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Classroom Ideas
1. Interdependencies in the Temperate Rain Forest Begin by reading The Lorax by Dr. Seuss to the class and asking them to discuss what happens. Why did the Once-ler chop down the forest? Who is affected? How do animals and people depend on trees and forests in the book and in real life? Ask students what people use the forest for, and list these uses on the board. They should consider recreational uses as well as lumber. How would they like to see the forest used? Have the class create a model forest with construction paper trees; each student should make one or two trees. Stand the trees upright by folding the bottom parts of the trunks. Establish the “forest” in a place where all students can see it. Then have each student create a small construction paper model that depicts something to see or do in the forest. These items may include recreational activities or animals. Place the models in the forest to depict the class’s ideal scenario. Would they want to part with any of the things in their forest? Ask what would happen if the Once-ler came into this forest. Would they welcome him? What might he do? 2. Wood Products and the Forest Ask students to find wood products in the classroom or among their belongings. Use their finds to spark a conversation about how we rely on wood. Do your students know where new wood comes from? Explain that some old forests are being cut so that people can have more wood products, such as boards for building homes and chopsticks for eating utensils. (Mention too that there are tree farms and other forms of responsible forestry.) Tell the class that they’re going to learn about some of the forests in which this is happening. Introduce students to the temperate rain forest of the Pacific Northwest and have them research its trees and animals. You can find pictures in the Exploring the Temperate Rainforest section (http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/rforest/index.htm) of the Missouri Botanical Garden site. Form groups of students and ask them to discuss how these trees and animals depend on each other for life. What would happen if this forest were chopped down? Have students divide large pieces of paper in half and create pairs of collages—one about using wood, the other about enjoying forests. Ask students to think creatively about how can we have the wood we want and still keep our forests.
1. Caring for Familiar Versus Unfamiliar Places Before playing the Radio Expeditions Landmark Trees program, ask each student to think of a special place that he or she has seen. Have students write short essays explaining what makes their places special and how they would feel about changes. Then form pairs of students. If possible, neither should have seen the other’s special place. Have students take turns sharing their essays with their partners. Ask students to write their thoughts about their partners’ special places. Engage the class in a discussion about the following questions: Do you feel more passionate about your own special place or someone else’s? Is it easier to feel strongly about a place you’ve visited? Did you care more about your partner’s place after hearing his or her essay? Ask students how they feel about protecting the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. Then play the Landmark Trees program. After listening to the program and discussing it, do your students feel differently about protecting the Tongass National Forest? Read to the class this adapted excerpt from the pre-expedition interview with reporter Christopher Joyce: Part of the project is to take people, the public, out there and show them what it’s really like in the old-growth forests. That, everyone hopes, will inspire some protective efforts. Unless you know what it’s like to be out there, you’re not likely to be very protective of the resource. But once you’ve seen it, you want to preserve the beauty that’s there. Have students discuss, aloud or in writing, whether they think this approach will be effective. 2. Tongass Journalism Have students listen to all or part of the Radio Expeditions program. Ask them to pay particular attention to any mention of differences between tropical and temperate rain forests. They can explore the subject further in the rain forest section (http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/rforest/index.htm) of the Missouri Botanical Garden site. Compare the two types of rain forest during a class discussion. What plants and animals live in each? Which has the greater number of species? Where are the two types located? Ask students to pretend that they’re journalists on a Radio Expedition to Tongass National Forest. Their job will be to gather information about the temperate rain forest and present a vivid portrait for listeners who may never see the Tongass firsthand. Have students list questions they would ask and things they’d want to see in order to learn as much as possible. If time permits, students might present “broadcasts” to their peers.
1. Forest Service Roles and Responsibilities After your class has listened to the Radio Expeditions program, ask whether they are surprised that logging is an issue in a national forest. Divide the class into small groups to investigate the roles and responsibilities of the Forest Service. They can go to the following Web sites for Forest Service information. Ask students to write down the Forest Service mission and to explain what makes a national forest different from a national park. Then have them visit the following Web sites to read about some of the controversies surrounding logging in the Tongass and other national forests. Groups should now write reports that discuss the Forest Service’s roles and responsibilities in the Tongass National Forest and the controversies surrounding its current practices. Students should consider the information they’ve seen on the Forest Service sites as well as the others, and they should answer the following questions in their reports: What responsibilities does the Forest Service have to protect the Tongass? What political factors affect decisions about managing the Tongass and other national forests? Who is in favor of keeping the Tongass open to logging, and who is opposed? What are the arguments against and in favor of logging in the Tongass? Is the Forest Service living up to its mission in its current practices in the Tongass? (Students should explain their answers in detail, providing concrete information from their research and citing all sources.) 2. Ecotourism in the Tongass After listening to the Radio Expeditions program, ask students to visit Web sites to find out more about the landscape of the Tongass National Forest and its opportunities for recreation and ecotourism. Ask them to pretend that they’ve just been given the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to start an ecotourism operation in the Tongass National Forest. Customers will pay to explore and enjoy the forest. Their company must practice sustainable, environmentally responsible forms of recreation. Students should research and prepare a presentation that illustrates their business plan for this venture. The presentation should include the following components: The following Web sites might assist your students.
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