grasslands

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Ecosystems of South America
mountains
rainforests
grasslands
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Rainforests
Where can you find an antelope the size of a
rabbit, a frog that can fly or a spider that eats
birds? All in rainforests of course.
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Grasslands are great open areas. They receive
between 10 to 30 inches of rain per year, which
places them between a forest and a desert in
terms of rainfall. More rain, and the grasslands
would become a forest. Less rain, and the
grasslands would be considered a desert. In fact,
grasslands are often the transition from desert
to forests.
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Rainforest Weather
The weather conditions in the rainforest are
nearly perfect for the survival of plants and
animals. With temperatures constant at 75-80
degrees Fahrenheit the whole year, animals dont
have to worry about freezing in the winter or
finding shade in the hot summer. They rarely have
to search for water because rain falls every day
in rainforests.
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Life in the Rainforest
Rainforests are home to many of the strangest
looking, most beautiful, largest, smallest and
most dangerous animals on earth. Youve probably
heard of some of them jaguars, toucans, parrots,
gorillas and tarantulas all make their home in
rainforests. There are so many plants and animals
that millions of them havent even been named.
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ASSIGNMENT 1

• Your mission is to take notes by completing the
• Research Sheet.
• Click here for the Research Sheet.
• Place the mouse arrow on File and click on
  Print.
• Get the Research Sheet in the printer.
• Find information about an animal.
• Click here for animals of the
  rainforest
• Click here for animals of the
  grasslands
• Click here for animals of the mountains
• HAVE FUN!!!

Click for Assign.2
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aztec ant
jaguar
macaw
Animals of the Rainforest
toucan
boa constrictor
capuchin monkey
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Mountains
What a flat, dull place the world would be
without mountains! Covering about a fifth of the
earth's surface, mountains are found on all
continents and there are even mountains under the
surface of the sea! Mountains are formed by slow
but gigantic movements of the earth's crust.
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Toucans have large brightly-colored beaks that
are adapted for fruit eating. Each toucans
color beak is distinctive which helps them find
other toucans in the dense vegetation of the
rainforest. These beaks or bills are four times
as big as their head. This bill frightens other
birds and small animals.
Toucans are well
camouflaged.
They are so noisy that they

are heard over a. half
mile away These birds live in holes high in
decayed trees. Since the toucans are not good
fliers they hop or do short glides in the tree
tops to look for fruit and berries. Besides
fruit, toucans also will look for frogs,
lizards, flying insects and even baby birds. In
captivity they like to eat rice, bread, potatoes,
eggs, and even meat.
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Aztec Ants
These ants tend to live only in the hollow
stems of cecropia trees. They are aggressive and
are especially active at the tips of growing
branches. The ants do not sting, but they do
bite, and will fiercely protect their home from
potential dangers. Aztec Ants feed on
leaves, and cut and kill any vines that begin to
climb up the tree. These actions of the Aztec
Ants allow the trees to stay healthy and grow
as fast as possible. They are now able to
successfully compete with other trees for limited
sunlight. In return, the tree provides the
protecting ant with a place to live and a source
of food. Aztec ant colonies seem to be a
favorite food of the tamandua.
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Scarlet Macaw
The scarlet macaw is one of the largest and
certainly one of the most spectacularly colored
of the South American parrots. Scarlet macaws
have large, powerful bodies, making the adults
immune to many common bird predators. This
relative freedom from predators makes camouflage
less important. Therefore, they are safe to
flash their colors. Scarlet macaws feed
mainly on fruits, large seeds and nuts, which
they can easily break open with their extremely
tough beaks.
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Emerald Tree Boa
This beautiful, well-camouflaged snake lives
almost entirely in the trees. It has green skin
that is striped with white or yellow. This
protective coloration allows the snake to get
near its prey without being seen, and also helps
to conceal it from predators like the Harpy
Eagle. The boa commonly hunts by remaining
quiet in the trees as it waits for potential
victims to come close. Boas are
non-poisonous constrictors that kill the prey by
squeezing and suffocating. The boas diet usually
consists of small birds, but it also kills small
rodents, such as mice or young agoutis, lizards,
other snakes, etc.
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Capuchin Monkey
These intelligent and agile monkeys live
amongst the tree tops of the rainforest.
Capuchins travel in noisy groups. A group can
range from 5 to over 30 monkeys that hunt for
food at various levels of the forest. They hunt
in the treetops and swoop down to the shrub,
eating nearly all animals they can catch
insects, snails, caterpillars, spiders and other
small animals. They also capture larger prey such
as small rodents, opossums, baby birds, lizards,
and frogs. These omnivores also consume a
variety of fruits, seeds, flowers and their
nectar. When capuchin monkeys lap up the nectar
from flowers, the fur surrounding their hairy
faces gets covered in yellow pollen. By carrying
the pollen through the forest, they may assist in
the pollination of some trees.
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Jaguars
The Jaguar is the largest predator in the
rainforest. However, it is increasingly uncommon
and is rarely seen. It can be found in many
habitats, but prefers riverbanks, where it
usually sleeps and hunts by day or dusk/night.
The jaguar generally hunts forest floor
animals, but can both climb and swim with ease.
Its favorite hunting strategy is to lie in wait
in branches and pounce on its victim. Jaguars
prey on whatever creatures they come upon. The
heavy jaws and large facial muscles of the jaguar
allow it to prey on tapirs, deer, monkeys, and
capybara. Jaguars have distinctive spots.
In the rainforest, this serves as an advantage.
The Jaguars spotted pattern acts as a camouflage
which enables it to hide in both sunlight and in
the low growing plants.
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Assignment 2 Creating Your Own Animal
painting
drawing
3-D model
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Assignment 2 Creating Your Own Animal Directions

• . After discussing with your group the
  characteristics of animals
• and their ecosystems, select an ecosystem and
  design your own
• animal to live in that habitat
• 2. Use a blank research sheet to organize and
  create your animals
• specific attributes to survive in that
  ecosystem.
• 3. Select how you will design your animal
  drawing, 3-D model, diorama
• 4. Use the research sheet to write 3 paragraphs
  about the animal
• you have created.
• Be prepared to share your creation with the
  class.
• Click here to review your assignment and writing
  rubric.
• Click here for Bibliography

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Assignment 2 Did You?
Did You?

• Select an ecosystem where your animal will
  live
• Use your research sheet to develop your character
• Write three paragraphs about your animal that you
  have created
• Include details in your writing

To Rubric
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Assignment 2 Writing Rubric
Task Beginning Developing
Accomplished Exemplary score
Score
1
2
3
4
0-1 sections complete with accuracy
All sections completed with accuracy
2-3 sections complete with accuracy
4-5 sections completed with accuracy
Research sheet
-Addresses the topic using great
details -Shows creative understanding -Complete
paragraphs
-Addresses the topic using good support of
details -Complete paragraphs
-Writing is not on topic -Shows no understand-ing
of subject
-Addresses the topic, using few details and
incomplete paragraphs
Finished writing product
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
http//cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/fellows/MENTZER/web
quest/chart.htm http//library.thinkquest.org/1192
2/habitats/mountains.htm http//mbgnet.mobot.org/s
ets/grasslnd/def.htm http//passporttoknowledge.co
m http//7-12educators.about.com/education/7-12edu
cators/library/weekly/
blrubricflw.htm http//www.animalsoftherainforest.
com.toucan.htm http//www.iconbazar.com/ http//ww
w.panda.org./kids/wildlife/mnmntain.htm http//www
.ran.org/ran/kids_action/questions.html Zimmer,
Hans. Millennium. CD. Milwaukee Narada
Productions Inc., 1992.
Credits
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Lincoln Elementary School
Roberta Pecora, Kim LaMont, Dana Furjanic Sandi
Smith, Melissa Di Giovanni