Virtual tour of amazon rainforest: Amazon Rainforest – HistoryView

Amazon Rainforest Virtual Field Trip (Google Earth Exploration)

Take your students on a virtual tour to Brazil to learn about the Amazon rainforest. Using a combination of Google Earth™ 360-degree views, informational text, video, and visuals, your students will learn about the Amazon rainforest from multiple perspectives.
 
This virtual field trip covers:
:: geographic location of the Amazon rainforest
:: physical features
:: climate
:: deforestation
:: canopy layers
:: plant growth
:: economic issues
:: indigenous people
:: mammals
:: birds
:: reptiles & amphibians
 
This Virtual Field Trip Includes:
:: Informational Text (build background knowledge)
:: Response Questions (EDITABLE)
:: Google Earth™ Links to 360-degree views
:: Video Links
:: Grading Rubric
:: Everything is set up in Google Slides & ready to go!
 
SEE PREVIEW FOR MORE DETAILS
 
How it Works:
This virtual field trip can be conducted teacher-led or shared with students through Google Classroom as an independent assignment.  Everything is set up for you. This resource is LOW PREP and would even make great sub plans. Student directions are found within the lesson, and direct links are included to specific Google Earth™ locations and videos. All work is completed digitally. No printing necessary.
 
Structure:
This virtual field trip is structured. This means that the informational text and links are meaningful and are meant to lead students to think critically as they respond to the questions throughout the virtual field trip. This is also a great way to keep students accountable as they learn and explore. All response questions are EDITABLE, so you can tailor to your class needs. Students complete this activity in edit mode of Google Slides.
 
Standards Alignment:
:: Common Core Standards for Reading Informational Text
:: Georgia 7th Grade State Social Studies Standards ( SS6G1, SS6G2)
 
Grading Rubric:
A grading rubric is included which assesses: accuracy, thoroughness, validity, and writing conventions.  Answers will vary throughout, as students are recording their observations and findings.
 
Technology:
Please note that students will need to access Google Earth™ to complete this assignment. Google Earth™ can be accessed on a desktop using Chrome as the browser. If using a tablet or smartphone, simply download the Google Earth App before starting the virtual field trip. Your students will also need access to YouTube to view the video clips.
 
If you have questions, feel free to reach out prior to purchasing. Looking for another virtual field trip that you don’t see? Let me know! I can be reached directly by email at: [email protected]
 
Thank you!
Michelle McDonald, B.A.E.
Social Studies Education, K-12
Elementary Education K-8
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Connect with Me:
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Facebook: mrsmcdonaldsclassroom
Blog: StrategicEducationalServices. com

$5.25Price

Explore the Amazon Rainforest with New Virtual-Reality Film

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“Splash” the three-toed sloth hangs out near a tributary of the Napo river in Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park during the VR shoot in Amazonia.
(Image credit: Lucas Bustamante/Conservation International)

You can explore the Amazon rainforest’s spectacular beauty and biodiversity right from the comfort of your home, thanks to a new 360-degree virtual-reality film from Conservation International.

The film, called “Under the Canopy,” brings viewers into the depths of the Amazon, with the region’s diverse environment on full display. But beyond the picturesque views, the film also shares a message with viewers: This incredible landscape is threatened and needs to be protected. The annual forest loss due to deforestation in the Amazonia region is more than 1. 5 times the size of Yellowstone National Park, according to Conservation International, the nonprofit environmental organization that developed the virtual-reality experience.

The film begins at the top of a 200-foot-tall (60 meters) Ceiba tree. After descending to the rainforest floor, viewers set out on a journey with an indigenous guide named Kamanja Panashekung. Panashekung’s family has lived in the region for generations, and he shows viewers how the rainforest supplies everything his people need to survive, according to Conservation International. [Beyond Gaming: 10 Other Fascinating Uses for Virtual-Reality Tech]

“Kamanja’s community is one of over 350 indigenous communities throughout Amazonia that depend on the rainforest, as we all do, for the air we breathe and the water we drink,” M. Sanjayan, Conservation International’s executive vice president and senior scientist, said in a statement. “‘Under the Canopy’ gives those who may never visit the Amazon rainforest an opportunity … understand what is at risk. Sustaining the Amazon is not an option; it is a necessity.”

However, the impact of deforestation is not limited to the 30 million people who call the Amazon home. Trees in the Amazon act as a carbon sink — absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, which helps lower greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.

The Amazon region also supports more flora and fauna species than any other environment, playing an important role in global biodiversity, scientists have said. Throughout the film, viewers will encounter tropical birds, butterflies, sloths and more.

Using either a virtual-reality headset for an immersive experience or watching the 360-degree video, viewers will see firsthand what the people, plants and animals of Amazonia experience. The film addresses how deforestation and climate change impact their ecosystem, said Chris Holtz, director of conservation and sustainable development at the MacArthur Foundation, which supported the production of the film.

“Intact forests play a unique role in mitigating climate change and regulating the functioning of the planet. Yet, many are at risk,” Holtz said in the statement. “The virtual reality experience of ‘Under the Canopy’ allows anyone to immerse themselves in the rainforests of Amazonia and walk alongside members of an indigenous community in Suriname who conserve these forests as part of their traditional lands and, importantly, for the benefit of all humanity.”

Original article on Live Science.

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Kacey Deamer is a journalist for Live Science, covering planet earth and innovation. She has previously reported for Mother Jones, the Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press, Neon Tommy and more. After completing her undergraduate degree in journalism and environmental studies at Ithaca College, Kacey pursued her master’s in Specialized Journalism: Climate Change at USC Annenberg. Follow Kacey on Twitter.

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Rainforests

There are days when the vagaries of the weather unbalance. Measured drops of rain soothe when you are at home, warm and cozy – this is pure hygge. And if you need to rush to work, and the sky has opened up and pours like a bucket?! But there are places on our planet where the amount of precipitation exceeds 2000 mm per year – you really want to squeeze out thick air from moisture. Rainforests with their climatic features are of little use for human life, but are ideal for many species of animals and birds.

Where are the rainforests located?

Why is it customary to call them so strange – not by the type of plants, growth density or place, but by weather conditions?! Rainforests are characterized by abundant rainfall throughout the year. They grow in three main areas around the world: Central and South America, West and Central Africa, and Southeast Asia. Proximity to the equator causes a large amount of sunlight and a warm average annual air temperature. But there are also temperate rainforests outside the tropics in Canada, Norway, Alaska and the western Caucasus. They are much colder – the average temperature does not always reach 12 degrees. And the largest rainforest in the world is in the Amazon.

Structure of rainforests

Rainforests usually consist of several layers. The forest floor receives little to no sunlight, so low-light plants and various types of fungi usually live there. The cozy twilight of the undergrowth is formed mainly by young trees and shrubs with large leaves. Life is in full swing here: birds chirp and scream, snakes and lizards rustle, tropical insects of outlandish sizes buzz and predators roam. The greatest biodiversity on the planet is found in the forest canopy, a continuous canopy of foliage, tangled vines and trees. These thickets, often impenetrable, are called the jungle. Eagles, butterflies, bats and monkeys have chosen the forest stand – they are not afraid of high temperatures and strong winds.

Rain forest dwellers

Scientists consider rain forests to be a site of high evolutionary change and are home to many species of living organisms. The variety of inhabitants is amazing – if on the territory of a European country there are several hundred species of insects, then in the realm of a humid climate they number in the tens of thousands! Local birds are mostly herbivorous – their diet includes juicy fruits, and termites. In order not to become the prey of predators ahead of time, birds build hanging nests for themselves. Animals of rainforests rarely come out on open surfaces – during the day they prefer to sleep in cozy thickets, and at night they go out to hunt.

Amazonian rainforests

Once, without violating natural harmony, Indian tribes lived next to jaguars and spiders, but the colonists destroyed most of the original culture. In our time, there are still small settlements along the rivers and tributaries of the Amazon, to which civilization has not reached with all its tentacles. Rare travel photographers bring amazing snapshots of this fragile world from South American indigenous reservations. These places are all exotic.

The major cities of the Amazon – Manaus and Belen, very colorful, with a history and popular among tourists from all over the world in our time.

Forests can safely be called the lungs of our planet. These are the most valuable generators of oxygen and natural filters of the Earth. Ecologists are sounding the alarm due to deforestation – the number of trees is rapidly decreasing, which entails irreversible climate change. Many species of animals, birds and plants are on the verge of extinction. Obviously, a person should organize his activities in harmony with ecosystems.

ETNOMIR, Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village

The zoo “Cobra-mobras” is located in the ethnographic park-museum “ETNOMIR” between the husky kennel and the Bird’s house. From the western end of the hut, charming and always positive meerkats greet guests through the window. Inside there are about 30 species of large invertebrates and small vertebrates from all over the world. Animals are specially selected and prepared for safe contact with people. Communication between guests and pets of the zoo takes place on the unique hour-long program “Give a Paw to a Friend”. The program is hosted by Andrey Zatoka, a zoologist with 40 years of scientific and educational experience. The program is full of interesting facts, and guests will learn a lot about both exotic pets from distant lands and ordinary representatives of our fauna. The program is designed for families with children from 3 years old, and is also popular with school groups of up to 20 people. As elsewhere in ETNOMIR, photo and video shooting is allowed, and guests can take impressive shots as a keepsake.

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New 7 wonders of nature

Previously, we considered the Seven Natural Wonders of the World according to CNN, which in 1997 was offered by the famous American television company CNN. In the same article, we’ll take a look at the seven new wonders of nature that were approved in 2011.

The New Seven Wonders of Nature is a competition to identify the world’s seven most important natural sites through a worldwide popular vote.

The competition was organized by the Swiss non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC), which had already announced itself earlier by electing the Seven New Wonders of the World.

The project started in December 2007. Until July 7, 2009, the nomination and preliminary selection of candidates took place. As a result, a list of 77 candidates was formed. On July 21, 2009, the expert council of the competition selected 28 finalists from among them, who were admitted to the general vote. Voting continued until November 11, 2011. During this time, more than 1 million votes were cast.

So, on November 11, 2011, on the day of “three eleven”, the new seven wonders of nature were announced. We will consider them in this article.

1. Amazon River and Amazonian jungle (Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Suriname, Guyana, Ecuador)

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The Amazon River is the largest river in the world by area basin and fullness. The area of ​​the river basin is almost equal to the area of ​​Australia. The Amazon is fed by numerous tributaries, and about 20 of them are more than 1500 km long. Together with its tributaries, the Amazon forms a system of inland waterways with a total length of more than 25,000 km. Scientists from the University of Brasilia found that the age of the river is 9million years.

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The Amazon is rich in flora and fauna. Over a million different species of plants and animals live in a vast area, and this area, without exaggeration, can be called the world’s genetic fund. Scientists claim that there are 1,500 species of flowers, 750 species of trees, 125 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, and countless invertebrates per 10 square kilometers of rainforest. Many of their species are not even described or identified.

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The world’s largest rainforest is located in the Amazon basin . The climate of the evergreen equatorial forest is hot and humid, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 28 °C all year round, and even at night it does not fall below 20 °C. Rainfall here is unusually plentiful: their annual amount is 2000-4000 mm, but sometimes more falls. Inside the forest it is calm, only during a storm the tops of the trees sway. Through the thick leaves and weaves of vines under the crowns of trees, little light penetrates, and lush vegetation makes it difficult to move around, completely depriving you of orientation. To move even a short distance, you often need to cut a road.

wikipedia.org

Amazon Rainforest – an extensive region of humid tropical evergreen broadleaf forest – the world’s largest rainforest, located on a vast, almost flat, plain covering almost the entire Amazon River basin . Actually, the forest occupies 5. 5 million square kilometers – half of the total area of ​​tropical forests remaining on the planet – and captures the territory of nine states.

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The tropical rain forests of South America are the most biodiverse. The variety of animals and plants there is much greater than in the tropical forests of Africa and Asia. Every tenth described species of animal or plant is found in the Amazonian jungle. At least 40,000 plant species, 3,000 fish species, 1,294 bird species, 427 mammal species, 428 amphibian species, 378 reptile species, and 96,660 to 128,843 various invertebrate species have been described here. Here is the largest variety of plants on Earth, including 16 thousand species of trees. 9

It’s a tourist place.

The bay is located in the Gulf of Tonkin of the South China Sea. The bay includes more than 3,000 islands, as well as small rocks, cliffs and caves. Its area is about 1500 square kilometers.

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“Halong” is translated as “where the dragon descended into the sea.” According to legend, Ha Long Island was created by a large dragon. He always lived in the mountains, but when he went out, he hollowed out valleys and hollows of various shapes with his tail. After he plunged into the sea, the places dug out by his tail filled with water, and only small islands of earth remained.

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Tuan Chau is the most civilized island in the bay. It is here that the former residence of Ho Chi Minh (the famous Vietnamese revolutionary, statesman) is located.

The largest island in Halong Bay is Cat Ba Island, about half of which was declared a national park in 1986. The island has many lakes, waterfalls and grottoes, coastal coral reefs.

Well-known caves in Halong Bay are Bona Grotto, Maiden’s Cave and Sky Palace. Also known grotto Drum, which got its name because of the sounds of drumming, sounding from it during gusts of wind. The most beautiful cave is the Dau Guo grotto.

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Both the terrestrial and underwater worlds are characterized by high biodiversity. The climate is tropical, humid, with two seasons: hot, humid summers and dry, cold winters. The average temperature is from 15 to 25 °C. About 1,600 people live in houseboats in four fishing villages.

3. Iguazu Falls (Argentina, Brazil)

shutterstock.com0004 is a complex of 275 waterfalls on the Iguazu River, located on the border of Brazil and Argentina. The waterfalls are located on the border of the Argentinean and Brazilian Iguazu National Parks.

Both parks have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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The falls are located about 23 km from the mouth of the Iguazu River. The complex is 2.7 km wide and includes approximately 275 individual waterfalls. The height of the water fall reaches 82 meters, but on most waterfalls a little more than 60 meters. The largest waterfall is called “Devil’s Throat” – it is a U-shaped cliff 150 meters wide and 700 meters long. This waterfall marks the border between Brazil and Argentina.

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Many islands (including quite large ones) separate the waterfalls from each other. Approximately 900 meters out of a total width of 2.7 km are not covered by water. About 2 km of bridges connecting the islands help to better see all the streams. The waterfalls form a depression in the form of an amphitheater with an area of ​​2.7 km. During the rainy season, about 2000 mm of precipitation falls in the vicinity. In 1978, the waterfall dried up and remained inactive for a whole month.

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Most of the waterfalls are located within the territory of Argentina (length 2100 meters), but from Brazil (length 800 meters) offers a good view of the “Devil’s Throat”. The waterfalls can be observed from a height of 160-260 meters, so this waterfall is higher than Niagara, but inferior in width to Victoria Falls.

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The Iguazu Falls are one of the most visited tourist destinations in South America. Every year there are 1.5-2 million visitors. Viewing platforms are specially equipped for tourists. Hiking and car routes are laid in the vicinity of the waterfall. Also, tourists are offered waterproof clothing, as the routes go to the very foot of the waterfalls. In the vicinity of the Iguazu Falls, there is an international airport, dozens of hotels, campsites, access roads and walking trails have been built.

4.

Jeju Island (Republic of Korea)

shutterstock.com 004) is the largest island of volcanic origin and the smallest province in South Korea. It was formed by several volcanic eruptions over the past 1.2 million years. It consists mainly of basalt (solidified lava).

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Here is the Hallasan volcano, which appeared 780 thousand years ago. It is the highest mountain in South Korea (1950 meters). The mouth of the volcano rises to the top of Hallasan. A few more parasitic craters are located on its slopes and coast. To date, it is considered extinct, since the last eruption occurred 25 thousand years ago. Since 2007, the unique nature of the island has been under the protection of UNESCO as a World Heritage Site “Jeju Volcanic Island and its lava tubes.”

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Tourism plays a big role in Jeju’s economy. The climate, landscape, beaches have made the island the main destination of Korean domestic tourism and attract many vacationers from other parts of Asia: Japan, China, etc. Most Koreans go to Jeju during their honeymoon, so the island has a large number of parks and attractions specially for newlyweds.

5. Komodo National Park (Indonesia)

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Komodo dragon, which was first discovered in 1911. Later, the task of the park was to preserve other species of animals, including marine ones. The national park was founded in 1980. It was declared a biosphere reserve in 1986 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.