Agwu Justina

Walton High School

the cloud forest

How can we conserve our Rainforests?

Introduction:

Rainforest is nature’s garden that is fast disappearing from the biosphere. The effect of climatic changes has adversely affected the rainforest zones of the world. Other factors that affect the distribution of vegetation include the soil, human, and the global warming. Global warming may endanger humans, plants, and animals. Acid rain is causing severe damage to the environment.

Deforestation may destroy our forest such as Bronx Zoo, Botanical Garden in the Bronx and the El Yunque in Puerto-Rico. Mismanagement of plants creates vicious cycle of health related problems such as the respiratory diseases. For instance a special education student died of asthma attack sometimes ago at Harry Truman HS in the Bronx. There is no doubt that the rate at which people have been dying of heart attack has been on increase due to the fact our forests are being destroyed and people inhale a lot of polluted air.

Inappropriate use of medicinal plants such marijuana, and cinchona plants, by many people of different age categories such as pregnant mothers, students, and other adults have resulted to delivery of babies with congenital problems leads to malformation of different body parts internally and externally.

Geographical Distribution:

Tropical rainforest are found in Southeast Asia, West Africa, South and Central America. The map will help you to know how, where, and why the rainforest zones are limited in certain ecological terrestrial biomes.

Why is the global distribution of rainforests confined to the areas where conditions are warm and wet year round? Your are also required to study the nature of soil, other abiotic factors such as the temperature, air, light, minerals; and the influence of humans on this biome.

Task:

In order to encourage students to work collaboratively, the class will be divided into groups according to different abilities, so that every student will learn, and the group goals achieved. The research will enable students to appreciate nature more and treat the natural endowment with care. The students will research about the pertinent issues of the influence humans on the de-forestation of the natural ecological biome.

Each group will have an assigned role. Each member will explore the background information. From this research, each group will draft a role position statement based on information gleaned from the relevant sites. Each of you will bring your written statement to the class for discussion. Groups will discuss possible solutions to the public policy issue of the management and the conservation of natural resource. Since each group is representing different roles, it will be necessary to present the solution and supportive information to the class. This will be in form of an oral and written presentation.

This type of analysis includes all of the following steps:

You will have to create and present an Oral Presentation and a two page typed report on the conservation of the tropical rainforests.

For either project you will have to use the 6-step public policy approach:

· Define and describe the problem (social conditions, and public policy)

· Gather evidence to support your argument that this problem exists, and magnitude of it.

· Identify causes of de-forestation

· Evaluate the existing policy, if any; and

· Develop solutions that will encourage reaforestion.

As your group answers these questions, you are striving to achieve the following goals:

· To develop an understanding of how humans should embrace reaforestation.

· to critically evaluate the resources based on relevancy, biases and errors.

· to develop and support a role position.

· to compare, contrast, listen, evaluate and problem-solve as you work as a team.

· to reach consensus on a committee recommendation.

· to use electronic communication media.

Use the following guidelines for the completion of both products.

Guidelines

· · Research the Internet sources listed below in order to respond to all of the following questions

· · Use the 6-step public policy analysis work sheets before writing your report. Worksheets are available at:

www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS.html

· · After you complete your six worksheets, begin writing a first draft of your report.

· Prepare a group oral presentation that supports your groups position as expressed in your report

· Submit your individual reports and present your group oral presentation

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. 1. Define deforestation.

2. Discuss how de-forestation has become a global concern.

3. Evaluate the effectiveness of Conservation and restoration of tropical rainforests.

4. How has our health been affected by deforestation?

The following sites can be of help to you:

http://www.walmart

www.price grabber.com

Standards: New York City Performance Standards

S2d: The student produces evidence that demonstrates understanding of interdependence of organism, such as conservation of matter; cooperation among organisms in ecosystems and human effect on environment;

S6b: Records and stores data using variety of formats, such as videotapes.

-contributed outstanding effort to work or project -shows outstanding language skills

-report or project is compelling and moves the reader through the text -, and enhance the understanding of report -goes beyond all requirements-contributed good effort to work or project -shows good language skills

-report or project is interesting and keeps reader's attention; illustrations mostly accurate and appropriate -satisfies all requirements-contributed fair effort to work or project -shows fair language skills

-report or project is written clearly, using good sentence structure; neatly handwritten -illustrations somewhat accurate and appropriate -satisfies some requirements.