 6: Pink River Dolphins, Piranhas, and Anacondas

THE CENTRAL AFRICAN RAINFOREST
March 13: Old World Monkeys and Great Apes
March 20: Elephants, Hippos, and Okapis

PLEASE NOTE: Class will not be held on March 27

MADAGASCAR
April 3: Lemurs and Fossa
April 10: Chameleons and Geckos

THE BORNEO RAINFOREST
April 17: Orangutans, Proboscis Monkeys, and Tarsiers
April 24: Clouded Leopards, Sun Bears, and Pygmy Elephants

THE DAINTREE RAINFOREST
May 1: Marsupials and Monotremes
May 8: 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.

Meet the teacher

4.9
1118reviews
Profile
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

Amalia Fernand, M.S. Nature/Earth Science suggests this class next...
Nature Explorers International Club 7- Primates
Amalia Fernand, M.S. Nature/Earth Science
4.9
(1,118)
per class
Group Class
1/wk, 45 min
7-11


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