ER 1.2-1.3

We Got a New Job!

You will take on the role of ecologists working for Natural Resources Rescue, an organization that works to protect and save fragile ecosystems around the world.

This is a project report  from Natural Resources Rescue  (NRR) about the problem in a part of the Costa Rican rainforest ecosystem. The project area was originally a healthy rainforest. Then, as you can see in the photo on the left, cattle ranchers burned down the rainforest so they could use the land as grazing (eating) area for their cows.

Several years ago, the cattle ranchers left and took the cows with them. The ranchers were asked to plant trees so the area would become a rain forest again. As you can see in the photo on the right, some trees—called cecropia trees (pronounced see-CRO-pee-ah)—and other rainforest plants are slowly starting to grow again, and rain forest animals have begun to come back.

NRR worked with volunteers to replant the project area. They brought in young cecropia trees and other important rainforest plants and planted them.

In many parts of the world, people have done reforestation projects like this, and the forest has grown back and thrived.

Use the chart below to answer the questions

1

Which area has more jaguars?

1

Which area has more cecropia trees?

1

Which area has more sloths?

Use the chart below to answer the questions

1

Which area has heavier jaguars and sloths?

5

Match the vocabulary words we’ve used before to the definitions.

Draggable item		Corresponding Item
Nanoscale		The size that we can see with our eyes
Observable scale		Stuff that things are made of
Molecule		A group of atoms joined together in a particular way
Atom		A tiny piece of matter that is too small to see
Matter		The size where objects are too small even to see with a microscope. Atoms and molecules are this size.

You should have read the book Matter Makes it All Up on Monday

Read page 9 and answer the questions below.

1

Animals need matter to grow. Which sentence explains where this matter come from?

Read page 10 and answer the questions below.

1

Animals need matter to grow. Which sentence explains where this matter come from?

2

Which sentences explain how animals grow? Select all that apply (there may be more than one correct answer).

Read page 11 and answer the question below.

1

Besides using food molecules to grow, which sentences explain what two other things can happen to food molecules that enter an animal’s body?

0

What are animals made of?

Sentence starter: Animals are made of _____________________.

0

What do animals do to grow their bodies?

Sentence starter: Animals _____________________ to grow their bodies.

0

We Got a New Job!

Which area has more jaguars?

Which area has more cecropia trees?

Which area has more sloths?

Which area has heavier jaguars and sloths?

Match the vocabulary words we’ve used before to the definitions.

Animals need matter to grow. Which sentence explains where this matter come from?

Animals need matter to grow. Which sentence explains where this matter come from?

Which sentences explain how animals grow? Select all that apply (there may be more than one correct answer).

Besides using food molecules to grow, which sentences explain what two other things can happen to food molecules that enter an animal’s body?

What are animals made of? Sentence starter: Animals are made of _____________________.

What do animals do to grow their bodies?Sentence starter: Animals _____________________ to grow their bodies.

What is food made of?Sentence starter: Food is made of _____________________.

What are animals made of?

Sentence starter: Animals are made of _____________________.

What do animals do to grow their bodies?

Sentence starter: Animals _____________________ to grow their bodies.

What is food made of?

Sentence starter: Food is made of _____________________.