* rain forest waterfall * courtesy of gify.com *
Isn't that a pretty scene above with the plants fluttering ever so slightly, touched by a light rain? And can't you just hear the ambient sounds of the plunging waterfall?
How are you all handling Spring in your part of the country? It blew in, then out, and, some folks just couldn't do without having another bout of Winter! Methinks our seasons became a bit befuddled this year, agreed? And, me...well, I am happy to still have a mild, cool, and sometimes rainy season!
* Madison Square Park * photo by Kris Koeller *
*** New York City Snow 2013 * Brrrr.....pretty, isn't it!
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And, now...for today's program!
Being a "hands-on" Grandma also grants me "The Organizer" rights. And, with this title, I own the opportunity to hand down to my son and grandson the creative skills given to me from my dear mother. Thus, when this project came along from my Grandson's school in late March, I went into high gear! The 3rd grade students are currently studying the Rainforest Biome, and each table in the class was given one of the 3 or 4 layers to artistically create and construct his or her layer at home with parents. Before beginning the project, the students were asked to bring as many shoe boxes as they could from home in order that each child would have a shoe box. Scootie was able to take two boxes for the class project, and then he brought one box home to begin his phase of the rainforest. Scootie's table of 4 kiddos was assigned to the Emergent Layer of the rainforest.
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I have to admit, I had NO IDEA what the Emergent, or any other layer of the Rainforest is! The teacher gave the students permission to bring ipads, etc. to school twice a week in order to take some time for research on the internet. Scootie and I did research at home, and I found the Rainforest to be a very interesting subject!
* Below is a diagram showing the layers of the Rainforest *
In our study, Scootie and I learned that the Emergent layer is the tallest layer of the rainforest, with trees towering up to heights of 200+ feet. This top layer, of course gets more sun, wind and rain than the layers below. Consequently, the surviving leaves of the hot weather are sparse, small and waxy,
* We had to have a plan of action...sheesh! Where to start! We needed to cover the shoe box first to give it a forest appearance. And, even though the main focus was to be the top layer, or Emergent layer, we had to create a proper illusion leading upward to our main focus!
*We covered the shoebox with green construction paper, then glued some rafia to the floor to give a woody appearance. I found the backdrop of a rainforest on the interenet, printed it and glued to the inside back of the shoebox showing the trunks of the forest trees.
And our first draft was starting to come together! We wanted to get a feel for how the treetops should look, and where would we find suitable animals? You know...the animals that are adapted to this environment, such as Monkeys, Butterflies, Hawks and Bats? Believe me, it was no easy task hunting for these creatures, and, we found only a few.
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In the meantime, Scootie's teacher asked for volunteers to color a picture of an animal that would be provided by the teacher. With only three days to complete the picture, Scootie was sent home with a hand drawn /rough sketch of a Howler Monkey! Duh! So, I began my task of coloring this creature. I found this vicious looking guy on the internet and got an idea of what he should look like. I outlined and highlighted his features, to give more of a true appearance, and, added the tree branch on my own to give a complete picture of what he is about. The pictures of various Rainforest animals colored by parents are now hanging throughout the 3rd grade pod along with other rainforest decorations that are on display. Alas, I didn't get the chance to photograph this area!
I'm not much of an artist!
BUT...
* He is pretty believable, isn't he!
* done by "The Grandmother", Suzanne *
* Many of the world's "tropical moist forests", aka "Jewels of the Earth", are located in the equatorial zone between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. This region of tropical Rainforests would include Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Amazon, South and Central Americas, Australia, and even the Pacific Islands.
The Rainforests are also known as the world's largest pharmacies! Who knew!!! They are responsible for 28% of the world's oxygen turnover from photosynthesis and carbon dioxide. The annual rainfall in a tropical Rainforest is between 98 and 177 inches.
* map courtesy of Pinterest *
* And Voila! *
* Rainforest, featuring the Emergent Layer *
* Constructed by 'Scootie' and Grandma * April 2018
*** Yes...it is a bit over the top, isn't it! ***
As you can see, we completed the project and Scootie was able to deliver it to his classroom safely a few days before the due date. YAY! I had most of the materials at home, which made the project easy to work on. Although we didn't have all of the animals, we were able to feature quite a few, and some snakes! I hope to visit his class soon to view the other students' Rainforests and their various layers.
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All in all, this was a pretty good collaboration between the two of us.
Once we became motivated, the sky was the limit!
* Rainforest project with Scootie *
"We have yet to discover possibly millions of plants and other living species in the Rainforests."
Thanking our resources:
Wikipedia
Yahoo images
Google
Blogger
A Big Thank You goes out to:
My Scootie
Scootie's 3rd grade teacher and class
The Rainforest
*** Thank you dear readers for stopping by today and checking in to KardKornerKrib! I appreciate all visits and encourage you to say hello if you want to! Everyone is welcome anytime! ***
*** Watch out for each other, and be kind to all ***
"Making PUNS about me? Toucan play that game!"
See you next time! 💓
Hi, Suzanne!
ReplyDeleteThank you for waiting patiently for me to show up and read your post. Yesterday was a very long day with lots of driving. We didn't get home until late in the evening and I was pooped, so I decided to get some sleep and enjoy your post when I was fresh and rested.
Using my imagination as I gaze at that GIF file of a cascade, I listen to the "white noise symphony" as the mass volume of water drops some thirty feet and lands on the surface of the lagoon below. I can imagine myself reclining beneath the tree in the foreground, enjoying those warm raindrops landing on my skin and being lulled to sleep by the sweet smells and the sounds of nature.
I am excited to read about the rainforest school project on which you and Scootie collaborated. The result is marvelous. Your exhibit is lush, colorful and artistic as well as educational. Nice going, you two! This is a topic that has always been of interest to me. Mrs. Shady and I have watched documentaries about the tropical rainforest, learned about its layers, the forms of life supported by each one, and how it is being threatened by stripping and development. Where will our oxygen supply come from if we destroy one of its primary sources? I'm sure all the kids in Scootie's class enjoyed working on the rainforest project, learned a great deal from it and will hopefully be inspired to think green and take care of mother earth and her plant and animal resources. Scootie's Emergent Layer of the Rainforest reminds me of a school project that I assembled with the help of my dad when I was around Scootie's age. I built a landscape illustrating the natural habitat that existed hundreds of millions of years ago during the age of the dinosaurs. I built a volcano and a lake and dotted the landscape with appropriate trees and foliage made of craft materials. My scene was populated by a collection of realistic plastic dinosaurs my parents had bought for me a couple of years earlier. Like you and Scootie, I focused on my project and was highly motivated to see it through.
I also laud you on fleshing out the sketch of the Howler Monkey. It looks natural and realistic and the branch was a nice added touch.
We have enjoyed one delightful spring day after another down here. I actually think it was warmer in February than it has been in April.
Thanks for playing show and tell, Suzanne. I wish you and Scootie a safe and happy weekend!
Hi Shady. So glad you got home safely and was able to rest up a bit.
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the waterfall gif. The movement of the plants from the rain intrigues me! I brought some blue Iris in from my yard with light raindrops on them yesterday. The raindrops always make the fragrance stand out on Iris!
I think I enjoyed the rainforest project more than Scootie did, because I learned so much from it. And, I am a firm believer that you are never too old to learn something-of course, you need to have an interest in the subject. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of animals, including butterflies that inhabit the rainforest. And, there are several species of monkies and plenty of birds! I couldn't find a Toucan for our project, but came across a Pelican and stuck him on top, lol!
Thank you so much for coming by, Shady! I appreciate your kind comments and compliments on our project! Thank you also, for sharing your dinosaur project with me. We can always look back and smile on those projects that our parents helped us with when we were younger! My parents were always hands on when we needed help with a school project!
Have a safe and happy weekend, Shady! Thank you again for checking in to the KardKorner!
Hello Suzanne!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love what you and Scootie achieved together - a great team indeed. Your thinking 'outside' the box is very clever with all the plants coming right up high like that... a wonderful effect.
The rainforest is a fascinating subject indeed. I always loved those documentaries where videos are taken from the canopies looking down to the ground. It has its own special smell too. I have very happy memories of our trip up to far north of Australia and walking through the rainforest there. The bright flowers that pop out when least expected are wonderful as well.
Lovely to catch up and see what you've been up to. Thanks for your great post :D) Hugs xx
Hi Sue!
DeleteScootie and I had a good time working on this project, after much thought and some research! I came across many pictures of the rainforest in Australia and the beautiful waterfalls! What a wonderful visit that would be. And, I learned a lot which is a great thing! I never imagined there would be such a variety of animals, all working to survive in the same environment!
Thank you so much for coming by, Sue. I have missed you and am happy to see you back and painting some more. I suppose your summer is coming to an end, and you will have cool weather soon. We are having warmer temperatures and will have 90 degree weather for this next week! By the way, Happy Mother's Day dear friend. Take care and thank you for your wonderful comments!