An Emmy Award-Winning Rain Forest Unit!

From PBS 45 & 49's Department of Educational Services

Winner of the 2001 Cleveland Regional Emmy in the "Children/Youth Programs Specials" category!

Are you ready for an adventure in the jungle? Are you tingling all over when you think about looking at pictures of snakes, spiders and other "yucky" things? Well, step into the Ama-Zone! and get ready for an exciting trip through the jungle.

For students in grades 5-8

Goals

The main goal of this simulation is for students to understand that their actions have an effect on the rain forest and, in turn, the rain forest (products, animals, etc.) has an effect on them. We, as individuals, need to be aware of our actions and the consequences of the choices we make.

The main goal of the science lessons is for students to understand basic scientific concepts about the rain forest. These concepts include biodiversity, classification, the interrelationship among species, rain forest products, weather, deforestation, adaptations and the differences between plants and animals.

What's included in the Ama-Zone! The Rain Forest Project package?

Teachers Guide

The guide provides you with everything you need to implement this fun, cross-curricular, project-based simulation about the possibility of setting aside the Amazon River Basin as a world preserve. Background information, blackline masters, quizzes and student worksheets are all included.

Interactive CD-ROM

Interactive and engaging, the CD-ROM features the Ama-Zone! curriculum, video and audio clips, web links, photographs and more!

Web Site

The PBS 45 & 49 web site for Ama-Zone! features a hotlist of web sites that can be used in student research. Also available is a hotlist of rain forest WebQuests and much, much more.

Ama-Zone! Instructional TV Programs

The five videos, which include footage from the Amazon Rain Forest and interviews with experts, provide a balance between the need for progress and the need for preservation of the Amazon River Basin. The five videos cover A Rain Forest Overview (basics on rain forest environment); The Challenge (looks at deforestation through slash-and-burn techniques for cattle raising and farming); Biodiversity (shows the vast array of plants, animals and insects, and discusses the fantastic spectrum of plants and wildlife); The Culture (studies the lives of the river people, the native population and the city people); and Medicine and Pharmacy (traditional and modern medical practices and the untapped potential for medicines in rain forest plants).

For more information about this project, contact Ria Mastromatteo at or via e-mail at .

Ama-Zone! Broadcast Schedule

Mondays at 10 am " Sept. 16-Oct. 14 & March 3-April 28
Fridays at 10:50 am " Jan. 24-Feb. 21 & April 4-May 9

Block feeds of entire series:

Sept. 16, 3 am to 4 am; Nov. 19, 3 am to 4 am