原版英语RAZ 教案The Amazing Amazon.pdf
www.readinga-The Amazing AmazonA Reading AZ Level X Leveled BookWord Count:2,333The Amazing AmazonWriting and ArtCreate a travel brochure for the Amazon that informs readers and persuades them to visit.Use information from the book as well as outside resources.MathChoose two animals from the text.Find and record the difference in size between these two animals.Then,draw a picture of both animals to scale and label it.ConnectionsUXZ1Visit www.readinga- for thousands of books and materials.Written by David MeissnerLEVELED BOOK XThe Amazing AmazonLevel X Leveled Book Learning AZWritten by David MeissnerIllustrated by Signe NordinAll rights reserved.www.readinga-The Amazing AmazonCorrelationLEVEL XS4040Fountas&PinnellReading RecoveryDRAwww.readinga-What makes the Amazon a unique habitat?Focus QuestionWritten by David Meissner Photo Credits:Front cover:Gregory Hills/123RF;title page;pages 6,7,8(all),9(all),11,13,15(all),16,19,21,22:ArtToday;page 4:Jupiterimages Corporation;page 18:Zoonar RF/Zoonar/Thinkstock;page 20(top left,top right,bottom left,bottom right):PhotoDisc;page 20(bottom center):Kevin Peterson/Photodisc/Getty ImagesepiphytesfoliagefungipeccariespiranhasprehensileresidentsslinksspeciestalonstricklesunsuspectingWords to Know34Table of ContentsChapter 1:There Is a Place.4Chapter 2:Layers of the Rainforest.10Chapter 3:Keeping It Clean.18Chapter 4:Who,Me?.20Explore More .22Glossary .24Chapter 1:There Is a PlaceThere is a place where monkeys swing and howl.There is a place where jaguars leap from tree to tree.In this place,bananas and pineapples grow for free.In this place,tiny frogs live in flowers.This is where pink-colored dolphins swim in the river.This is where storms come often,and where the air is sweet.Some sunlight filters through the vines and leaves,but it is mostly dark here on the ground.It is hot,steamy,and surprisingly still.Rainwater trickles down from leaf to leaf.You hear a slow sound:drip,drip,drip.Your skin is sweaty.An insect lands on your neck.An ant quietly walks across your sandal.Suddenly a little brown monkey swings to a nearby branch.Then a bright green bird flutters past.Welcome to the Amazon rainforest.NOTE:Rainforest can be spelled in two ways:rainforest or rain forest.We will use the one-word spelling.And when this book uses the word rainforest,it means tropical rainforest.In the Amazon rainforestThe Amazing Amazon Level X56RainforestsTropical rainforests live up to their name:They are forests where it rains a lot.In fact,a typical tropical rainforest receives between 150 and 400 centimeters(59157 in)of rain each year.They are also warm.Their temperature averages between 25 and 35 Celsius(77F95F).Rainforests are green year-round.Their hot,humid,and rainy climate is perfect for tall trees,vines,ferns,and other plants.The really thick parts of rainforests are what we call jungle.Tropical rainforests cover a small part (about 6 percent)of Earths surface.But over half (50 percent)of the worlds plant and animal species are found in them!Rainforests usually lie in tropical areas near Earths equator.Most of the worlds rainforests are in Africa,Southeast Asia,and South America.The AmazonThe Amazon rainforest lies in South America.It is the largest tropical rainforest in the world.It has more kinds of insects,plants,and animals than any other place on Earth.Every year,scientists discover new species of insects and plants here.The Amazon River flows through the heart of this rainforest.It is like a huge sea of fresh water.Thousands of other rivers and streams empty into it.Catfish,piranhas,and dolphins all live in the Amazon River.This book will take you on a tour of the Amazon rainforest.You will travel from the tallest trees to the rainforest floor.Along the way,you will meet an eagle,monkey,jaguar,and ant.You will even hear what these Amazon natives would sayif they could talk.The rainforests dense foliageThe Amazing Amazon Level X78So just how big is the Amazon River?The Amazon River can be more than 48 kilometers(30 mi)across at its widest point during the rainy season.It flows almost 6,437 kilometers(4,000 mi)to the Atlantic Ocean.Within its mouth is an island the size of Switzerland.The rivers arapaima fish can grow to be 3 meters(10 ft)long and weigh 180 kilograms (400 lb)!Its volume is greater than the next eight largest rivers combined!Sloths are slow-moving animals.They seem to just hang out(upside down!)in the trees.Sloths get covered in algae,which helps them blend into the forest.Sammy was voted:Most Likely to Survive,but Least Likely to SucceedThe tapir is a big,hoofed animal that is related to the horse and the rhinoceros.Tapirs often weigh well over 136 kilograms (300 lb).Tapirs like to take baths in the river and look for food when it is dark.Tamara was voted:Best Personality The Amazon is the worlds widest and largest river.Sammy“Slowpoke”SlothTamara the TapirFrom the Amazon YearbookVenezuelaTHE AMAZON RIVERFrench GuianaATLANTIC OCEANSurinameGuyanaMap of Amazon BasinColombiaEcuadorPanamaBrazilPeruThe Amazing Amazon Level X910Chapter 2:Layers of the RainforestTo better understand the rainforest,scientists have“divided”it into four layers,or sections.You can think of it like a four-story building.The highest trees make up the top floor,or the emergent layer.The next-highest trees make up the canopy layer.Below them is the understory layer.At the bottom is the rainforest floor.At around 1.2 meters(4 ft)long,the capybara is the worlds largest rodent.(But Katie doesnt like to be called a big rat.)Capybaras webbed feet help them swim.Katie was voted:Most Likely to Win a Rat RaceFrom the Amazon YearbookKatie CapybaraPaulo the Poison Arrow FrogThe poison arrow frog has super-bright colors.These colors warn other animals that its skin is poisonous.Indians in the Amazon rainforest dip their arrows into this poison for hunting.Paulo was voted:Most Dangerous AmphibianRainforest LayersEmergent LayerCanopy LayerUnderstory LayerRainforest FloorThe Amazing Amazon Level X1112High Risers The tallest trees of the rainforest are called the emergents.They are like big umbrellas that rise high above the thick forest.Emergents are exposed to lots of sun,wind,rain,and lightning.Big roots support these giant trees.Because rainforest soil is shallow,tree roots often grow above the ground.The kapok tree,for example,has roots that extend out like wooden walls.These roots are so big that your whole class could hide behind just one of them!Not many animals live in the emergent layer.Some birds and butterflies do visit to eat leaves and fruit.One huge bird,the harpy eagle,actually lives up there,high above the Amazon.Spotlight interview:The Harpy EagleRAZ Interviewer:Hello there,Harpy.Is it true that you are the largest eagle in the Americas?Harpy:I think so.In your people terms,I am about one meter tall,which is over three feet high.RAZ Interviewer:It looks like you have some big wings as well.Harpy:Oh,these things?I was born with these.If I stretch them out like this,they are longer than most people.You see?My wingspan is two meters acrossabout six and a half feet.Flying fast really helps me find food.RAZ Interviewer:What is your favorite food?Harpy:Oh,I like pizza delivered to my door.Just kiddingtheres no pizza here in the rainforest!I hunt sloths,monkeys,and fellow birds.Monkeys are probably the tastiest.RAZ Interviewer:Is that what your big talons are for?Harpy:Yep.These meat hooks can scoop unsuspecting animals right off of tree branches.RAZ Interviewer:Do you ever fear revenge,like a monkey uprising?Harpy:No,Im the top bird around here.I build my stick nests in the tallest trees where monkeys dont normally go.Hey,theres a monkey now!Ill see you later!Harpy eagleThe Amazing Amazon Level X1314Crazy Canopy The rainforests real action is in the canopy layer.This is where most plants and animals live.It is like a thick roof woven out of tree branches,plants,and vines.Many trees in the canopy are covered with climbing vines and epiphytes.Epiphytes are plants that grow on top of others.Most of the rainforests flowers,fruit,and seeds are found in this layer.With so much good canopy food,it makes sense that animals hang out here.Many animals rarely come down to the ground.They eat,sleep,hunt,and give birth high up in the trees.Sloths,toucans,and parrots are just some of the canopys residents.The hardest one to ignore is probably the howler monkey.Its name befits its behavior,as these monkeys howl and scream to keep other animals out of their territories.Spotlight interview:The Howler MonkeyRAZ Interviewer:Wow,that was one loud howl!Excuse me,but could you please stop screaming for one moment?I would like to ask you a few questions!Howler:Okay,but hurry up.If I dont scream like this,other monkeys may come into our territory.RAZ Interviewer:Do you always stay up here in the canopy?Howler:This is our home,my man.On the ground,there are some really big animalsits a jungle down there.When it comes to safety,we dont monkey around.Up here,we can eat fruit,leaves,and flowers,and we can live in safety.RAZ Interviewer:Does your long tail help you?It looks prehensile.Reaching the TopScientists have found creative ways to study the top layers of rainforests.They have climbed with ropes and ladders.They have built platforms like tree houses.Some have gone up in cranes.A blimp has even lowered a raft of scientists down to the canopy.Bromeliads are cone-shaped plants that grow on trees.Their cones catch a lot of rainwater and form little swimming pools high above the ground.Tiny frogs,salamanders,and crabs live in these pools.Mosquitoes and dragonflies lay eggs in them.The Amazing Amazon Level X1516Howler:Yeah,if by prehensile you mean“grab onto.”My tail helps me climb,but my hands and feet are very useful for climbing,too.RAZ Interviewer:You sure use big words for a monkey.Hey,stop the howling!If you can be heard from miles away,just think how loud it is for me.What makes you so loud anyway?Howler:I have a special bone in my windpipe.My throat is like a hollow sound box.See the big swelling under my chin?Here,touch it.RAZ Interviewer:Oww!Thats not funnyyou have sharp teeth!Okay,Mr.Monkey,you can go back to howling now.The Darker Story The understory is the third level of the rainforest.It is below the canopy and above the ground.This is where ferns,plants,and young trees grow.It is dark in the understory because very little light shines through the thick canopy.Understory plants grow leaves that are big and wide.That way,they have a better chance of catching some rays.Animals like to eat these big leaves.The understory is not nearly as busy as the canopy,but animals do live here.Poison arrow frogs hide in the foliage.Snakes wrap around trees like vines.Birds peck and pull insects from the wood.Large cats such as jaguars leap between branches.Howler monkeyJaguarThe Amazing Amazon Level X1718Spotlight interview:The JaguarRAZ Interviewer:Hey,put me down!And dont bite.Bad cat,bad big cat!Jaguar:Sorry,I thought you were a monkey.Lucky youre not as tasty.Hey,what do you think youre doing here anyway?RAZ Interviewer:I came to interview you,the biggest cat in the Americas.Mr.Jaguar,are you really 2.6 meters(8.5 ft)long?Jaguar:Thats what they say.And I weigh 136 kilograms(300 lb),too.Not many animals mess with me.By the way,you can just call me Jag.RAZ Interviewer:Okay,Jag,what do you do for exercise?Jag:I get bored with just one sport.Thats why I cross-train:I run,swim,climb,fish,and hunt.RAZ Interviewer:What do you hunt?Jag:Lots of things.Sometimes I climb up in the canopy to eat sloths and monkeys.On the ground,I hunt peccaries,tapirs,and yummy capybaras.On lazy days,I lie near the river and catch fish with my claws.When Im really hungry,I kill caimans.RAZ Interviewer:Wow,I dont want to be in your powerful jaws ever again!If youll excuse me,I need to go now.Chapter 3:Keeping It CleanIf you walked around the rainforest floor,you might be surprised.It is not just one thick jungle.Sure,you would see roots,ferns,herbs,and baby trees.But most of the green would be high above you.Earthworms,termites,fungi,and bacteria eat up the fallen fruit,leaves,and branches.They recycle it back into nutritious soil.When a big tree falls,they quickly munch it down into small pieces.Also on the ground are big animals like deer,tapirs,peccaries,and capybaras.But they are far outnumbered by the smaller spiders,beetles,and ants.Ant highways crisscross the rainforest floor.One kind of ant even parades around with leaves and flower petals in its mouth.It is the famous leaf-cutter ant.Answer:Insects!(There are more than two hundred types of mosquito alone.There are well over one thousand different kinds of butterflies.And just think of all the ants!)Trivia QuestionIn the Amazon rainforest,are there more mammals,birds,insects,or reptiles?Rainforest floorThe Amazing Amazon Level X1920Spotlight interview:The Leaf-Cutter AntRAZ Interviewer:Hey down there!Yeah,youthe one carrying the big leaf over your head!Id like to ask you a few questions.Do you have a moment?Ms.Ant:Sure,but I do need to hurry back to the fungus garden.Were low on food.RAZ Interviewer:Did you really just climb up a tree and cut off that leaf?Ms.Ant:Thats correct.And now Im carrying it back to our underground colony.Thats where smaller ants will chew it up into little spongy bits.RAZ Interviewer:So you dont eat the actual leaf?Ms.Ant:No,we use the leaves to grow fungus.Then we eat the fungus.Want to try some?RAZ Interviewer:No,thank youI,uh,just had lunch.So tell me,what is it like underground?Ms.Ant:We have deep nests with hundreds of chambers.In the middle rooms,small ants tend to our fungus gardens.Our only queen is in a different room.She can lay up to thirty thousand eggs in one day.Thats why there are almost five million of us here!Now if youll excuse me,I need to sniff my way home.And please watch your feetif you step on our trail,I might get lost!Chapter 4:Who,Me?Yes,you.Do you eat bananas?Do you like chocolate?Have you ridden a bicycle with rubber tires?Well,guess what!Bananas,chocolate,and rubber all grow in the Amazon rainforest.Many more things come from the Amazon,too,such as medicines,wood,pineapples,and fresh air.Leaf-cutter antsThe Amazing Amazon Level X2122The Amazon is a rich,living treasure.Insects buzz by that do not even have names yet.Trees grow,fall,and turn back into soil.Rainstorms fill up frogs swimming pools.And perhaps most importantly,plants of the rainforest take carbon dioxide from the air and replace it with oxygen.Humans and other animals need oxygen in order to live.Explore MoreDid you like learning about the Amazon rainforest?Well,there is much more to see.If you do some research,youre bound to find some very interesting animals!1.At the LibraryTell your librarian that you are interested in books about the Amazon rainforest.2.On the WebIn the address window,type: Then type:Amazon rainforest.Click on“Google Search.”Read the colored links.Click on on
