原版英语RAZ 教案(Z1) The Amazing Amazon.pdf
Visit www.readinga- for thousands of books and materials.Writing 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.ConnectionsThe Amazing AmazonA Reading AZ Level Z1 Leveled BookWord Count:2,683www.readinga-The Amazing AmazonUXZ1Written by David MeissnerLEVELED BOOK Z1www.readinga-The Amazing AmazonWhat makes the Amazon a unique habitat?Focus QuestionWritten by David Meissner The Amazing AmazonLevel Z1 Leveled Book Learning AZWritten by David MeissnerIllustrated by Signe NordinAll rights reserved.www.readinga-Photo Credits:Front cover:Gregory Hills/123RF;title page;pages 7,8(all),9,10,13(all),15,18,19,20,21:ArtTodaydecomposesemitepiphytesfoliagenocturnalpeccariespollinatorsprehensileslithersspeciessubstratetributariestricklesunsuspectingvenomousWords to KnowCorrelationLEVEL Z1WXN/A60Fountas&PinnellReading RecoveryDRA3Table of ContentsChapter 1:There Is a Place .4Chapter 2:Layers of the Rainforest .9Chapter 3:Keeping It Clean .16Chapter 4:Who,Me?.20Explore More .21Glossary .23Index .24NOTE: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.Amazing Amazon Level Z14Chapter 1:There Is a PlaceThere is a place where monkeys swing and howl,jaguars leap from tree to tree,and insects create huge colonies underground.In this place,bananas,pineapples,coconuts,and chocolate grow in abundance.In this place,tiny frogs live in flowers and climb trees,and pink-colored dolphins swim in the river.Storms come often to this place,and the air is sweet.Some sunlight filters through the vines and leaves of the tall trees,but it is mostly dark here on the ground.It is hot,humid,and surprisingly still.Rainwater trickles down through the foliage from leaf to leaf.You hear a slow sound:drip,drip,drip.Your skin is sweaty,an insect lands on your neck,and an ant quietly walks across your sandal.Suddenly a little brown monkey swings to a nearby branch,a bright yellow eyelash viper slithers up a tree,and a bright green Amazon parrot flutters past.Welcome to the Amazon basin,a tropical rainforest.RainforestsRainforests are located all over the planet.Tropical rainforests are close to the equator,between 23.5 N latitude and 23.5 S latitude 5in a band around the planet.Subtropical rainforests occur outside the tropics.Both types of rainforests share characteristics,but subtropical rainforests have fewer species of trees,plants,and animals than tropical rainforests.Rainforests live up to their name:they are forests where it rains almost every day.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.The humidity is between 77 and 88 percent.Their rainy,hot,and humid climate is perfect for tall trees,vines,ferns,and other plants.The really thick parts of rainforests are what we call jungles.Amazing Amazon Level Z16Tropical rainforests cover a small part(about 6 percent)of Earths surface.But more than half(50 percent)of the worlds plant and animal species are found in themthats close to thirty million species of plants and animals!Most of the worlds rainforests are in Africa,Southeast Asia,and South America.The AmazonThe Amazon rainforest lies in South America.Most of its 5.5 million square kilometers (1.4 billion acres)are in Brazil,but parts of the rainforest are also in Peru,Venezuela,Ecuador,Colombia,Guyana,Bolivia,Suriname,and French Guiana.It is the largest tropical rainforest in the world,with more different types of insects,plants,and animals than any other place on Earth.Scientists discover new species of insects and plants there every year.The Amazon River flows through the heart of this rainforest.Flowing at a rate of up to 7 kilometers per hour(4.3 mph),the water is brown from all the silt it carries.It is like a huge sea of fresh water.It has more than one thousand tributaries.Catfish,piranhas,and dolphins all live in the Amazon River.7This book will take you on a tour of the Amazon rainforest,traveling 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.So 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.It is home to more than forty thousand plant species.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!The Amazon is the worlds widest and largest river.Amazing Amazon Level Z18From the Amazon YearbookSloths are slow-moving animals.They seem to just hang out(upside down!)in the trees.Sloths sleep up to twenty hours a day.When theyre awake,they hardly move,which allows algae to grow on their fur.But,hey,it helps them blend into the forest.Sammy was voted:Most Likely to Survive,but Least Likely to SucceedThe tapir is a large,hoofed animal that is related to the horse and the rhinoceros.Tapirs often weigh well over 136 kilograms(300 lb),and they like to swim in the river,bathe in the mud,and they are nocturnal,preferring to look for food when it is dark.Tamara was voted:Best PersonalityAt approximately 1.2 meters(4 ft)long and standing 60 centimeters(2 ft)at the shoulder,the capybara is the worlds largest rodent.(But Katie doesnt like to be Tamara the TapirSammy“Slowpoke”SlothKatie Capybara9called a big rat.)Capybaras slightly webbed feet help them swim.Katie was voted:Most Likely to Win a Rat RaceThe poison arrow frog has super-bright colors and designs.This ostentatious patterning warns other animals that its skin is poisonous.Some native people in the Amazon rainforest have used the frogs poison for centuries when they go hunting.Paulo was voted:Most Dangerous AmphibianChapter 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,with the highest trees making up the top floor,called the emergent layer,and the next-highest trees making up the canopy layer.Below them is the understory layer.At the bottom is the rainforest floor.Paulo the Poison Arrow FrogRainforest LayersEmergent LayerCanopy LayerUnderstory LayerRainforest FloorAmazing Amazon Level Z110High Risers The tallest trees of the rainforest are the emergents.They are like big umbrellas that rise as much as 60.9 meters(200 ft)above the thick forest.Emergents are exposed to 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 is deciduous,meaning it sheds its leaves during the dry season,and has tall 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;however,some birds,bats,monkeys,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 more than three feet high.Harpy eagle11RAZ Interviewer:It looks as if 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.Since they are thirteen centimeters longthats about five inchesthese meat hooks can scoop unsuspecting animals right off 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 27 to 43 meters,or about 90 to 140 feet,up in the tallest trees.I choose trees with widely spaced branches so I have a clear flight path in and out of my nest.That way I can see whats around.Monkeys dont normally go up that high.Hey,theres a monkey now!Ill see you later!Amazing Amazon Level Z112Crazy Canopy The rainforests real action is in the canopy layer.This primary layer is where most of the rainforest plants and animals live.It is like a thick roof woven out of tree branches,plants,and vines that covers the two remaining layers.About 80 percent of the sunlight in the rainforest is absorbed by the trees in this layer,so very little gets to the lower layers.Many trees in the canopy are covered with climbing vines and epiphytes.Epiphytes are plants that grow on top of other plants and receive most of their moisture and nutrients from the air.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,preferring to eat,sleep,hunt,and give birth high up in the trees.Many of them fly,jump,glide,and hop to get from tree to tree.Sloths,toucans,and parrots are just some of the canopys residents,but the hardest ones to ignore are probably the howler monkeys.Their name befits their behavior,as these monkeys(the largest of the New World monkeys)howl and scream to keep other animals out of their territories.13Spotlight interview:The Howler MonkeyRAZ Interviewer:Wow,that was one loud and distinctive 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 regularly,other monkeys may come into our territory to claim our food.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 Howler monkeyAmazing Amazon Level Z114a jungle down there.When it comes to safety,we dont monkey around.Were herbivores,so 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.Howler: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 five kilometers,or three 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.The ferns,plants,and young trees that grow in this layer rarely reach much more than 3.6 meters(12 ft)in height.It is dark in the understory because very little light shines through the thick canopy.Understory 15plants grow leaves that are big and wide in order to have a better chance of catching some rays.The flowers these plants produce are brightly colored and emit strong scents to attract pollinators such as birds and insects.The understory is not nearly as busy as the canopy,but many animals do live here.About 220 species of poison arrow frogs hide in the foliage.Venomous and nonvenomous snakes wrap around trees like vines.Birds peck and pull insects from the wood.Large cats such as cougars and jaguars leap between branches.Spotlight 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 for you that youre not as tasty.Hey,what do you think youre doing here anyway?RAZ Interviewer:I came to interview you,the JaguarAmazing Amazon Level Z116biggest cat in the Americas.Mr.Jaguar,are you really 2.6 meters(8.5 ft)long?Jaguar:Thats what they say.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.My spots,called rosettes,camouflage me so my prey wont see me coming until its too late.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 or want a challenge,I kill anacondas and caimans.Lets face it,Im one big carnivore.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 17trees,assuming you could see in the almost complete darkness.But most of the green would be high above you.Earthworms,termites,fungi,and bacteria eat up the fallen fruit,leaves,and branches,recycling it back into nutritious soil.Plants decay quickly on the rainforest floor.When a big tree falls,the insects quickly munch it down into small pieces.A leaf that falls from a tree decomposes in a mere six weeks in the rainforest,whereas in other ecosystems it could take up to a year.Also on the ground are big animals such as giant anteaters,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,the famous leaf-cutter ant,even parades around with leaves and flower petals in its mouth,creating trails that stretch more than 30 meters(98 ft)across.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?Amazing Amazon Level Z118Spotlight 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 o
