discuss-lfrf/discuss-lfrf.9803

I'm back!!!!! I just wanted to send you people a report on what it was like
to experience a solar eclipse. Let me begin by saying that this does it
absolutely no justice.

ECLIPSE DAY

Eclipse day really started the evening before. All of the passengers were
called to a special meeting in the dining room of the Star Clipper. The
astronomers Hale and Bopp, and the Captain had made a decision to let
participants decide where they wanted to be to view the eclipse - on the
island of Guadeloupe, or on the Star Clipper.

There were advantages and disadvantages to each. If you went on shore you
would be stranded on a beach for at least seven hours. Even if the sky was
clear the chances of clouds forming were great because the eclipse
generates its own weather. As the umbral shadow moved closer to the island
it could generate a cloud front before it. The advantages of being on land
were obvious - It would be steady! You could buy t-shirts! Being on the sea
would eliminate any serious photography. Being at sea gave the advantage of
mobility. The captain could put the ship in the best possible spot to see
the eclipse. The choice was ours.

On February 26th 23 people decided to go on land with Alan Hale; 170
decided to stay with the ship and Thomas Bopp. Around 10:30 am AST we waved
a farewell to the brave souls who left for Guadeloupe. When the tender
returned we headed for the center line. At the center line, 16 degrees 38
minutes 52.7 seconds North, 61 degrees 37 minutes 27.0 seconds West (more
or less), we set up our equipment. People cleared the aft sun deck of
lounges and we set up our cameras, telescopes, etc. It was almost
impossible to get a steady image. Though the boa was only doing one or two
knots, the gentle swells caused the image to appear and disappear from the
viewfinder. Photographs was literally going to be a hit-or-miss
proposition. The cry of "first contact" (when the first tiny piece of the
sun disappears, went out, and all eyes turned toward the sun.

Some videoed the entire experience taking a clip every 30 seconds. Others
photographed nothing. I photographed whenever I could get the image of the
sun in the viewfinder (which wasn't often). I did three of the five
experiments I had designed. At 15 minute (more or less) intervals I took a
temperature reading. My wife took a light intensity reading by taking a
meter reading from a camera of a spot on the deck and noting the change in
shutter speed, and also photographing the same spot over and over at the
same camera setting. This last experiment would actually show the sky
getting darker as the images became more and more under exposed. Finally I
estimated wind speed by noting the wave conditions.

Observations Before Totality

The sky was very blue! Clouds were on the horizon, but none were near the
sun. They also were over Montserrat, and unfortunately, Guadeloupe. Because
we were on a ship, many detailed observations were impossible. We observed
the sun disappear through solar glasses provided by the ship. It was
impressive to watch the sun gradually disappear! The temperature started at
a high of 87 degrees 15 minutes into the eclipse to a low of 79 degrees
during totality. I had a plastic card with 81 pin-holes punched in it. I
projected the image on to the deck for others to see. Others attempted
similar projections with telescopes. Those with a very steady had
succeeded! One of the most touching moments for me during this prephase
was when people asked to have their hand photographed with the multiple
pin-hole images projected on to their hand and the deck. One woman asked to
have her hand photographed while she was wearing two special rings. Each of
those rings was purchased at a previous eclipse site! I thought that was
great.

Totality

About fifteen minutes before totality we each loaded our cameras with the
film we wanted to use. I took my camera off of the tripod and decide to
hand hold it. When the sun was 90% eclipsed the planet Venus became
visible. A minute before totality someone started a countdown. The second
major observation we made was the umbral shadow approaching. You saw and
felt it approach! The horizon disappeared and a darkness came racing toward
us at 1,000 miles and hour - instant sunset!!! People constantly yelled to
each other not to look at the sun without protective eye wear. Then with
99.99% of the sun gone the phenomenon known as the diamond ring effect
occurred. One tiny corner of the sun was left; it resembled a magnesium
flare! All of the sun's light was concentrated into a dot! Then the sky
went black! Two planets, Mars and Jupiter, which were close to the sun
became visible. It was dark at the sun and lighter as you went toward the
horizon! The corona had two larger extensions above and below the sun, the
rest of the sun was encircled by a white glow. It looked like a hole in the
sky! Through my lens I saw a brilliant red prominence at the bottom of the
sun. I frantically took photographs, but also remembered to just look at
this powerfully moving phenomenon. Many people screamed, some were silent,
some wept. Personally, I shook and screamed. Then, after three minutes, it
ended. The diamond ring appeared a second time, and the sky was instantly
blue again. People clapped and cheered. Several prayed. Some drank
expensive champagne. I continued to take readings.

The Return to Guadeloupe

The Captain came to the stern of the ship and was given a standing ovation
and a kiss from a Methodist minister! The volcano on Montserrat quietly
erupted in the background. A whale followed us back. At Guadeloupe we
waited for news of what the folks who went to the island had seen. It
didn't look good. Clouds covered the island. The tender went to get them
and reported that it needed the zodiac. Huge waves crashed on the beach
because of the volcanic seismic activity. A simple retrieval had almost
become a rescue mission. People were removed in groups of three wearing
life jackets. The zodiac had to run the waves in, which wasn't bad. Then it
had to shoot through the crests to get back to the tender. On several trips
the zodiac literally left the water and crashed back into the sea while
returning to the tender. It took eight trips to retrieve all of the land
members. As we watched their adventure, the sun set into the Caribbean
through broken clouds. A huge shaft of red light shot through a hole in the
clouds, and a "Green Flash" was seen as the sun set. The tender returned
with all passengers save. Screams and cheers came from the tender and the
Star Clipper. They had seen the eclipse through high thin clouds. Several
members had rented a car and raced to the other side of the island where it
was clear.

Epilogue

This was my first eclipse. For most people it was their third or fourth.
There is no more powerful natural safe experience than a total eclipse of
the sun. I went with the idea of taking measurements and photographs. That
quickly became secondary. The most important part was being there and
seeing it. That's why I chose to stay with the boat. No photograph, no
essay, no video can express the experience. It is multisensory - you feel
cold, it gets dark, there is an electric feeling of excitement . It is very
primal as opposed to academic. Dr. Hale showed us a video he had taken of
the 1991 eclipse in Baja. That eclipse lasted more than seven minutes. As
we watched it, we noticed how long totality lasted. He said it felt no more
than 30 seconds long. We agreed after seeing totality. Three minutes and
several seconds seemed no more than a heart beat. The major discussion
over dinner was how we were going to get to Turkey in 1999, and where we
would be in 2017!

"THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: "THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!
Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 01:12:08 -0500
Back to top

Welcome to "THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!

The Debate is about to begin! This is the last week to submit your
suggestions for the collaborative activity for LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST -
The LFRF "Backyard Biodiversity" Survey - before it begins. Within the
next week we will be moving this activity to the debate list. Stay tuned
for the details about when the list begins. In the meantime we would still
like your input. The responses I have received to this point have all said
that the timeline fits their schedule. Please let us know if this is not
the case.

On March 8 students will begin the debate process. A moderated debate will
be conducted online to enable students interacting over the Internet to
decide exactly how the survey will be carried out. What are some of the
guidelines you would like to see in place for this discussion? What
support can we give you so that you can carry out this debate in your
classroom, as well as, online? We are open to your suggestions about this
activity.

Timeline:
February 3rd Project Announced Online
February 3rd-28th Educators response/input via discuss-lfrf
March 8th Survey Design Student Debate Debuts
March 30th A Week For Consensus
April 7th LFRF #1: Data Gathering Begins
April 21st LFRF #3: Continuing Data Gathering Showcased in Program 3
May 1st Data Posted Online
May 8th Backyard Biodiversity Challenge Posted
May 22nd Winners Announced

***

Reminders:

Have you ordered your copy of the LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST Teacher's Guide
or the MultiMedia Kit? I saw some of the proofs and I must say it really
looks terrific. To order the LFRF Teacher's Guide or MultiMedia Kit visit
our web site at http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov/rainforest and go to the
Educators section. You can also mail your order to: PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE,
P.O. Box 1502, Summit, NJ 07902-1502.

Now would also be a good time to visit the PTK/EDC Assessment web site
http://www.edc.org/CCT/ptk/ea/ and fill out the Assessment Profile. EDC's
research indicates that innovative project-based science initiatives, like
PTK, need to be implemented in the context of clearly articulated
objectives and a strong vision of what students will achieve through this
project. The self assessment will help you reflect on your own expectations
and practices about what students will know and be able to do as a result
of participating in LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST.

Welcome to Nancy Garman, Tes Camp, Heidi Coleman and Carol McArthur who
posted their introductions this week. I want to thank everyone who sent
messages to the list during the week. It was great to see the list being
used as it was intended - for discussion. Let's continue to post
suggestions, questions, and any problems you encounter as we travel to one
of the most exciting places on Earth.

Have a great week!

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Rainforest introduction

From: TPreitan
Subject: Rainforest introduction
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 14:46:08 EST
Back to top

My name is Lisa Reitan. I am a third grade teacher from Brentwood, New York.
Last year my class was involved with Live From Antarctica. It was a great
experience for all of us. We did many of the experiments suggested, read the
travel journals and posted questions to the scientists. THis year we are
tackling the RF. I would like access to the teaching guide on-line for we
have limited funds. I hope this is as exciting as last years adventure.

Rainforest introduction

From: Lisa Zebley
Subject: Rainforest introduction
Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 19:28:07 -0500
Back to top

My name is Lisa Zebley. I am a first grade teacher in Va. Beach, Va. This
is my first time participating in the project. My students have to do a
science project on an animal as part of our science curriculum. I am
focusing my students this year on animals that live in the rainforest as
part of our Earth Day studies in April. I hope to be able to use this
project to help guide them and make this experience a valuable one for
them. While I know all of my students will benefit from this, I have a
large group of enrichment students who will love the challenge. Thanks for
your efforts.
Lisa

Re: Science Project on Animals

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Re: Science Project on Animals
Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 21:44:30 -0500
Back to top

Lisa,

Welcome to our list!

Have you been to the LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST web site
(http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov/rainforest)? Under lesson plans in the
educators section is an activity called A Day in the Life... This activity
might help with your student projects. Over the next several weeks you
also should check out the ECOsystem section of the web site as it becomes
populated with the trees, plants, birds, animals, and insects of the
rainforest. We will keep you posted as to when this section is placed online.

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

At 07:28 PM 3/2/98 -0500, you wrote:
>My name is Lisa Zebley. I am a first grade teacher in Va. Beach, Va. This
>is my first time participating in the project. My students have to do a
>science project on an animal as part of our science curriculum. I am
>focusing my students this year on animals that live in the rainforest as
>part of our Earth Day studies in April. I hope to be able to use this
>project to help guide them and make this experience a valuable one for
>them. While I know all of my students will benefit from this, I have a
>large group of enrichment students who will love the challenge. Thanks for
>your efforts.
>Lisa
>
>
>

class introduction

From: klynne@advant.com (Maris, Charles)
Subject: class introduction
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 21:38:15 -0600
Back to top

Hi!

My name is Karen Maris and I teach 5th grade Science and Math in
Charleston, Illinois. I am working with Nancy Garman (she previously wrote
letter of introducation) and other teachers in my building on a Technology
Challenge Grant. Participation in LFRF was written as a part of this
grant. This will be my first participation in a Passport to Knowledge
program. My students and I are very excited about the project. They have
had some experience learning about the rainforest from their 4th grade
teachers, but they are enthusiastic about continuing their studies. I hope
to incorporate our district's curriculum profiles dealing with animals,
populations, and preserving natural resources into this project. We are
also excited about online communications and electronic field trips. I
think the web page is extremely inviting, and I have enjoyed reading the
biographies and journals of the scientists.

Re: Science Project on Animals

From: "pianolady@ctnet.net"
Subject: Re: Science Project on Animals
Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 13:38:45
Back to top

> Received: from [129.164.40.224] by mail.ctnet.net
> (SMTPD32-3.00) id A19632C101BA; Mon Mar 02 20:57:26 1998
> Received: by rspac.ivv.nasa.gov (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4)
> id VAA26125; Mon, 2 Mar 1998 21:46:40 -0500
> Message-Id: <3.0.32.19980302214428.00726938@mail.netlabs.net>
> X-Sender: ebend@mail.netlabs.net
> X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0 (32)
> Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 21:44:30 -0500
> To: Lisa Zebley

Re: Science Project on Animals

From: "pianolady@ctnet.net"
Subject: Re: Science Project on Animals
Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 13:38:45
Back to top

CuSeeMe Videoconference on the Eclipse

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: CuSeeMe Videoconference on the Eclipse
Date: Tue, 03 Mar 1998 16:13:31 -0500
Back to top

Here is another chance to relive last weeks eclipse.

Here are our upcoming "Ask the Scientist" CuSeeMe videoconferences:
Reflector: 128.42.249.172 (if it isn't working, try 198.64.198.250)
We will sometimes broadcast our conferences in COLOR only.
Let us know by the chat window if you can't see it, and we'll change to gray
*or* download the latest version of Enhanced CU-SeeMe!

March 5, 12 - 1 pm CST: "Lunar Prospector - the first results"
Our next "ask the scientist" videoconference will be in conjunction with
the "Lunar Prospector" press conference. We will carry the conference live
over CU-See Me on our reflector polar.rice.edu (128.42.249.172); both
color and B/W feeds will be available. In addition, a scientist from Ames

Research Lab will be online to answer questions from our Cu-SeeMe audience.

March 10, 12 - 1 pm CST: "The Great Caribbean Eclipse"
(Suitable for all ages)
See videos and images from the total solar eclipse of 2/26/98. Dr.
Patricia Reiff and Dr. Carolyn Sumners will share their experiences.

March 17, 12 - 1 pm CST: "Tinkering With our Genes"
(Suitable for all ages)
Learn about genetic engineering and how it will change our lives. Dr.
Kathryn Matthews of Rice University will be online.

Re: LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST, UPDATE #2, AS OF 12/12/97

From: Ginny
Subject: Re: LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST, UPDATE #2, AS OF 12/12/97
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1998 00:28:59 -0500
Back to top

Dear lfrf-ers,
I received a phone call today from our local PBS station. They are
very supportive of carrying live interactive field trips for my class and
our community of teachers. They were very excited about carrying Live from
the Rainforest. They called to inform me that they received the message
that I am including below from their Outreach Coordinators/Directors and I
would like some feedback on. I am hoping that this is in error and if not I
hope that the NASA station is still carrying the broadcast. Please let me
know! and thanks, Ginny
PBS will not be carrying the broadcast and by mutual agreement the
relationship has been terminated.
Therefore, PBS will not be distributing the remainder of the Passport to
Knowledge electronic field trip schedule for the1997-1998 season. These
programs include "Live From the Rainforest" which was originally scheduled
on April 7, 14, and 21, 1998 and "Live From the Poles." originally
scheduled on April 28, 1998. We appreciate your continued support of the
electronic field trip project and apologize for any inconvenience this may
have caused you. If you have additional questions, please feel free to
contact Anita Harvey-Dixon at fieldtrips@pbs.org or 703-739-5083 or you can
contact the producer, Geoff Haines-Stiles, at ghaines@mail.arc.nasa.gov
or call 973-656-9403.

Eclipse day

From: "Mike Reynolds"
Subject: Eclipse day
Date: Tue, 03 Mar 98 16:29:55 -0500
Back to top

I read Charles' report on his experience of the total eclipse last
week to my students today. They were most impressed with the vivid
descriptions of the event. We had a partial eclipse here in Michigan
a few years ago and many of the students recalled that day when we
took time out from school to view the event. We were most impressed
with the details Charles described. We hadn't considered the fact
that the shadow of the moon races toward you so fast. We were also
most impressed with the fact that the event produces its own weather.

We are about to start an Earth science unit so the description of the
volcanic eruption on Montserrat and its effects on the waves at nearby
islands was particularly interesting. Thanks to Charles for taking
the time to write such a wonderful report.

Mike

LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST: PLANS CONTINUE JUST AS ANNOUNCED!

From: Geoffrey Haines-Stiles
Subject: LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST: PLANS CONTINUE JUST AS ANNOUNCED!
Date: Wed, 04 Mar 1998 09:15:14 -0500
Back to top

Ginny and all participants:

The 3 LFRF programs for 4/7, 14 and 21 (and in fact LIVE FROM THE POLES on
April 28) will be fed exactly as planned, but on a different transponder on
the same satellite from which most PBS stations get their signals, all at
13:00-14:00 hours Eastern.

We have already notified >most<, and are in the process of notifying >ALL<,
PBS stations of the change in satellite occassioned by PTK terminating its
relationship from PBS Teacher Resource Service since we were increasingly
unhappy with their service in several different areas, including publicity
and promotion, and keeping to announced dates. The misleading message to
which Ginny was responding (which some other individuals and stations also
read as indicating that PTK/LFRF was being cancelled--WHICH IS NOT TRUE) is
symptomatic of the problems we have had, and which we are trying to avoid by
working directly with individual PBS stations, school districts and regional
educational networks.

Bottom line: any and all PBS stations are just as able and invited to carry
the PTK series as before. If any of you "lfrf-discuss" participants find
your station is confused, please direct them to GHS or Erna Akuginow (at the
e-mail above), or to your able moderator, Eileen Bendixsen.

If any of you plan to have your schools downlink the programs DIRECTLY
(which is absolutely possible and permissible) please contact us to register
and to receive coordinates. To repeat, this is NOT necessary if you are
planning to watch via your local PBS station. We will soon be adding a
section to the Web site showing times and dates of any PBS station planning
tape-delayed carriage, where the station is not carrying the programs live,
and where they have told us their planned dates.

Please continue to plan to watch >live< on April 7, 14 and 21, at 13:00
hours, just as announced.

Please also be assured that with all the enthusiasm and interest we have
seen on this list, PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE is not the kind of project to let
you be informed by 3rd parties about something as serious as any
cancellation. There is NO change in plans for LFRF other than the specific
transponder.

See you online... look for the Guide and poster and Kit to be shipped next
week, for more TEAMS Journals online within days, and for the final Web site
(yes, we're working to add much more information and images) to debut in
mid-March. AND watch for some exciting news about WebChats direct from
Amazonia! As Mark Twain said, the rumors of our death are much exaggerated.
We think we're alive and kicking!

Cordially,

GHS

Geoff Haines-Stiles
Project Director, PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE & the LIVE FROM... specials
"electronic field trips to scientific frontiers"
Real Science, Real Scientists, Real Locations, Real Time
vox: 973.656.9403 * fax: 973.656.9813 * mobile: 908.305.7061
alt. e-mail: ptkghs@aol.com
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov
Antarctica... Stratosphere... Hubble... Mars... Rainforest... the Arctic,
and more

Class Introduction

From: barbplunk@nac.net
Subject: Class Introduction
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1998 19:26:14 -0500
Back to top

My name is Barbara Plunkett and this is the first time using a PTK project. I have a group of first graders so I will be adapting the material quite a bit for them. We are actually doing our rainforest
unit in March as part of our plant unit and social studies unit on Mexico. In March we are participating in another on-line project based on the rainforest called MayaQuest. I hope my class can use the PTK
project in April as an expansion on what we do in March. Our school is just beginning to develop a technology program so we do not have Internet access in our classrooms. This makes it difficult because I
have to schedule time in the computer lab. Even in the lab I have to use a projector for a whole class presentation because there is only one computer hooked to the web. Because of this our direct participation
will be intermittent. For those times when we can't actually get on-line I'll check out what is going on from my home computer and then
fill in the kids in class.
I have one question about PTK in general - Is there a schedule for the modules being offered next year? There is a strong possibility I'll be changing grade levels to either 3rd or 4th and I would like to see if I can fit one of those projects in with our curriculum.
My class and I are looking forward to this - it's sounds so exciting!

Sincerely,
Barbara Plunkett

OOPS!

From: KDPW49B@prodigy.com (MRS RHONDA B TOON)
Subject: OOPS!
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1998 23:21:28, -0500
Back to top

-- [ From: Rhonda Toon * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --

Please be patient with me, but I just accidentally deleted Geoff's
message about the coordinates for the broadcasts.
Since all Georgia schools have satellite dishes we usually get the
programming directly from satellite rather than PBS. It would help to
have the coordinates as I am out and about promoting LFRF. Where or how
do schools register?
Great to see so much excitement about the upcoming broadcasts.
I can hardly wait to get the guides! Anticipation!! Difficult to wait, I
know. Thanks. Rhonda

web site

From: TPreitan
Subject: web site
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 11:55:28 EST
Back to top

Hi,
For some reason I am having difficulty getting on the rainforest website. Is
it up and running yet? I just get the web page intro and that is it.
Any help would be appreciated.

Lisa Reitan

Re: web site

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Re: web site
Date: Thu, 05 Mar 1998 14:02:55 -0500
Back to top

Lisa,

The web site is definitely up and running. I just went there and I did not
have any trouble accessing the site.

Eileen

At 11:55 AM 3/5/98 EST, TPreitan wrote:
>Hi,
>For some reason I am having difficulty getting on the rainforest website. Is
>it up and running yet? I just get the web page intro and that is it.
>Any help would be appreciated.
>
>Lisa Reitan
>
>

Re: Class Introduction

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Re: Class Introduction
Date: Thu, 05 Mar 1998 16:59:04 -0500
Back to top

Barbara,

You will find that LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST is very different from
MayaQuest. We will emphasize the science of the rainforest. During the
live broadcasts and through the online portions of the project you and your
students will get to meet the scientists who are working in the rainforest
in Brazil. Beginning March 23 classes can send in questions to the

scientists and they will receive an answer back as long as their question

has not been answered previously. To learn more about this and to get some
tips on how to ask questions visit our web site at
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov/rainforest/ and go to the Interact section.
You will find all of the information you need under Researcher Q & A.

LFRF should fit in very well with your plant unit. Some of the activities
in the Teacher's Guide, which will be shipped next week, focus on plants
and photosynthesis. We will also have a number of excellent data collection
activities. Another activity is the food web game which emphasizes the
connections between plants and animals in the rainforest.

You do not need to have Internet access in your classroom to participate in
PTK. One of the nice things about PTK Modules is that they are flexible to
fit any classroom situation. Before I had the phone line in my room I had
the kids type their messages in a word processing document. I then saved
them and placed them on a disk which I took home each night. Do not save
them directly to the disk in case there is an error. It only took a couple
of minutes to then paste the kids messages into an e-mail message and I
sent them from home. When the messages came in for my students I printed
them out and I gave them to the correct groups in class the next day. It
took a little longer to do it this way, but the kids were able to
participate more fully. I am sure there are other teachers on this list who
could give you other solutions.

A final decision about what Modules will be offered next year has not been
made at this time. There are several possibilities on the drawing board.
Once a decision has been made, sometime after LFRF, we will post the
information to the list.

Welcome to our group!

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

At 07:26 PM 3/4/98 -0500, you wrote:
>My name is Barbara Plunkett and this is the first time using a PTK
project. I have a group of first graders so I will be adapting the
material quite a bit for them. We are actually doing our rainforest
>unit in March as part of our plant unit and social studies unit on Mexico.
In March we are participating in another on-line project based on the
rainforest called MayaQuest. I hope my class can use the PTK
>project in April as an expansion on what we do in March. Our school is
just beginning to develop a technology program so we do not have Internet
access in our classrooms. This makes it difficult because I
>have to schedule time in the computer lab. Even in the lab I have to use
a projector for a whole class presentation because there is only one
computer hooked to the web. Because of this our direct participation
>will be intermittent. For those times when we can't actually get on-line
I'll check out what is going on from my home computer and then
>fill in the kids in class.
> I have one question about PTK in general - Is there a schedule for the
modules being offered next year? There is a strong possibility I'll be
changing grade levels to either 3rd or 4th and I would like to see if I can
fit one of those projects in with our curriculum.
> My class and I are looking forward to this - it's sounds so exciting!
>
>Sincerely,
>Barbara Plunkett
>
>
>
>
>

LFRF ideas

From: "Laura Lou"
Subject: LFRF ideas
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 17:51:54 -0500
Back to top

There seem to be so many new teachers that are asking for ideas I would like
to share something that I am doing.

The first day of the LFRF unit 6 of our best dramatic readers will deliver a
program to the three classes in the auditorium. One student will be an
announcer, the others will be the 5 people who are profiled on the LFRF web
site. The students will dramatically read the biographies. As the unit
progresses the same students will read from the field journals. Thanks to
the photos on the web page, they will be using props and costumes to try and
resemble the real adventurers. I hope to have photos of each of the
students available to post on the web. I wonder how each REAL LFRF person
will feel about seeing him or herself portrayed by an eleven year old.

We did this same thing with a team of astronauts earlier in the year. The
students feel closer to the real people with this method, it seems. One of
my partners has been teaching dramatic reading to the classes all year so it
draws her into the LFRF unit as well.

If anyone else wants to try this, perhaps we could exchange video tapes of
the "performances".

Laura Bashlor
Michigan

LFRF ideas

From: calderone@sysnet.net (Susan Hurstcalderone)
Subject: LFRF ideas
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 23:30:52 -0500
Back to top

The weather guy says it's going to rain all weekend....can't stand the
thought of another day inside with all the noise.....long for the exotic
location you thought you'd see before the cereal and jello phase of your life?

And you said to yourself, Eileen and Susan have lost it this time! Come on
and join us as we explore the most exotic of all locations....the
rainforest. This is a journey that everyone can take...one that lifts you
and your students from the hum drum of the daily routine and lets you
hear the howler monkeys, see the splendor of the colorful macaws, smell
the wild herbs and spices...your senses will be working overtime.

My sixth grade science students [Susan's] will accompany me as we begin our
journey. This will be my fourth journey with PTK. In the past my 7th and
8th grade classes have been part of Live from Mars, Live from Antartica

and Live from Antarctica II. We started with LFA, sending our answers to
the "Outhouse Challenge" via US mail. We progressed to lurking during
LFHST; we became very active online with Live from Mars and LFA-2. Now, we
can't imagine a semester without a LF module of some type. We're anxious
to get started on our debate for the Backyard Biodiversity Survey. We're
curious to find out how many of you will use your school grounds to
conduct your survey. Should we all try a sample survey using only the
school grounds? What do you think?

My seventh grade students [Eileen's] were able to get a taste of LFRF
when they participated in the taping of the Food Web Game for the teacher
resource video. Many of my former students have returned to tell me how
much they enjoyed LFM and LFA2 last year. Their participation in the Planet
Explorer Toolkit collaborative activity was definitely the highlight.
This past fall we had a fall break the first week of data collection for
Weather Worlds. My students were very disappointed that they did not get to
go out and collect their data for the entire two weeks. Now they can't
wait for the excitement to begin and they get to once again go outside and
discover.

This brings us to the point: Please join us in this debate...send
a message to debate-lfrf and be a part of the exotic mission to the land of
orchids, bromeliads, and more.....See you [and debate you] there.

Susan Hurstcalderone and Eileen Bendixsen
Co-Moderators, debate-lfrf
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Re: web site

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Re: web site
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 12:58:15 -0700
Back to top

Just a hint to people who are having trouble accessing the website. If you
are typing in the URL, be sure to notice the letters are "i" "v" "v" NOT
"i" "w" Several people have had trouble with that, probably because of the
font they're using. Sorry for any problems that has caused. One way to
avoid that, if your mail does not automatically generate hotlinks (make the
address go directly to the site when you click on it) is to use the Edit,
Copy/Edit Paste feature of your program. If you do not have that (the old
MSN mail did not), use Control/C Control V (or Open Apple, C/Open Apple
V). Hope that helps at least someone! janet

Janet K. Cook
Sinclair Middle School
300 W. Chenango
Englewood, CO 80110
(303) 781-7817 (w) (303)806-2000 x1904 (vm)
-----Original Message-----

Re: web site

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Re: web site
Date: Friday, March 06, 1998 3:22 AM
Back to top

>Lisa,
>
>The web site is definitely up and running. I just went there and I did not
>have any trouble accessing the site.
>
>Eileen
>
>At 11:55 AM 3/5/98 EST, TPreitan wrote:
>>Hi,
>>For some reason I am having difficulty getting on the rainforest website.
Is
>>it up and running yet? I just get the web page intro and that is it.
>>Any help would be appreciated.
>>
>>Lisa Reitan
>>
>>
>

New Discuss Participant

From: Susan Herzog
Subject: New Discuss Participant
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 08:25:34 -0500
Back to top

Hello members of the discuss list. I am a 7th grade life science
teacher at the Mott Hall School, a public magnet school for science,
math and technology located in the North Harlem, Washington Heights
inner city neighborhood of New York City. One of my classes
participated in the Live From the Hubble Space Telescope PTK program two
years ago and it was a great experience. I was teaching earth science
for the first time and was very happy to have found a project to
motivate our study of the solar system. It was my first experience
subscribing to a electronic mailing list, and really my first experience
corresponding by e-mail. I am sorry that I had not thought of having
students represent the different astronomers and other people who posted
journal entries. That�s a great idea. I used to do a lot of reading,
and it certainly would have been more involving for the kids to have
assumed those roles.

Last year, all four of my life science classes participated in a
NASA-sponsored learning project called The Great Plant Debate - S/MORE,
which stands for the Shuttle/Mir On-line Research Experience. It wasn�t
a Passport to Learning project, but it was a great activity in which
students were asked to design an experiment for growing plants on the
Mir space station. Unfortunately, not many classes participated. I
don�t know if that was because it wasn�t well publicized or because of
some confusions about the discuss and debate mailing lists.
Participating in the S/MORE project forced me to learn how to create a
web page on which to post the kids� work because I couldn�t figure out
how to send attached files - so we added a page to the school home page,
and the S/MORE page just pointed to our page. I used our participation
in the S/MORE project as a motivator for our plant study unit - a
regular component of the life science curriculum. I was able to change
around my usual order of curriculum to teach that unit during the
on-line activity.

The LFRF project falls during a time when my student are all working on
their respective science fair projects and, in terms of curriculum, we
are studying cell structure and function. At the beginning of the year,
in October, is when we studied the variety of life on earth including
issues of habitat, life needs and adaptations to fulfill them, life
cycles, and evolution. We raised Monarch butterfly larva (caterpillars)
to observe insect metamorphosis first hand, and labeled the adults
before we released them - as part of a Monarch migration study sponsored
by Monarch Watch. We also participated in another Monarch activity
sponsored by Journey North. Both can be found on the Internet.

Another activity was to go outside to an unused little "urban forest" on
an incline behind our school. Our fourth grade class mapped the site and
studied some of the trees in the area. (We�re getting ready to published
some information about that project on our web page, and I�ll send along
that address when we get it up.) My classes observed insects and some
other small creatures living out there. We did manage to collect some
specimens, but we ran out of time and never were able to get to mounting
and identifying them. Right now they are "living" in a freezer.
Because I love participating in these NASA programs and because LFRF
seems so exciting, I�ve been trying to find some way in which we can
still participate. I have suggested to one group of students that they
pin and identify the creatures that we found outside, to begin a Mott
Hall backyard biodiversity collection, and to participate in the LFRF
debate -- as their science project. They are going to be doing that -
so I do get to participate in the project after all - hurrah!

I apologize for this very long note. Once I found the time to sit down
and write, I thought I had better tell all.

Best regards, Susan Herzog

Re: New Discuss Participant

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Re: New Discuss Participant
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 07:05:48 -0700
Back to top

Dear Susan, Welcome back! I'm sure your students will have a great time
with this project. I think using the Backyard Biodiversity Project as a
science fair project is a GREAT idea! I'm sure teachers won't mind having
various submissions from one school, I certainly won't.
I'll have to pass on your idea to the science teachers at school. They're
thinking of different levels of participation, too, as we have also passed
up rainforest in the curriculum. I'm fitting it in since I saved our
ancient/modern civilizations study of the Americas until now, so we're using
LFRF as part of that unit. Glad you shared your ideas. Certainly there are
more ways to adapt this project to individual needs. Please share for all,
everyone! janet

Janet K. Cook
Sinclair Middle School
300 W. Chenango
Englewood, CO 80110
(303) 781-7817 (w) (303)806-2000 x1904 (vm)
-----Original Message-----

New Discuss Participant

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: New Discuss Participant
Date: Saturday, March 07, 1998 6:35 AM
Back to top

>Hello members of the discuss list. I am a 7th grade life science
>teacher at the Mott Hall School, a public magnet school for science,
>math and technology located in the North Harlem, Washington Heights
>inner city neighborhood of New York City. One of my classes
>participated in the Live From the Hubble Space Telescope PTK program two
>years ago and it was a great experience. I was teaching earth science
>for the first time and was very happy to have found a project to
>motivate our study of the solar system. It was my first experience
>subscribing to a electronic mailing list, and really my first experience
>corresponding by e-mail. I am sorry that I had not thought of having
>students represent the different astronomers and other people who posted
>journal entries. That�s a great idea. I used to do a lot of reading,
>and it certainly would have been more involving for the kids to have
>assumed those roles.
>
>Last year, all four of my life science classes participated in a
>NASA-sponsored learning project called The Great Plant Debate - S/MORE,
>which stands for the Shuttle/Mir On-line Research Experience. It wasn�t
>a Passport to Learning project, but it was a great activity in which
>students were asked to design an experiment for growing plants on the
>Mir space station. Unfortunately, not many classes participated. I
>don�t know if that was because it wasn�t well publicized or because of
>some confusions about the discuss and debate mailing lists.
>Participating in the S/MORE project forced me to learn how to create a
>web page on which to post the kids� work because I couldn�t figure out
>how to send attached files - so we added a page to the school home page,
>and the S/MORE page just pointed to our page. I used our participation
>in the S/MORE project as a motivator for our plant study unit - a
>regular component of the life science curriculum. I was able to change
>around my usual order of curriculum to teach that unit during the
>on-line activity.
>
>The LFRF project falls during a time when my student are all working on
>their respective science fair projects and, in terms of curriculum, we
>are studying cell structure and function. At the beginning of the year,
>in October, is when we studied the variety of life on earth including
>issues of habitat, life needs and adaptations to fulfill them, life
>cycles, and evolution. We raised Monarch butterfly larva (caterpillars)
>to observe insect metamorphosis first hand, and labeled the adults
>before we released them - as part of a Monarch migration study sponsored
>by Monarch Watch. We also participated in another Monarch activity
>sponsored by Journey North. Both can be found on the Internet.
>
>Another activity was to go outside to an unused little "urban forest" on
>an incline behind our school. Our fourth grade class mapped the site and
>studied some of the trees in the area. (We�re getting ready to published
>some information about that project on our web page, and I�ll send along
>that address when we get it up.) My classes observed insects and some
>other small creatures living out there. We did manage to collect some
>specimens, but we ran out of time and never were able to get to mounting
>and identifying them. Right now they are "living" in a freezer.
>Because I love participating in these NASA programs and because LFRF
>seems so exciting, I�ve been trying to find some way in which we can
>still participate. I have suggested to one group of students that they
>pin and identify the creatures that we found outside, to begin a Mott
>Hall backyard biodiversity collection, and to participate in the LFRF
>debate -- as their science project. They are going to be doing that -
>so I do get to participate in the project after all - hurrah!
>
>I apologize for this very long note. Once I found the time to sit down
>and write, I thought I had better tell all.
>
>Best regards, Susan Herzog
>
>
>

"THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: "THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 23:50:02 -0500
Back to top

Welcome to "THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!

THE DEBATE BEGINS! JOIN US!

Don't miss the exciting "Backyard Biodiversity" Survey debate which begins
this week on the debate-lfrf mail list. The PTK debate has become one of
the most remembered parts of previous PTK Modules. You don't want to
discover when it is too late that you should have been there. Students will
simulate the work done by researchers in the rainforest with actual
scientists as guides. The opportunity to go outside and collect data in
your neighborhood will fill that spring fever vacuum for you and your
students.

Please feel free to contact either Susan Hurstcalderone
or myself if you have any questions regarding the
LFRF "Backyard Biodiversity" Survey. Come join the fun on debate-lfrf!

***

Page proofs of the Teacher's Guide are back from the printers and the
Guides will be mailed soon. Have you ordered your copy?

Are you looking for a solution to the fact that you do not have an Internet
connection in your classroom? Do you have several computers and only one is

online? The LFRF MultiMedia Kit may have the answer. The Kit will include
five CD-Roms of the web site. These will be shipped separately after the
entire web site is online in mid-March.

***

"They're Back!" Challenge Questions, that is...

Beginning last week the weekly Challenge Questions have returned to
updates. Each week the PTK team will post a new challenge question to get

students to think logically and do some research, but be careful the answer
is not always as obvious as it looks.

Last week's Challenge Question:

Where is the WETTEST spot on Earth?
And where is the HOTTEST spot on the planet?
And where is the DRIEST place on Earth--a place where, allegedly, no rain
has ever been recorded?

Hint--many of these places are not where you might think, given the
locations to be featured in LFRF... but we don't want to tell you too much!

Look for next week's updates for the answer!

***

Several teachers have requested that there be more student to student
communication during PTK Modules. I will set up groups so that students can
discuss with other students what they are doing and learning while
participating in LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST. I want to stress that the
purpose of these groups is not simple pen pals, but to exchange data and
experiences. We want to keep the students focused on what they are
learning. If you are interested in being part of this aspect of LFRF please
send me an e-mail message at ebend@netlabs.net expressing that desire.
Include your name, school, grade level, number of classes participating,
and the number of students in each class. If you have a sixth grade class
please let me know if you want to be included in the 4-6 group or 6-8
group. There will also be a K-3 group.

Welcome to Lisa Reitan, Lisa Zebley, Karen Maris, Barbara Plunkett and
Susan Herzog who posted their introductions this week. Laura what a great
idea having the kids assume the identity of the researchers as they read
their journals. Everyone keep those ideas coming.

Have a great week!

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Intro

From: "Amanda Buice"
Subject: Intro
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 15:15:49 -0500
Back to top

Hi,
My name is Amanda Buice. I'm a 4th/5th grade looping teacher. This
year I am teaching fourth grade at Lamar Co. Elementary School in
Barnesville, GA. I have participated in Live From Antarctica, Live From the
Stratosphere, and Live From Mars. In past programs, I had to send my e-mail
questions to the teacher next door. She was the only one who had an
Internet connection at our school. The teacher next door, Rhonda Toon(PTK
advocate), was also my sister so it worked out well. This year I have my
own Internet access. I'm looking forward to taking my students into the
Rain Forest! Rhonda and I will be going to Costa Rica this summer to view
the rain forest first hand. I'm sure this virtual trip will get me
prepared.

Amanda Buice

Re:

From: LoreyH717
Subject: Re:
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 21:13:15 EST
Back to top

Barbara:

This week we are focusing on animals. We read about nocturnal animals in our
Scholastic News for March and connected that to our rain forest study. My
students asked me a couple of weeks ago if, in fact, there were bats and owls
in the rain forest. I asked the group and Marty Stickles who has been there
informed me that yes there were.

We also are exploring birds of the rain forest on Thursday and are making a
book of several birds. I got the idea from The Mailbox-Primary issue of
June/July 1996
"Tropical Birds". It gives detailed instructions on how to make a simple
book and includes reproducibles with birds and little descriptions on how they
eat like "I reach inside flowers with my long curveed bill. I find sweet
nectar there." They match the descriptions to the birds (which they have
colored; the bird's parts are numbered and you list the numbers and colors on
the board). A very nice map of the tropics is put on the front of their book
(also included). It's a simple and fun project that's hands on.

I can always adapt almost any level for them but basically stick to 4th grade
down and sometimes K-2 ideas can be brought up for them too.

Loretta Henke
PS 7
160 E. 120th Street
New York

Welcome sister!

From: KDPW49B@prodigy.com (MRS RHONDA B TOON)
Subject: Welcome sister!
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 21:31:42, -0500
Back to top

-- [ From: Rhonda Toon * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --

You didn't mention that you no longer have to go next door because you
ARE next door in my old room with my same kids! (-:

Lucky them!. Lucky you! They have traveled together through LFM and are
now off to the rainforest with you! Give them a hug from me tomorrow.

Amanda, you will see a lot of names here who will be familiar (I have
talked about you advocates!!!). This is a great group and it is
wonderful that the internet is now so much more commonplace than it was
when we were sharing our one lone line to the outside world.

I am doing a presentation on PTK in Atlanta at Georgia Tech next week.
The audience is middle and high school teachers who all participated in
summer fellowships with researchers across the state. (Amanda was one of
them). A fall and spring "academy" is held to introduce these teachers
to new ideas and programs.

I am curious as to what the newcomers to the electronic field trip
experience are finding is the most appealing about the projects and what
might be possible obstacles for implementation. I guess what I am asking
is if you were going to attend the session next week what kinds of

questions would you want answered about LFRF? You can mail me directly
rather than filling the discuss list with helping me!

Hope you are all well and dry. Our city's dam was breached in heavy
rains over the weekend and we are rationing water.....rain hasn't been a
very pleasant word around here this week......

later, Rhonda

"They're Back!" Challenge Questions, that is...

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: "They're Back!" Challenge Questions, that is...
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 21:44:37 -0500
Back to top

Dear Discuss-lfrf Members,

"They're Back!" Challenge Questions, that is...

Have you found the solution to this week's Challenge Questions?

Where is the WETTEST spot on Earth?
And where is the HOTTEST spot on the planet?
And where is the DRIEST place on Earth--a place
where, allegedly, no rain has ever been recorded?

Hint--many of these places are not where you might think, given the
locations to be featured in LFRF... but we don't want to tell you too much!

Answers will be announced this week in UPDATES, and you'll likely see some
related sequences during the live programs.

You are invited to send original student answers to: ebend@netlabs.net
Please include the words CHALLENGE QUESTION in the subject line of your

email. I will announce the classes that submit correct answers later this

week. Answers are due by Wednesday, March 11 at 9:00 pm EST.

Good Luck,

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Rain Forest Fruit Day

From: "Laura Lou"
Subject: Rain Forest Fruit Day
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 04:31:24 -0500
Back to top

Today is "Fruit Day" in our pre-LFRF study of the Rain Forest. Working with
descriptions of the Rain Forest layers we looked again at the abundance and
diversity of fruit in the canopy.

In Michigan we have a chain of stores; Meijers. They are like a Super
K-Mart or Wal-Mart. In former years I have found they carry quite a variety
of unusual fruits. Providing tastes for 90 students cost about $30 which
will be reimbursed by the school...if I remember to turn in the receipt.

Each "team" will get 6 papers prepared with areas for a drawing of the fruit
before cutting, estimate of the size, shape and number of seeds or pit, and
guess what a cross-section will look like. There are areas for the ACTUAL
size, number and shape of the seeds/pit, actual cross section and
description of the taste.

Even a small fruit can be cut to let all 30 students have a taste. I use
paper plates, a cutting board, knife and PLASTIC GLOVES...just like the
lunch ladies.

This year I was able to get chermoya, mangos, papayas, plantain, coconuts,
ugli fruit, sugar cane, and, just for fun, kumquats and prickly pear. In
other years I was able to get carambola (star fruit), passion fruit, and
guava. This store also has information cards on most of the fruits. I have
heard from some parents in the past that the students asked parents to buy
some of the fruits they liked. Of course, the parents don't always
appreciate the expense of these exotic fruits but they have always been good
humored about it.

MOST IMPORTANT, we will save all of the seeds to plant in our Rain Forest
Terrarium in 3 weeks.

Laura Bashlor
Shumate Middle School
Gibraltar, Michigan

Fruit day

From: Marty Stickle
Subject: Fruit day
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 05:59:10 -0500
Back to top

Laura Bashlor's idea about a fruit day is a very good idea and will
certainly bring lots of interest to the class. You should also indicate to
the students that many of the fruits are not indiginous to specific
rainforest locations, but may have been introduced. For example, banana and
plantain are not native to the new world. Many are also genetially altered
lines under human influence. Now here's my version of a challange question
regarding fruits and the rainforest....What differences are there in the
times plants fruit in tropical and temperate forests? Here's a
hint....Remember that many birds migrate to the tropics during the northern
hemisphere winter and back during our spring.

Marty Stickle
LFRF development team

Rainforest Lunch

From: shc
Subject: Rainforest Lunch
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 12:44:34 +0000
Back to top

To follow on with our "food" theme today, we usually have a "Rain Forest
Lunch or Food-Tasting" as a final activity for the rain forest unit. We
often have parents who are familiar with the foods of the respective
areas and they will prepare their native dishes for us. [Any prepared
foods are prepared in a native fashion and not from Americanized
recipes.] In addition we have many other foods for tasting, including
those which have made it into mainstream cultivation, but were
originally found in the rain forest. It has been the highlight of the
unit and my colleagues usually find a reason to visit my room when the
tasting is going on. Food and students seem to be a perfect match.
There are students tasting things they would never try at home. The
rules are very simple.
1. If you take it, you must taste it.
2. No outrageous commentary. Sometimes they have filled in a
participant response. Other times they have simply kept
their opinions to a quiet comment to their teammates.
Excuse me, but all this food talk has made me hungry. I'm off to
lunch.

Re: Fruit day

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Re: Fruit day
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 18:47:47 -0700
Back to top

My daughter's class is doing an economic activity and they set up a
restaurant called the "Tropical Cafe." They decorated their room like a
rainforest and for eight weeks we've been dodging monkeys hanging from vines
coming down from the ceiling and reaching behind the waterfall with fish and
caimans that covers the bookcase. I bet all of our kids would love doing
something like that, too! I will encourage my kids to decorate using the
plants and animals from the Day in the Life/Food Web Activities, of course!

PS Their restaurant is making money, too. Very popular. Perhaps we could
have the kids sell tropical fruit juices to the neighboring classes to pay
for our supplies!

Janet K. Cook
Sinclair Middle School
300 W. Chenango
Englewood, CO 80110
(303) 781-7817 (w) (303)806-2000 x1904 (vm)
-----Original Message-----

Fruit day

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Fruit day
Date: Thursday, March 12, 1998 4:03 AM
Back to top

>Laura Bashlor's idea about a fruit day is a very good idea and will
>certainly bring lots of interest to the class. You should also indicate to
>the students that many of the fruits are not indiginous to specific
>rainforest locations, but may have been introduced. For example, banana and
>plantain are not native to the new world. Many are also genetially altered
>lines under human influence. Now here's my version of a challange question
>regarding fruits and the rainforest....What differences are there in the
>times plants fruit in tropical and temperate forests? Here's a
>hint....Remember that many birds migrate to the tropics during the northern
>hemisphere winter and back during our spring.
>
>Marty Stickle
>LFRF development team
>
>
>

Re: Rain Forest Fruit Day

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Re: Rain Forest Fruit Day
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 19:21:41 -0700
Back to top

SUPER idea, Laura. I remember a lot of those fruits from when I lived in
Peru. What's different is that we often had them as ice cream flavors! I
will definitely approach my principal about the idea. We've had other food
days in our social studies class as we study different countries and, of
course, they're always very popular. janet

Janet K. Cook
Sinclair Middle School
300 W. Chenango
Englewood, CO 80110
(303) 781-7817 (w) (303)806-2000 x1904 (vm)
-----Original Message-----

Rain Forest Fruit Day

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Rain Forest Fruit Day
Date: Thursday, March 12, 1998 2:42 AM
Back to top

>Today is "Fruit Day" in our pre-LFRF study of the Rain Forest. Working
with
>descriptions of the Rain Forest layers we looked again at the abundance and
>diversity of fruit in the canopy.
>
>In Michigan we have a chain of stores; Meijers. They are like a Super
>K-Mart or Wal-Mart. In former years I have found they carry quite a
variety
>of unusual fruits. Providing tastes for 90 students cost about $30 which
>will be reimbursed by the school...if I remember to turn in the receipt.
>
>Each "team" will get 6 papers prepared with areas for a drawing of the
fruit
>before cutting, estimate of the size, shape and number of seeds or pit, and
>guess what a cross-section will look like. There are areas for the ACTUAL
>size, number and shape of the seeds/pit, actual cross section and
>description of the taste.
>
>Even a small fruit can be cut to let all 30 students have a taste. I use
>paper plates, a cutting board, knife and PLASTIC GLOVES...just like the
>lunch ladies.
>
>This year I was able to get chermoya, mangos, papayas, plantain, coconuts,
>ugli fruit, sugar cane, and, just for fun, kumquats and prickly pear. In
>other years I was able to get carambola (star fruit), passion fruit, and
>guava. This store also has information cards on most of the fruits. I
have
>heard from some parents in the past that the students asked parents to buy
>some of the fruits they liked. Of course, the parents don't always
>appreciate the expense of these exotic fruits but they have always been
good
>humored about it.
>
>MOST IMPORTANT, we will save all of the seeds to plant in our Rain Forest
>Terrarium in 3 weeks.
>
>Laura Bashlor
>Shumate Middle School
>Gibraltar, Michigan
>
>

Fruits and festivities

From: KDPW49B@prodigy.com (MRS RHONDA B TOON)
Subject: Fruits and festivities
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 23:17:29, -0500
Back to top

-- [ From: Rhonda Toon * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --

Janet, your posting about the classroom store reminded me of an event my
students did one year when we were studying the rain forest. The kids
turned the room into a museum and made displays about the rain forest.
The displays were interactive requiring the participants to smell
various spices or drip water from various shapes of leaves, etc.. We
opened the museum about an hour prior to our regularly scheduled PTO.
The kids served tropical punch and a "rainforest mix" (granola/dried
fruit type mixture). Two students had written a play and they and peers
performed it for the parents who were our "guests". It was a fun night.
I have photos of the kids and their creations. They had a great time
showing off the products of their labor and also teaching their families
about this area of our planet.
After that night we asked our principal if he would like a museum for
the lobby of the school and he thought that would be a great idea. We
borrowed rolling carts and transported our "museum" to the school lobby
for everyone to enjoy. Ioften noticed granparents and friends being
given "tours" by my students after school.
Laura, are you familiar with the FOSS program? Their plants module has
an activity very much like the one you described, with the kids working
in groups to make predictions before using plastic knives to cut their
own fruits, count the seeds, etc. The seed and fruit activity is
followed by an activity on germination and then a hydroponic
investigation. This was always fun in the classroom, especially watching
the kids try to count all those itsy bitsy kiwi seeds. (-:
Rhonda

Re: Fruits and festivities

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Re: Fruits and festivities
Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 02:09:08 -0700
Back to top

ooo, Rhonda, you're evil! I wonder how they like counting all those slimy
papaya seeds, especially if you get a real papaya from South America instead
of one of the little Hawaiian ones! janet

Janet K. Cook
Sinclair Middle School
300 W. Chenango
Englewood, CO 80110
(303) 781-7817 (w) (303)806-2000 x1904 (vm)
-----Original Message-----

Fruits and festivities

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Fruits and festivities
Date: Thursday, March 12, 1998 9:23 PM
Back to top

>-- [ From: Rhonda Toon * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
>
>Janet, your posting about the classroom store reminded me of an event my
>students did one year when we were studying the rain forest. The kids
>turned the room into a museum and made displays about the rain forest.
>The displays were interactive requiring the participants to smell
>various spices or drip water from various shapes of leaves, etc.. We
>opened the museum about an hour prior to our regularly scheduled PTO.
>The kids served tropical punch and a "rainforest mix" (granola/dried
>fruit type mixture). Two students had written a play and they and peers
>performed it for the parents who were our "guests". It was a fun night.
>I have photos of the kids and their creations. They had a great time
>showing off the products of their labor and also teaching their families
>about this area of our planet.
>After that night we asked our principal if he would like a museum for
>the lobby of the school and he thought that would be a great idea. We
>borrowed rolling carts and transported our "museum" to the school lobby
>for everyone to enjoy. Ioften noticed granparents and friends being
>given "tours" by my students after school.
>Laura, are you familiar with the FOSS program? Their plants module has
>an activity very much like the one you described, with the kids working
>in groups to make predictions before using plastic knives to cut their
>own fruits, count the seeds, etc. The seed and fruit activity is
>followed by an activity on germination and then a hydroponic
>investigation. This was always fun in the classroom, especially watching
>the kids try to count all those itsy bitsy kiwi seeds. (-:
>Rhonda
>

The Challenge Question Winners - Week #1

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: The Challenge Question Winners - Week #1
Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 18:35:05 -0500
Back to top

>>>AND THE WINNERS ARE<<<<<<

Where is the WETTEST spot on Earth?

The rainiest place on Earth is NOT in the rainforests of the Amazon or
Africa, but in Hawaii, Mount Waialeae, in the United States.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

The Chase Foundation students, Wheeler Hadden from Lynn Hammonds class,

and Grott's Greats for answering this question correctly.

***

And where is the HOTTEST spot on the planet?

There seems to be some debate as to the answer to this question. Is a
place considered the hottest because it has the highest temperature
recorded or because it has the highest annual mean? PTK was fully
prepared to go with North Africa as the hottest, but as often with CQ's

there seems to be more than one right answer! If you or your students
know >other<< documented candidates for "hottest", please submit them to
the list.

The following places have been chosen as the hottest:

The Chase Foundation submitted this answer - AL AZIZIYAH, Libia, al sur
de Tripoli, 136.4 F o sea 58 C en 1922.

But, with thanks to Haines-Stiles car-pool member, Benjamin Blonder,
6th

grade, at least one source gives a different answer:

from Felton & Fowlers "Best, Worst, and Most Unusual", Galahad Books
1976

New York, Part 1, Nature & Science, page 178.

MOST UNUSUAL HEAT WAVE: A freak heat wave hit the central coast of
Portugal on July 6, 1949, sending the temperature up to 158F for a
period of two minutes. Moments later the mercury slid back down to the
mid 120's. No satisfactory explanation for this fleeting swelter has ever
been put forward.

Grott's Greats:

The hottest place/spot is Dallol, Ethopia where the annual mean
temperature is 94 degrees F. We did find a location with the highest
temperature but that would be a record not consistently warm.

This was also the choice of the Brussels American School fourth
graders.

***

And where is the DRIEST place on Earth--a place where, allegedly, no rain
has ever been recorded?

The Atacama Desert of Chile seems most sources' best answer: some places
there have never recorded any precipitation. Even the "Dry Valleys" of
Antarctica has some blown snow in many areas (see LIVE FROM ANTARCTICA
and this year's LIVE FROM THE POLES, April 28, 1998.) And for an
explanation of why the Atacama is so dry and why rainforests have so much
rain, see Activity 1.1 in the LFRF Teacher's Guide.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

The Chase Foundation students, the Brussels American School fourth

graders, and Grott's Greats answered this question correctly.

Challenge Questions - Week #2

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Challenge Questions - Week #2
Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 19:05:11 -0500
Back to top

>>>CHALLENGE QUESTIONS - WEEK #2<<<

Dust off the reference books! Bring out the CD-ROMs! Surf the Net!

Take the challenge!!!

What is the LONGEST river on Earth?
What is the LARGEST river on Earth?

Hint--when you get your copy of the LFRF Teacher's Guide you may just want
to keep it away from student contestants if you don't want them clued in

too easily on answers to the above. But, on the other hand, you'll find the

answer is not quite as simple as you or the encyclopedia might first think!

You are invited to send original student answers to: ebend@netlabs.net
Please include the words CHALLENGE QUESTION in the subject line of your

email. I will announce the classes that submit correct answers next week.

Answers are due by Wednesday, March 18 at 10:00 pm EST.

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Re: Welcome to PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE'S LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST discuss-lfrf ...

From: RdgTchrSAF
Subject: Re: Welcome to PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE'S LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST discuss-lfrf ...
Date: Sat, 14 Mar 1998 10:19:10 EST
Back to top

In a message dated 98-03-14 09:51:06 EST, ebend@netlabs.net writes:

<< To start we would like to get to know who
is traveling to the RAINFOREST with us. Please send an introductory
message to discuss-lfrf@passport.ivv.nasa.gov. Let us know who you are,
what subject(s) and grade(s) you teach, as well as where you are located.
Is this your first PTK project or are you a veteran? What would you like
to see as part of this project so that it can be a rewarding experience for
you and your students? >>

I am a third grade teacher in Greenville, South Carolina. I teach 20
students all academic subjects in a self-contained classroom. My students
come from a very diverse background--from children of corporate executives and
United States Senators to children of parents who live in a local housing
project. We are 40% minority and house the Satellite Program for Children
with Disabilities for our school district. The Satellite Program brings
children who are deaf, blind, and in wheelchairs into the mainstream of our
school.
I tried to participate in the Live From Antarctica program but due to
illness and surgery I had to withdraw.
I want my students to be part of a bigger community than Greenville. I
want them to learn to interact and experience people and places that have been
inaccessable to them until the Internet. They are excited about learning and
want to be part of a community of learners across the world. I want them to be
able to talk to scientists and see the Rainforest the way a scientist sees it.
I want them to be able to make wise decisions about our environment through
the experience of Live From the Rainforest. We are an inner city school with
lots of concrete and buildings. Many of my students will never travel outside
South Carolina. It is important for them to make a connection between what
happens thousands of miles away and what happens to them on a daily basis.

Susan Florence

"THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: "THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 00:41:01 -0500
Back to top

Welcome to "THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!

The kids have spring fever! It is still four weeks to spring break!

The crocuses are blooming! The birds are chirping!

THE DEBATE HAS BEGUN!
Last week on debate Bill Laurance, one of the team leaders in the
Smithsonian/INPA experiment on the effects of forest fragmentation on
biodiversity, gave us the meaning of biodiversity and a description of the
different ways scientists measure biodiversity. The students have started
posting introductions and brief descriptions of their backyard or school
yard. This week classes are going outside to discover what living organisms
they can find, so that we can decide which way we should measure biodiversity.

Don't be stuck inside while the students on debate-lfrf go outside. What
organisms will they find? How will this change over the next month? What
surprises will they discover?

Come Join in the Fun...Join debate-lfrf today!

***

The first batch of Teacher's Guides have arrived in the PTK offices.
They'll be mailed out very soon, Priority Mail, to all who've sent in orders.

The poster's still on press--but also looking pretty and informative, with
colorful animals and quotes from Columbus and von Humboldt!

The blackline masters which accompany the Guide are almost as long as that
first LIVE FROM ANTARCTICA guide from 4 years back.

The Teacher's Resource Video for the MultiMedia Kit is nearly complete:
great demonstrations of Activities in the Guide from Marty Stickle, Pat
Haddon and Eileen Bendixsen: real teachers demo some tricky but instructive
hands-on science, and help you achieve success in your class (or home
school.) To find out more about the Guide or Kit, send e-mail to Jayne
Williams at PTKEA@AOL.COM or check out the LFRF Web site, at:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov/rainforest

You can order online, or print out and fax your request.

***

REMINDER: Challenge Questions are due by Wednesday, March 18 at 10:00 p.m.

EST. Send your answers to me at ebend@netlabs.net. Winners will be
announced later this week.

Welcome to Amanda Buice and Susan Florence who posted their introductions
this week. We also had some great ideas about fruit day. Food labs are
about the only thing that top going outside in my classroom. I just want to
mention that you need to be careful of students who have food allergies and
students who are diabetic when you use food. I have my students write their
allergies down on those famous index cards that we have the students fill
out the first day of school. Then I make sure that I have something for
them to eat so that they don't feel left out. Everyone keep those ideas
coming.

Have a great week!

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Introduction

From: Bruce Grover
Subject: Introduction
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 10:17:55 -0500
Back to top

--------------B5E3873679ECDF086070632C
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Greetings Fellow LFRF Participants,

My name is Bruce Grover. I run Connections, the
M.S.A.D. #36 Alternative School. It is with great
excitement and anticipation that we embark on our
first on-line project. We will perhaps be even
more excited and filled with even more
anticipation once our internet connection is
installed. Until such time I will forward student
email from home and hope we can keep pace with our
more fortunate colleagues. If there is any other
participants in a similar situation who feel they
have identified and overcome related obstacles,
please share your experiences and solutions. I am
still familiarizing myself with the project so if
anything I say henceforth seems to stem from
ignorance, it's because it does. How feasible are
the following ideas:
- Sharing pictures of participants. I have found
in the past that associating a face with a
name helps students form a more personal
attachment to those with whom they interact on the
internet.
- Tele or video conferencing with other
participants. Via the internet we would be able
to share ideas and opinions in real time with
people and cultures with which we would never have
the opportunity otherwise.
I have other ideas but in the interest of
maintaining your interest, I will save them until
I am more familiar with the project. I will have
my students introduce themselves ASAP.

Bruce Grover

--------------B5E3873679ECDF086070632C
Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Greetings Fellow LFRF Participants,

My name is Bruce Grover. I run Connections,
the M.S.A.D. #36 Alternative School. It is with great excitement
and anticipation that we embark on our first on-line project. We
will perhaps be even more excited and filled with even more anticipation
once our internet connection is installed. Until such time I will
forward student email from home and hope we can keep pace with our more
fortunate colleagues. If there is any other participants in a similar
situation who feel they have identified and overcome related obstacles,
please share your experiences and solutions. I am still familiarizing
myself with the project so if anything I say henceforth seems to stem from
ignorance, it's because it does. How feasible are the following ideas:

- Sharing pictures of participants.
I have found in the past that associating a face with a name
helps students form a more personal attachment to those with whom they
interact on the internet.

- Tele or video conferencing with other
participants. Via the internet we would be able to share ideas and
opinions in real time with people and cultures with which we would never
have the opportunity otherwise.

I have other ideas but in the interest
of maintaining your interest, I will save them until I am more familiar
with the project. I will have my students introduce themselves ASAP.

Bruce Grover

--------------B5E3873679ECDF086070632C--

Re: Introduction

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Re: Introduction
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 13:51:52 -0500
Back to top

Bruce,

I am sure most of us can understand your problems communicating with
everyone. We have all been there and some of us are still in that
situation. They finally put our router in three weeks ago, but we are
still waiting for our rooms to be connected so that we can all go online.
In the meantime the other science teacher and I are sharing one line. We
have to climb on a chair to change the plug to our room.

The first Internet project we participated in I didn't even have a
computer in my room. The students wrote out their messages. I used to
type all of the messages at 12:00 at night to send them out. (I had to
wait until my children finished with the computer.) The following year
when I had a computer in my classroom, but no phone line, I had the
students type their messages in a word processing document. I put them on
a disk at the end of the day and then pasted them into my mail program at
night. This worked out very well. I am sure that other teachers will have
some solutions that they will share. The main thing to remember about PTK
is that it is very flexible. We realize that there is a wide range in the
connectivity of classrooms and the number of computers available to
teachers.

As far as sharing pictures, I posted a message to the debate-lfrf mail
list this morning that I will have pictures of my students going outside
to begin their observations for our collaborative activity the "Backyard
Biodiversity" Survey on my web page tonight
(http://www.netlabs.net/hp/ebend/square.html). Soon we will be posting a
request to start sending student work and pictures for the LFRF web site.
In the next couple of weeks I will be setting up groups based on grade
level, so that classes can communicate class to class. This is not a pen
pal communication, the students will be discussing the LFRF activities
they are doing in their classroom. If anyone on the list has not let me
know that they would like to be included in these groups, please let me
know. This would be a great way to get to know the other people
participating and to have student to student communication.

In the past there have been teachers who have set up video conferencing
during the projects. I'm hoping that my students will have a chance to
participate this time. Web chats with the rainforest scientists will be
starting soon. The times and dates will be posted in updates and to this
list.

Please don't ever hesitate to post a question to the list. I often find
that there is someone else lurking out there with the same question.

Welcome to the list!

Eileen Bendixsen

Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF

For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:

http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

At 10:17 AM 3/16/98 -0500, you wrote:

>>>>

Arial,HelveticaGreetings Fellow LFRF
Participants,

Arial,HelveticaMy name is Bruce Grover. I run
Connections, the M.S.A.D. #36 Alternative School. It is with great
excitement and anticipation that we embark on our first on-line project.
We will perhaps be even more excited and filled with even more
anticipation once our internet connection is installed. Until such time
I will forward student email from home and hope we can keep pace with our
more fortunate colleagues. If there is any other participants in a
similar situation who feel they have identified and overcome related
obstacles, please share your experiences and solutions. I am still
familiarizing myself with the project so if anything I say henceforth
seems to stem from ignorance, it's because it does. How feasible are the
following ideas:

Arial,Helvetica- Sharing pictures of
participants. I have found in the past that associating a face with a
name helps students form a more personal attachment to those with
whom they interact on the internet.

Arial,Helvetica- Tele or video conferencing
with other participants. Via the internet we would be able to share
ideas and opinions in real time with people and cultures with which we
would never have the opportunity otherwise.

Arial,HelveticaI have other ideas but in the
interest of maintaining your interest, I will save them until I am more
familiar with the project. I will have my students introduce themselves
ASAP.

Arial,HelveticaBruce Grover

videoconference

From: KDPW49B@prodigy.com (MRS RHONDA B TOON)
Subject: videoconference
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 19:55:04, -0500
Back to top

-- [ From: Rhonda Toon * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --

I think the idea of videoconferencing is a super one. We are using
NetMeeting. Is anyone else out there using this software?

I just had five videocameras donated to the center so I could start a
videoconferencing project. It would be great if I could get these
cameras to teachers and involve them in the rainforest project as well.

Rhonda

Our Picutures Are Online

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Our Picutures Are Online
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 22:52:42 -0500
Back to top

Hi,

We had a very exciting day going out and beginning our work for the
"Backyard Biodiversity" Survey. We will be posting more of our messages to
the debate list tomorrow.

The pictures are now on my web page. My classes will be adding text and
additional pictures by the end of the week.

The url is http://www.netlabs.net/hp/ebend/square.html

Eileen

Re: Introduction

From: Ginny
Subject: Re: Introduction
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 00:31:19 -0500
Back to top

Eileen Said:
If anyone on the list has not let me know that they would like to be
included in these groups, please let me know. This would be a great way to
get to know the other people participating and to have student to student
communication.

In the past there have been teachers who have set up video conferencing
during the projects. I'm hoping that my students will have a chance to
participate this time. Web chats with the rainforest scientists will be
starting soon. The times and dates will be posted in updates and to this
list.

Hi Eileen, My students and I at Hydesville are interested in student to
student communication and vidoe conferencing. Would you be using CUseeme?
I am familiar somewhat with it. Thanks, Gin

Re: videoconference

From: Ginny
Subject: Re: videoconference
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 00:32:54 -0500
Back to top

Hi Rhonda, I am familiar with CUseeme and would be interested in having my
class video conference with classes that are doing the rainforest project.
Ginny

At 7:55 PM -0500 3/16/98, MRS RHONDA B TOON wrote:
>-- [ From: Rhonda Toon * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
>
>I think the idea of videoconferencing is a super one. We are using
>NetMeeting. Is anyone else out there using this software?
>
>I just had five videocameras donated to the center so I could start a
>videoconferencing project. It would be great if I could get these
>cameras to teachers and involve them in the rainforest project as well.
>
>Rhonda

Introduction

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Introduction
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 06:47:35 -0500
Back to top

Hello!
My name is Miguel Germain, I teach at UM/SAT a small school in Miami,
Florida. We have approximately 150 students, grades 9-12. I teach one class
in chemistry, two classes of biology and one class of anatomy and
physiology. This is my first time involved in PTK. I'm involved in River
curriculum study.

Miguel A. Germain

Videoconferencing

From: calderone@sysnet.net (Susan Hurstcalderone)
Subject: Videoconferencing
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 07:29:28 -0500
Back to top

We have CUseeme and I would like to include my classes in the
videoconferencing. I have not used it before, but I willing to learn. Can
I call on you [Ginny? anyone else with experience with CUseeme?] for
guidance?

Susan

Susan Hurstcalderone 202/966-6682 [school]
Science Coordinatory/Teacher/Learner 202/966-4938 [school fax]
Blessed Sacrament School
5841 Chevy Chase Parkway, NW
Washington, D.C. 20015 Science.....a way of thinking.

Re: Introduction

From: "Laura L. Bashlor"
Subject: Re: Introduction
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 08:18:27 -0500
Back to top

Hi, our names are Britany and Cliff, and we are in the 6th grade. We attend
Shumate Middle School in Gibraltar, Michigan. Gibraltar is a town of 4
islands and a portion of mainland right where Lake Erie and the Detroit
River come together. A lot of our students are fishermen and boaters. The
longitude is 83:12:10 W and the latitude is 42:05:41 N. The elevation is
584 feet and the population of the city is 4,297 people and going up with a
lot of new houses. Other towns that go to our school are Woodhaven,
Rockwood, Brownstown and a bit of Trenton.
Behind our school we have a baseball diamond, a football field, a track,
tennis courts, basketball courts, and soccer fields. Our school is attached
to Carlson High School. Beyond the sports fields there is a wild area where
the Cross Country team runs. Next to the Middle School is an area of woods
and marsh. This winter we have watched a herd of about 10 deer. They come
through a break in the fence opposite our classroom. We watch them run,
graze and wander.
We've been having some crazy weather, for the last month. We have had cold
wind, heavy rain, and even some light snow. The weather has been switching
on and off, from temperature in the 50s down to the 10s. Some vegetation
started to grow, then it froze. We hope it warms up this week so we can do
the project outside. We are concerned because the plants don't have leaves
and lots of them haven't started to grow for spring, yet.

Re: Videoconferencing

From: "Laura L. Bashlor"
Subject: Re: Videoconferencing
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 08:23:49 -0500
Back to top

We, also, have CU-SeeMe and a quick cam. Although it was working in
September, we have not used it since. With a student teacher doing the
duties for the next two weeks, there should be time for me to de-bug the
system. My students and are eager to videoconference with others from our
own time zone. All of the conferences so far fall within impossible times
for us. From 11:20am on the students are scattered to band, gym. computers
and lunch until dismissal at 1:50. Sessions originating on the west coast
are not available for us.

Laura Bashlor
Shumate Middle School
Gibraltar, MI

Videoconferencing

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Videoconferencing
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 10:20:34 -0500
Back to top

Dear Discuss-lfrf Members,

If you are interested in videoconferencing please send me
(ebend@netlabs.net) your name, school, and time of day (Please include time
zone.) that you are available to do this. I will send the information to
everyone who is interested and let's see if we can set up some times. As
Laura said it will be difficult to get everyone at the same time. It is
impossible to cover four time zones when most schools are only in session
for six to seven hours.

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Biodiversity

From: Marilyn Weiser
Subject: Biodiversity
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 09:18:00 -0600 (CST)
Back to top

Dear colleagues,
This may be a fun activity to share with other classrooms and/or
parents.

Biodiversity Rap-up
by Brian Lloyd

Wake up, everybody.
Really open your eyes.
Look outside the door--
Youll see a major surprise.
Its cooler than the Shaq Attack,
Its hotter than Spike Lee.
Its got more sounds and got more moves
Than even MTV.

Yeah, Im talking bout the places
That span across this planet,
And the host of crazy critters
That we often take for granted.
You dont need a diploma
>From a big university
To learn the word for all this life
Is BIODIVERSITY.

BIODIVERSITY means difference
In three kinds of scenes:
In HABITATS, in SPECIES,
And in our basic GENES.
Dont freak if this sounds tricky,
Stay cool, because Ill claim
That all of this is simpler
Than your average video game.

HABITATS are places
Made up of special features--
Vegetation, nutrients,
Climate, soils, and creatures.
>From Senegal to Central Park,
>From Haiti to Hong Kong,
A healthy range of habitats
Helps life keep going strong.

SPECIES are the animals
And plants that fill our nations--
>From cockatoos to kinkajous,
>From melons to carnations.
Species pollinate our crops,
Theyre mascots for our teams,
They give us food and medicines,
They dazzle life and dreams.

GENES are what determine
How populations vary--
How tall we are, how strong we are,
How intelligent, how hairy.
A healthy, varied gene pool
Makes all of life more brilliant,
And species in the face of change
Are adaptable, resilient.

Now I hate to be a downer,
I hate to burst your bubble.
But you ought to know the truth:
Biodiversitys in trouble.
The reason? People everywhere
Pollute and build and grow.
The wildest life will be in malls
Unless we stop, you know.

A world with only cities?
A little dull, Id think.
A world with only roaches?
Now that would really stink.
A world without a range on genes?
Now that would be a grim one.
Imagine every human being
A clone of Homer Simpson?

Protect our many races,
Said Martin Luther King.
Protect the tribes and forests
Of the Amazon, says Sting.
>From decades past to present day
The rally cry has grown:
Diversitys what lifes about--
We cant survive alone.

Refrain:
Deserts, peat bogs,
Passion fruit, and tree frogs.
Spiders, seaweed,
Centipedes, and sheep dogs
Mule deer, killdeer,
Crocodile, and ginkgo.
Diversitys dull?
No, I dont think so.

If any one can help me out with these two requests, please respond to me
at mweiser@sendit.nodak.edu
1. Do you have the internet address for boys and girls to get their
names put on the CD Rom going to Mars?
2. Do you have a lesson plan for teaching boys and girls about meals
for astronauts while in space?

Thanks,
Marilyn Weiser
PTK Advocate
Minot, ND

Re: Videoconferencing

From: Lynn Hammonds
Subject: Re: Videoconferencing
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 07:55:00 -0800 (PST)
Back to top

Dear Susan,

I've been using CUSeeMe technology for three years now. My third grade
class is looking forward to using our local cam for the LFRF conferences.
Feel free to call on me anytime you have a question. Perhaps you and Ginny
and I can have a three way conference sometime!

Best wishes,

Lynn Hammonds
Rancho Santa Fe School
Rancho Santa Fe, CA

>We have CUseeme and I would like to include my classes in the
>videoconferencing. I have not used it before, but I willing to learn. Can
>I call on you [Ginny? anyone else with experience with CUseeme?] for
>guidance?
>
>Susan
>
>Susan Hurstcalderone 202/966-6682 [school]
>Science Coordinatory/Teacher/Learner 202/966-4938 [school fax]
>Blessed Sacrament School
>5841 Chevy Chase Parkway, NW
>Washington, D.C. 20015 Science.....a way of thinking.

Intro-Shumate

From: "Laura L. Bashlor"
Subject: Intro-Shumate
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 13:06:25 -0500
Back to top

Hi, our names are Alicia and Catherine. We go to Shumate Middle
School in Gibraltar, Michigan. We are both 12 yrs. old and in the 6th
grade. Our school is surrounded by woods and fields. Because of this we
sometimes see herds of deer running by our windows. We also have two pets
in our classroom. A hedgehog and a rabbit. A few days ago we tasted fruits
from the rainforest. Some fruits tasted good others tasted bad. The school
is right across from Lake Erie. This causes us to see a lot of different
animals around our school and neighborhoods. Since Lake Erie is across the
street and close to our houses we get a lot of lake effect snow and cold
spells. Last week we experienced a cold spell ,but now it is starting to
get warm again. Our longitude is 83 degrees North. Our latitude is 43
degrees West.

Biodiversity

From: Young_Karen/edu_snowline_serrano-high@omail.sbcss.k12.ca.us
Subject: Biodiversity
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 12:01:08 -0800
Back to top

> If any one can help me out with these two requests, please respond to
me
> at mweiser@sendit.nodak.edu
> 1. Do you have the internet address for boys and girls to get their
> names put on the CD Rom going to Mars?
> 2. Do you have a lesson plan for teaching boys and girls about
meals
> for astronauts while in space?

No lesson plan, but a good URL for meals in space:
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/astronauts/food-system.html

The URL for adding your name to those for the Mars Polar Lander:
http://spacekids.hq.nasa.gov/mars/nameform.cfm

Karen Young
Serrano High School
Karen_Young@eee.org

Re: Introduction- Laura

From: Gianfranco Martinis
Subject: Re: Introduction- Laura
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 03:33:15 GMT
Back to top

Welcome,
I am Gianfranco Martinis, from Salta, Argentina.
I am sure you are going to bring great ideas.

Hopping hering sson from you.

Best wishes.

*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/_/ _/_/
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Gianfranco Martinis
_/ _/ _/_/ _/ E-Mail: cpces04@salnet.com.ar
_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ Belgrano High School
_/ _/ _/ _/ Address: 220 Los Ceibos Street -
_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ 4400 - Salta - Argentina

*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Re: Introduction-Miguel

From: Gianfranco Martinis
Subject: Re: Introduction-Miguel
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 03:33:12 GMT
Back to top

Hi Miguel,
At 06:47 17/3/98 -0500, you wrote:
Welcome, I am sure you are going to enjoy your time here.
Hope brin great ideas and experience.

Hopping hearing soon from you.

Best wishes.

*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/_/ _/_/
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Gianfranco Martinis
_/ _/ _/_/ _/ E-Mail: cpces04@salnet.com.ar
_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ Belgrano High School
_/ _/ _/ _/ Address: 220 Los Ceibos Street -
_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ 4400 - Salta - Argentina

*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

sloths

From: LoreyH717
Subject: sloths
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 22:23:14 EST
Back to top

Hi: I am eagerly waiting my Teacher's Guide so I can create even more
wonderful lessons about the rain forest. My children are learning so much
already. They know of the sloth's existence in the rain forest but I found
out more pertinent and interesting information about the sloth and I am giving
a lesson just on the sloth this week as I teach them about the interdependence
of the animals and plants of the rain forest Below is an exerpt from my
lesson

Sloths live in the canopy and the algae that grows in their fur turns it
green
providing the sloths with camouflage in their leafy home. Because they eat
leaves that are hard to digest, food stays in their systems for up to a mont
before all the value has been extracted from it. It is this slow metabolism
or release of energy from food, that causes the slow movements sloths are
famous for. Partly
becaue of their slowness, sloths make a very good home for a species of moth
that lives in its fur. up to 132 adult moths have been found living on one
sloth. Some believe that the moths eat algae-rich rainwater trapped in the
sloth's fur or some bodily secretons. they also think the moths breed there.
But they could
never find any moth eggs or larvae on the sloths. And then they found out
why. Once every week or two, the sloths make a long, slow dangerous journey
down tot ht efloor of the rainforest to defeate in a hold they dig with their
tails. As soon as they do this, the mths swarm ou6t of the fur to deposit
their eggs on the sloth's dung and then settle back into the sloth's fur for
the ride up the canopy again. the larvae that hatch from the eggs feed on the
dung and when they turn into adult moths, they fly up into the canopy in
search of a sloth to live on. Although it is clear that the moths are
dependent on the sloths, what the sloths gain
from this relationship is not immediately apparent. Perhaps the moths help
keep the fur clean. Perhaps they add to the camouflage of the sloths. The

answer is just one of the mysterys waiting to be solved.
(Source: Rainforests by Lois Warburton, 1991 Lucent Books, CA)

Loretta Henke
PS 7
New York City

Re: Videoconferencing

From: Ginny
Subject: Re: Videoconferencing
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 22:31:42 -0500
Back to top

I'd be glad to help! I have a quick cam camera, gray scale at home and one
at work. I now have a new computer, powermac, in my classroom at school and
need to download CUseeme from Cornell and try it out before I can connect
to anyone. Hopefully on Friday I will have time afterschool to work on it.
Once I have that taken care of I can try and connect with you from school.
If you can take your camera home over the week-end we can try and connect
from home. E-mail me with ways I can help. Ginny

At 7:29 AM -0500 3/17/98, Susan Hurstcalderone wrote:
>We have CUseeme and I would like to include my classes in the
>videoconferencing. I have not used it before, but I willing to learn. Can
>I call on you [Ginny? anyone else with experience with CUseeme?] for
>guidance?
>
>Susan
>
>Susan Hurstcalderone 202/966-6682 [school]
>Science Coordinatory/Teacher/Learner 202/966-4938 [school fax]
>Blessed Sacrament School
>5841 Chevy Chase Parkway, NW
>Washington, D.C. 20015 Science.....a way of thinking.

Re: sloths

From: "Susan Herzog"
Subject: Re: sloths
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 09:09:45 -0500
Back to top

What a great story of interdependence - that Sloth tale. I wonder what
interesting life stories we might find in our temperate zone backyards! How
can you ever be bored if you are interested in how living things live!!

Best regards,
Susan

Re: Introduction

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Re: Introduction
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 16:59:45 -0700
Back to top

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_005A_01BD528F.408B16A0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Dear Bruce, You'll do just fine. I worked at an alternative high school
with no computer access, too, and just did fine. It's a pain,
but the exciting thing is the writing improvement you get from the kids
when they know they're writing to their peers. As Eileen suggested,
have the kids save stuff on your word-processing program and then play
cut and paste at home. janet

Janet K. Cook
Sinclair Middle School
300 W. Chenango
Englewood, CO 80110
(303) 781-7817 (w) (303)806-2000 x1904 (vm)
-----Original Message-----

Re: Introduction

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Re: Introduction
Date: Monday, March 16, 1998 12:03 PM
Back to top

------=_NextPart_000_005A_01BD528F.408B16A0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Dear Bruce, You'll do just fine. I
worked at an alternative high school with no computer access, too, and just did
fine. It's a pain, but the exciting thing is the writing improvement you
get from the kids when they know they're writing to their peers. As Eileen
suggested, have the kids save stuff on your word-processing program and then
play cut and paste at home. janet

Janet K. Cook
Sinclair Middle
School
300
W. Chenango
Englewood, CO 80110
(303) 781-7817 (w)
(303)806-2000 x1904 (vm)

style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT:
5px">

-----Original =
Message-----
From:
Eileen Bendixsen <ebend@netlabs.net>
To:
Bruce Grover < href="mailto:docboo@ime.net">docboo@ime.net>
Cc:discuss-lfrf@passport.=
ivv.nasa.gov
< href="mailto:discuss-lfrf@passport.ivv.nasa.gov">discuss-lfrf@passport. ivv.nasa.gov>
Date:
Monday, March 16, 1998 12:03 PM
Subject: Re:
Introduction

Greetings Fellow LFRF
Participants,

My name is Bruce Grover. I
run Connections, the M.S.A.D. #36 Alternative School. It is with great
excitement and anticipation that we embark on our first on-line project.
We will perhaps be even more excited and filled with even more
anticipation once our internet connection is installed. Until such time
I will forward student email from home and hope we can keep pace with
our more fortunate colleagues. If there is any other participants in a
similar situation who feel they have identified and overcome related
obstacles, please share your experiences and solutions. I am still
familiarizing myself with the project so if anything I say henceforth
seems to stem from ignorance, it's because it does. How feasible are the
following ideas:

- Sharing pictures of
participants. I have found in the past that associating a face with a
name helps students form a more personal attachment to those with whom
they interact on the internet.
- Tele or video conferencing
with other participants. Via the internet we would be able to share
ideas and opinions in real time with people and cultures with
which we
would never have the opportunity otherwise.

I have other ideas but in the
interest of maintaining your interest, I will save them until I
am more
familiar with the project. I will have my students introduce themselves
ASAP.

Bruce
Grover

------=_NextPart_000_005A_01BD528F.408B16A0--

Week #2 Challenge Question Winners

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Week #2 Challenge Question Winners
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 23:39:13 -0500
Back to top

>>>AND THE WINNERS ARE<<<

The answers for last week's Challenge Questions were provided by Grott's
Greats who told us the following:

We stayed away from the encyclopedia but used the almanac instead! We
had quite a collection for a while!

Our Answers, verified by going to the National Geographic Home page and
looking under the resources section:

What is the LONGEST river on Earth?

Longest River: Africa's Nile River at 4,241 miles barely beats out the
Amazon in South America, approximately 4000 miles.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Gianfranco Martinis, Mrs. Buice's 4th grade class at Lamar Co.Elementary
School, Wheeler, Allison, Anthony, Chris, Maxx, Mitchell, and Chelsea from
Ms. Hammond's class, Grott's Greats, David Williams from Mike Reynolds
class at Cranbrook Kingswood MS, and Mary Logsdon's fourth graders from
Eastridge Elementary School in Lincoln Nebraska. All of you were correct.

Special Note from Mrs. Buice's class:

We also found that there is a subterranean river flowing under the Nile!
Cool!

Mrs. Buice's 4th grade class

***

What is the LARGEST river on Earth?

Largest River: Amazon hands down, drainage basin of approximately 2.5
million square miles, an area equal to the contiguous United States!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Gianfranco Martinis, Wheeler, Allison, Anthony, Chris, Maxx, Mitchell, and
Chelsea from Ms. Hammond's class, Grott's Greats, David Williams from Mike
Reynolds class at Cranbrook Kingswood MS, and Mary Logsdon's fourth graders
from Eastridge Elementary School in Lincoln Nebraska. All of you were correct.

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Challenge Questions - Week #3

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Challenge Questions - Week #3
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 23:55:36 -0500
Back to top

>>>CHALLENGE QUESTIONS - WEEK #3<<<

Will you find the answer in the almanac? Is it on your favorite reference
page on the Internet?

Don't Miss This Week's Challenge!

If PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE has produced LIVE FROM ANTARCTICA and now LIVE FROM
THE RAINFOREST from the heart of the Amazon Basin, what is "X" if we called
our series LIVE FROM X PERCENT OF EARTH'S FRESH WATER?

You are invited to send original student answers to: ebend@netlabs.net
Please include the words CHALLENGE QUESTION in the subject line of your

email. I will announce the classes that submit correct answers next week.

Answers are due by Wednesday, March 25 at 10:00 pm EST.

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Another Challenge Question Winner

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Another Challenge Question Winner
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 00:12:44 -0500
Back to top

>>>Congratulations Alejandra<<<

Alejandra from the Chase Foundation in Argentina was another winner in last
week's challenge questions. Great job Alejandra!!!

1 ) The longest river on earth:

NILO, rEDo de Africa. Recorre una distancia de 5.584 km, generalmente en
sentido norte, desde el lago Victoria, en africa centroriental hasta el mar
Mediterrneo, atravesando Uganda, Sudan y Egipto. Desde su nacimiento, el
ro Luvironza, en Burundi, SU LONGITUD ES DE 6671 km.

2 ) The largest river on earth:

AMAZONAS, ro que corre por el norte de Suramrica, en su mayor parte en
Brasil; figura como el mayor del mundo en trminos de captacin de agua,
nmero de afluentes y volumen de agua que descarga. Mide unos 6.275 km
desde la fuente hasta la desembocadura, y es el segundo en longitud,
despus del Nilo, entre todos los ros del mundo. Los aportes anuales
l
ro suman una quinta parte de toda el agua dulce que desemboca en los
ocanos en todo el mundo. La cantidad de agua y de sedimentos aportados
n
tan enormes que la salinidad y el color del ocano Atlntico se ven
alterados hasta una distancia de unos 320 km desde la boca del ro.

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Re: Week #2 Challenge Question Winners

From: Lynn Hammonds
Subject: Re: Week #2 Challenge Question Winners
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 07:41:38 -0800 (PST)
Back to top

Dear Eileen,

Thank you for posting the Challenge Question winners so promptly. Last

week we had one student answer correctly, this week seven. We're aiming
for the entire class before LFRF is over. We're printing the email from
you and posting it in our LFRF corner. The children love to read about
themselves!

Lynn Hammonds

I NEED YOUR HELP

From: Gianfranco Martinis
Subject: I NEED YOUR HELP
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 18:39:02 GMT
Back to top

Hi to all,

I wrote all you five days ago, and until now I am waiting for your answers.
I reply again because four days ago I had a power failure and lost
everythingh, so I think that I had lost messages from you.

Here I a sending you my old message, call HELP NEEDY, please, an you take
just a little of your valius time to reply it to me?.

It is for get a schoolarship of the Space Camp.

I really need your help to prube that I am on this list.

Hopping with all my heart your help.

Thanks a lot in advance for your help and time

Sincerly,

*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/_/ _/_/
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Gianfranco Martinis
_/ _/ _/_/ _/ E-Mail: cpces04@salnet.com.ar
_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ Belgrano High School
_/ _/ _/ _/ 4400 - Salta - Argentina
_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/

*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

One More Winning Response

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: One More Winning Response
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 17:02:06 -0500
Back to top

>>>Congratulations to the Brussels American School fourth graders<<<

They had a pipe burst in their school and had to close down in an
emergency. Since they were not in school yesterday they could not send in

their answers until today. They had the correct answers.

Longest river: the Nile
Largest river: the Amazon - about 3/4 the size of the contiguous United
States of America

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Re: Week #2 Challenge Question Winners

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Re: Week #2 Challenge Question Winners
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 17:04:40 -0500
Back to top

At 02:06 PM 3/19/98 -0800, you wrote:
>Dear Eileen,
>
>Thank you for posting the Challenge Question winners so promptly. Last

>week we had one student answer correctly, this week seven. We're aiming
>for the entire class before LFRF is over. We're printing the email from
>you and posting it in our LFRF corner. The children love to read about
>themselves!

Lynn,

It was great to see more responses from classes this week and so many
winners! Everyone keep up the great work.

The challenge question winners will be posted every Wednesday night after
10:00 p.m. EST along with the next challenge question. This will give you a

complete week to submit your answers.

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

Another Challenge Question Winner

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Another Challenge Question Winner
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 17:09:35 -0500
Back to top

Re: Another Challenge Question Winner

From: Sally Dwelley
Subject: Re: Another Challenge Question Winner
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 15:25:40 -0800 (PST)
Back to top

Hello from Hydesville,
I'm Sally Dwelley, a second grade teacher from Hydesville Elem.
School. We are a small K-8 school in northern Calif., near the Redwood
Forests and 5 min. from the Pacific Ocean. I am fortunate to be teaching
with Ginny Dexter who has shared NASA materials with the whole school for
several years now. We have decided to collaborate on a Rainforest Unit.
We will combine my second graders with her middle school kids for some
activities. She just plugged me into the WEB site and I am thoroughly
impressed and excited!! I feel very fortunate to be involved with this
project. Our oldest daughter has lived in Brazil for the last three years
and this has triggered a real curiosity for studying that region in
particular
I look forward to being involved. Sally.

Re: Introduction of Sally Dwelley

From: Sally Dwelley
Subject: Re: Introduction of Sally Dwelley
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 15:28:42 -0800 (PST)
Back to top

(Corrected subject - oops - thanks)
Hello from Hydesville,
I'm Sally Dwelley, a second grade teacher from Hydesville Elem.
School. We are a small K-8 school in northern Calif., near the Redwood
Forests and 5 min. from the Pacific Ocean. I am fortunate to be teaching
with Ginny Dexter who has shared NASA materials with the whole school for
several years now. We have decided to collaborate on a Rainforest Unit.
We will combine my second graders with her middle school kids for some
activities. She just plugged me into the WEB site and I am thoroughly
impressed and excited!! I feel very fortunate to be involved with this
project. Our oldest daughter has lived in Brazil for the last three years
and this has triggered a real curiosity for studying that region in
particular
I look forward to being involved. Sally.

Re: Worsheet to go with website

From: vdexter@tidepool.com
Subject: Re: Worsheet to go with website
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 15:33:12 -0800 (PST)
Back to top

Hi! This is the worksheet I made for my students to use when investigating
the rainforest website. Enjoy!!

LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST
WEBSITE WORKSHEET
Mrs. Dexter -
Science
Location:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov/rainforest/main.html Go
to GEOsystems
Using an atlas, record the names of the countries of former and existing
tropical rainforest of the world:
________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

2.) Go to ECOsystems
Read the overview. Write two new facts that you learned at this site:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

3.) Go to TEAMS: A.) Read overview B.) Choose one team member to read
and report about. Write notes here about your member. (You will be
"telling" the class about your member so read and take good notes!!!)
(Minimum seven sentences)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

4.) Go to Resources, and click on Web Links. Choose one link to
explore and report on. Bookmark it. You will be
expected to prepare a written and oral report about
your site. Choose wisely and using a clip board and
another piece of paper, formulate a rough draft and draw pictures, maps,
etc.
Good luck and happy discovering and exploring the rainforest!

Re: sloths

From: Marty Stickle
Subject: Re: sloths
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 19:43:05 -0500
Back to top

Loretta and Others,

You might be interested in a story about sloths. Several years ago I was in
Peru. One day we were boating along in a long canoe with an outboard motor
when we passed a small village along the banks of an Amazonian tributary.
Someone was standing on the bank of the river holding something furry up in
the air. We pulled over and saw it was a baby sloth. It seems the man's
family had just shot the mother for food and they were looking to sell the
baby as a pet. We negotiated and bought the animal for $3 and a package of
candy. The rest of the day we all took turns holding this animal. Sloths,
to my mind, look like ET, with an amazing face. This one was a three toed
sloth, and those characteristic three toes grabbed us for comfort. But
every time the canoe went under a low hanging tree, the sloth reached for
the branch. After seeing the absolutely amazing hoatzin birds that we were
on the way to see (but that's another story) we watched the sun set over
the wide Napo River and then headed back to camp. Our guide told us the
baby was probably old enough to survive on its own, so we walked down the
trail to a suitable tree and released it. He climbed up the tree, quite
fast for a sloth and disappeared. I still wonder if he survived. Sloths are
neat!

Marty Stickle
LFRF Team

Re: Introduction of Sally Dwelley

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Re: Introduction of Sally Dwelley
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 19:53:24 -0500
Back to top

At 03:28 PM 3/19/98 -0800, you wrote:
>(Corrected subject - oops - thanks)
>Hello from Hydesville,
> I'm Sally Dwelley, a second grade teacher from Hydesville Elem.
>School. We are a small K-8 school in northern Calif., near the Redwood
>Forests and 5 min. from the Pacific Ocean. I am fortunate to be teaching
>with Ginny Dexter who has shared NASA materials with the whole school for
>several years now. We have decided to collaborate on a Rainforest Unit.
>We will combine my second graders with her middle school kids for some
>activities. She just plugged me into the WEB site and I am thoroughly
>impressed and excited!! I feel very fortunate to be involved with this
>project. Our oldest daughter has lived in Brazil for the last three years
>and this has triggered a real curiosity for studying that region in
>particular
> I look forward to being involved. Sally.

Sally,

You should return to the LFRF web site over the next few days. What you saw
was the preview of our web site. The entire web site is set to go online in
the next day or two.

Welcome to the list!

Eileen

Re: Another Challenge Question Winner

From: Gianfranco Martinis
Subject: Re: Another Challenge Question Winner
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 04:38:36 GMT
Back to top

Hi Sally,
I just want to say Welcome.

I hope you enjoy your time here, as I.

Hope hear soon from you.

Best wishes from Salta, Argentina.

*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/_/ _/_/
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Gianfranco Martinis
_/ _/ _/_/ _/ E-Mail: cpces04@salnet.com.ar
_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ Belgrano High School
_/ _/ _/ _/ Address: 220 Los Ceibos Street -
_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ 4400 - Salta - Argentina

*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Re: sloths

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Re: sloths
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 21:57:39 -0700
Back to top

A story I heard in the same area (near Iquitos, Peru) from a scientist
(don't know if it's true, but it's what he said) is that one day they saw a
baby sloth fall from the tree and the mother "hurried" down to get it. It
took her two and a half hours! I don't know if that's true or not, but I
watched a sloth (and birds at the same time) for several hours and it never
moved more than an occasional paw! Not the most lively of animals, but
they do have a darling face! janet

Janet K. Cook
Sinclair Middle School
300 W. Chenango
Englewood, CO 80110
(303) 781-7817 (w) (303)806-2000 x1904 (vm)
-----Original Message-----

Re: sloths

From: "Janet K. Cook"
Subject: Re: sloths
Date: Thursday, March 19, 1998 5:47 PM
Back to top

>Loretta and Others,
>
>You might be interested in a story about sloths. Several years ago I was in
>Peru. One day we were boating along in a long canoe with an outboard motor
>when we passed a small village along the banks of an Amazonian tributary.
>Someone was standing on the bank of the river holding something furry up in
>the air. We pulled over and saw it was a baby sloth. It seems the man's
>family had just shot the mother for food and they were looking to sell the
>baby as a pet. We negotiated and bought the animal for $3 and a package of
>candy. The rest of the day we all took turns holding this animal. Sloths,
>to my mind, look like ET, with an amazing face. This one was a three toed
>sloth, and those characteristic three toes grabbed us for comfort. But
>every time the canoe went under a low hanging tree, the sloth reached for
>the branch. After seeing the absolutely amazing hoatzin birds that we were
>on the way to see (but that's another story) we watched the sun set over
>the wide Napo River and then headed back to camp. Our guide told us the
>baby was probably old enough to survive on its own, so we walked down the
>trail to a suitable tree and released it. He climbed up the tree, quite
>fast for a sloth and disappeared. I still wonder if he survived. Sloths are
>neat!
>
>Marty Stickle
>LFRF Team
>
>
>

Re: sloths

From: craw1600@theriver.com (Michael& =?iso-8859-1?Q?Ren=E9e?= Crawley)
Subject: Re: sloths
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 05:56:32 -0700 (MST)
Back to top

Hello!
We are lucky enough to have sloths at our zoo (Reid Park Zoo in Tucson,
Az), and our classes were visiting when the sloth decided to move. We were
fascinated by how rapid this creature moved from the branch to the fence
and climbed up to the top for bananas and heat from the heat lamp area.
(It was a very cool day for Tucson.) The zoo keeper said that when they
want to move, they can really pour on the speed! Of course by our
standards, it's still slower than the space shuttle, but pretty good for a
sloth!
Everyone should see these delightful creatures live!!!! They are my all
time favorite animals, and yes they are hard to find in trees etc. They
really blend in. Renee and Michael Crawley

LFRF Web Site Has Now Gone Live!!!

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: LFRF Web Site Has Now Gone Live!!!
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 22:39:41 -0500
Back to top

***THE LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST WEB SITE HAS GONE LIVE***

Have you been to the LFRF web site in the past few hours? If you haven't, I
encourage you to take a look. As promised the site has now gone live and is
no longer in its preview version. The site will continue to be updated with
Field Journals, Travel Logs, Researcher Q & A pairs, and of course student
work, during the next couple of months.

videoconference

From: KDPW49B@prodigy.com (MRS RHONDA B TOON)
Subject: videoconference
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 00:09:29, -0500
Back to top

-- [ From: Rhonda Toon * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --

Hi,

I have been away so I apologize for not responding to the postings about
videoconferencing. The software I am using is Microsoft's Netmeeting.
The equipment donated to me includes this software. I, too, am new to
all of this. Can someone using Netmeeting communicate with someone using
CUSeeme? It was my understanding that both ends need the same software?
Correct?

All of this is new to me and it has been some time since I actually used
the software. I am leaving this Wednesday for NCASE in St. Louis. Any
other PTK'ers going to be there???

It will be the following week before I can schedule an attempt at a
videoconference but I would love to get this going. I have given two of
the cameras to scientists. One is an entomologist and the other a wheat
scientist. They are involved in a local project with some classrooms
here. I'd like to place the others with teachers in my area who would
communicate not only with the scientists here but with some of you and
get involved in PTK and LFRF. I don't know if and/or how this will work.

Thanks to all of you wrote to me about possibly joining together and
offering to help. My schedule is going to prevent me from pursuing this
for another week but if some of you do get connections going, please
keep posting progress here or email me so I can hopefully join in when
life is calmer.

Netmeeting is also available for download via the web but is not yet
available for the Macintosh platform. I don't think you have to use IE
to use Netmeeting.

I know how much the visual images reinforce my student;s involvement and
understanding in PTK and I think the videoconferencing will only extend
that further in our class to class communications, as well.

Thanks again, Rhonda

Re: LFRF Website

From: Ginny
Subject: Re: LFRF Website
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 15:17:40 -0500
Back to top

Dear Eileen and discuss-lfrf,
I just downloaded the free Netscape Communicator 4.04 as I was
having problems with the older version of Netscape and my 'ol Mac Performa
575' bringing up the LFRF website. I am thrilled to say that now I can
view the site from home and had a great morning traveling from link to link
through the site. Thanks Eileen for the suggestion and reminder to
download the software. It is great!
Also a huge thank-you to Geoff, who has helped me with my
communication with our local PBS station. I always jump to the conclusion
that PBS stations will automatically support quality programming for school
age students. I am finding that it takes A LOT of educating the folks at
PBS to value, support, plan for and run programs for our students. I feel
like a pioneer where I live - trying to explain how effective the live
interactive field trips are for student's connection to the real world of
science.
In the LFRF site there are maps of tropical rainforests and
temperate rainforests. I am happy to say I am on the map, surrounded by
temperate rainforests. I am sad to say that 25 years ago I was surrounded
by MUCH, MUCH more. The school that I teach at, Hydesville School, is
constantly in the news due to the marches by Earth First in our district to
bring attention to the need to preserve ancient redwood forests. Many of
my students have parents/family who work in the logging industry. There
tends to be a bitter feeling towards "environmentalists" for many of my
students and their families. I am interested in any links that any of you
might suggest for more information on temperate rainforests of North
America. I would love to have my students compare and contrast the animal
and plant population of both. I feel education is the key to
understanding the beauty of our home as well as the problems we face. By
the way, did anyone see the national news this week that showed how our El
Nino winter gave us a grand view at the ocean's edge of an ancient
rainforest that existed two thousand years ago, (The time that Christ
walked the Earth) along the Oregon Coast? I wish I could of taken a cruise
up there to see that!
Friday, I downloaded Cornell's Free CUseeme software at school.
(Video Conferencing) and I am ready to try it out to see if it works. I am
hooked up at home as well and so if you want to try connecting with me on
the week-end or evenings to test out the system just e-mail me and we will
play around with it.
Ginny

Re: Videoconferencing

From: Ginny
Subject: Re: Videoconferencing
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 15:39:56 -0500
Back to top

Hi Lynn,
Are you set up for video conferencing at school and at home?
Should we test the system and try it out?
Do you want to plan on coming up the holday in May? We may go down
to Santa Rosa on Friday and return Saturday. You could just come and get
settled in the guest house and do your own thing and we would be back
Saturday night if we go down to see Ryan run. What do you think? luv, gin

Re: Videoconferencing

From: Ginny
Subject: Re: Videoconferencing
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 17:58:31 -0500
Back to top

Oops! Goofed again! SORRY I sent Lynn's message to the discuss group, gin

"THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: "THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 22:45:16 -0500
Back to top

Welcome to "THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!

LFRF Web Site Goes Live! Teacher's Guides Have Arrived! Scientists Available!

Friday evening the PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST preview
web site was replaced with its expanded version. GEOsystem now provides
plenty of background information about rainforests and where they are
located. ECOsystem has become populated with the plants and animals of the
rainforest. This section should be a terrific place for students to do
research for some of the activities in the Teacher's Guide. Visit TEAMS for
all new Journals and biographies from the INPA/Smithsonian project on
location in Brazil. But this is still not the final site. We will continue
to add Field Journals, Travel Logs, Researcher Q&A pairs, and student work
throughout this month and next. If you haven't visited the site this past
weekend I highly encourage you to take a look. The graphics are absolutely
wonderful!

***

Speaking of the Teacher's Guide, they are in the mail. You should have
received your copy of the Guide this past week along with the colorful
poster showing some of the inhabitants of the rainforest. Let us know what
you think! What suggestions do you have for teachers who are new to PTK
Modules? Do you have any special tips on any of the activities? Let's start
this discussion this week, but keep it going throughout the entire project.

***

In a first for PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, 22 top Smithsonian scientists have
agreed to participate in the live broadcasts in April. An exciting part of
the live broadcasts has always been the ability to submit questions to the
scientists on the programs while the program is in progress. The excitement

builds as students wait to see if their question is then answered on air.
The downside of this has been the limited number of questions PTK could

answer live, and some disappointed students.

During the LFRF broadcasts a live panel of rainforest experts, 6-7 per

program, will be available to answer students' questions "live" via e-mail
even if they are not broadcast. This provides classes with an excellent

opportunity to have their questions answered from a world expert in real
time. Please take the time before the broadcasts to discuss what questions

you would like answered with your class. Visit the INTERACT section and go
to the Researcher Q&A link for tips on how to ask good questions. Make sure

they can't be answered simply by checking the class encyclopedia or the
LFRF web site. Watch updates and discuss for more information on how to
submit your questions. We will be giving specific instructions for the
subject line to help us direct the questions.

***

Have you submitted you challenge question answer? Don't miss this week's
deadline of Wednesday, March 25 at 10:00 p.m. EST. Students and classes who

submit a correct answer will be announced on the list late Wednesday night
and a new challenge question will be posted.

Students working on the LFRF collaborative activity "Backyard Biodiversity"
Survey are starting to report their first findings as they go out into
their backyards and begin their survey. Don't miss this terrific project.

***Come Join Us on Debate-lfrf***

Welcome to Bruce Grover, Miguel A. Germain, and Sally Dwelley who posted
their introductions this week. If anyone has not let me know that they are
interested in e-mail communication with other classes during LFRF based on
grade level or videoconferencing please send me a note. I am planning on
working on both of these next weekend. What makes PTK projects a success is
the communication between teachers on this list. Let's hear from you this
week!

Have a great week!

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

St Louis NCASE '98

From: planetarium@muncie.k12.in.us (Planetarium )
Subject: St Louis NCASE '98
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 11:03:44 -0600
Back to top

Good Morning,

I will be attending NCASE '98 in St. Louis. I will be staying at my
sister's home during the conference. I can be reached at this number:
314-447-7432.

I am available to assist at a PTK Booth or with a display.

As the Planetarium Director for the Muncie Community Schools Planetarium,
we have schools scheduled to view the live broadcasts here during April.
We participated in LIVE From the Stratosphere, Hubble, Antarctica2 and
Mars.

After seeing the outstanding web site, I am looking forward to the Teacher
Guide. I have not yet received mine. It will probably arrive while I am in
St. Louis.

Peggy Motes
MCS Planetarium
Muncie, Indiana 47305

Voice: 765.747.5297
FAX: 765.747.5314
E-mail: planetarium@muncie.k12.in.us

Re: Videoconferencing

From: "Marilyn K. Wall"
Subject: Re: Videoconferencing
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 98 18:37:07 -0500
Back to top

Dear LFRFers,

Over the past three years my students and I have had so many wonderful
experinces and opportunities for videoconferencing. I remember our first
connection was with Alan Meyer (LFS) at NASA Ames and how excited my
students were to share their models of the KAO with him and their kidpix
pictures.

Then I became involved with the Ask a Scientist program with Patricia
Reiff and I guess the most memorable conference was with David McKay
(ALan Hills Meteorite) where my students listened to his talk and then
were able to ask him so many wonderful questions. The Hale Bopp
conference was another highlight last spring.

re: Conflicting Software
When I returned to school in September, I discovered my school had put up
a firewall and it was not until December that I was able to go through
the firewall and get connected once again.

Then this year I began to notice programs like Global SchoolNet and Ask
a Scientist were broadcasting in color only using White Pines Enhanced
CU. So that my students and I would not be left out of these wonderful
conferences, I downloaded off the www the demo of White Pines Enhanced
CU.

I liked what I saw but then when I went back to use Cornell version,
myold Cornell CU would not work. So beware! Frustrated I tried several
quick fixes but nothing seemed to work. I issued an online help message
to other Cu users and quickly online colleagues came to the rescue. If
that should happen to you, I some hints that might work.

In case you are not aware, White Pines is making their conferencing
software available to Global SchoolNet members for a great price of
$35.00 A great bargain. My software arrived today and I hope to get it up
and running so we can all CU!

Lastly, I have used CU to network with local teachers and their students.
By using CU locally we have our own private conferences and are able to
work collaboratively on projects. My students are working with another
4th grade across our county, a class of students they normally would have
not contact with. We meet virtually as well as in face to face meetings.
So as you look to connect, don't forget the opportunities right there in
your own back yard.

Next week my students thru CU are involved in a presentation at a
Tennesse State Technology Conference. They feel so cool that they are
helping other teachers learn about this great tool.

Can't wait to join other LFRFers in a video conference.

One meeting place we might reserve is through GlobalSchool Net...

Marilyn Wall
Here in the Shenandoah Valley of Va

Re: videoconference

From: RdgTchrSAF
Subject: Re: videoconference
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 19:46:14 EST
Back to top

Rhonda,

Where do you go to get the download?

Sue

Re: videoconference

From: Lynn Hammonds
Subject: Re: videoconference
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 17:40:12 -0800
Back to top

Sue,

I found a download at:

http://cu-seeme.cornell.edu/

Good Luck,

Lynn

At 07:46 PM 3/23/98 EST, you wrote:
>Rhonda,
>
>Where do you go to get the download?
>
>Sue
>
>
***************Lynn Davis Hammonds**************
****************Encinitas, California****************

Comparison of our environments

From: Allegany-Limestone Central School,Allegany NY@aya
Subject: Comparison of our environments
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 18:53:50 -0500
Back to top

We are the advanced life science class at Allegany-Limestone Central School. We have a grant and we are going to be comparing the environment of the rainforest with the environment of Allegany, New York. We would like to know what you are doing. Thank you for taking the time to read our message.

Comparison of our environments

From: Allegany-Limestone Central School,Allegany NY@aya
Subject: Comparison of our environments
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 18:53:51 -0500
Back to top

We are the advanced life science class at Allegany-Limestone Central School. We have a grant and we are going to be comparing the environment of the rainforest with the environment of Allegany New York. We would like to know what you are doing. Thank you for taking the time to read our message.

Soil Sample

From: Allegany Limestone Central School,Allegany NY,14706@aya
Subject: Soil Sample
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 19:51:36 -0500
Back to top

We are doing a soil test right now. We are testing macro-nutrients. We will inform you of our results later.

Re: Videoconferencing

From: Ginny
Subject: Re: Videoconferencing
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 20:41:02 -0500
Back to top

Dear Marilyn,
Thanks for your updated information about CUseeme. I am interested
in hearing more about the $35.00 offer. With this software, can you still
use the gray-scale camera? (That's what I have). Thanks, Ginny

At 6:37 PM -0500 3/23/98, Marilyn K. Wall wrote:
>Dear LFRFers,
>
>Over the past three years my students and I have had so many wonderful
>experinces and opportunities for videoconferencing. I remember our first
>connection was with Alan Meyer (LFS) at NASA Ames and how excited my
>students were to share their models of the KAO with him and their kidpix
>pictures.
>
>Then I became involved with the Ask a Scientist program with Patricia
>Reiff and I guess the most memorable conference was with David McKay
>(ALan Hills Meteorite) where my students listened to his talk and then
>were able to ask him so many wonderful questions. The Hale Bopp
>conference was another highlight last spring.
>
>re: Conflicting Software
>When I returned to school in September, I discovered my school had put up
>a firewall and it was not until December that I was able to go through
>the firewall and get connected once again.
>
>Then this year I began to notice programs like Global SchoolNet and Ask
>a Scientist were broadcasting in color only using White Pines Enhanced
>CU. So that my students and I would not be left out of these wonderful
>conferences, I downloaded off the www the demo of White Pines Enhanced
>CU.
>
>I liked what I saw but then when I went back to use Cornell version,
>myold Cornell CU would not work. So beware! Frustrated I tried several
>quick fixes but nothing seemed to work. I issued an online help message
>to other Cu users and quickly online colleagues came to the rescue. If
>that should happen to you, I some hints that might work.
>
>In case you are not aware, White Pines is making their conferencing
>software available to Global SchoolNet members for a great price of
>$35.00 A great bargain. My software arrived today and I hope to get it up
>and running so we can all CU!
>
>Lastly, I have used CU to network with local teachers and their students.
>By using CU locally we have our own private conferences and are able to
>work collaboratively on projects. My students are working with another
>4th grade across our county, a class of students they normally would have
>not contact with. We meet virtually as well as in face to face meetings.
>So as you look to connect, don't forget the opportunities right there in
>your own back yard.
>
>Next week my students thru CU are involved in a presentation at a
>Tennesse State Technology Conference. They feel so cool that they are
>helping other teachers learn about this great tool.
>
>Can't wait to join other LFRFers in a video conference.
>
>One meeting place we might reserve is through GlobalSchool Net...
>
>Marilyn Wall
>Here in the Shenandoah Valley of Va
>
>
>

Re: Worsheet to go with website

From: Ginny
Subject: Re: Worsheet to go with website
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 20:59:40 -0500
Back to top

At 4:34 PM +0000 3/21/98, Gianfranco Martinis wrote: Hi,
>It's very nice your worksheet. I just want to say you that.
>Best wishes from Salta, Argentina.

Thank you Gianfranco, It is always nice to get feedback!
Today my science students took the sheets and atlas to the computer
lab and pairs of students researched the site. I think it gives my age
level students direction and accountability to have an assignment to go
with their interneting experience. I notice that unless I require them to
READ that often they will just SURF the net, thus the need to have them
focus on reading and gathering information. I was very pleased today
watching them investigating the site and learning from it. Thanks PTK for
such a great resource for teaching! I noticed that when I saw the worksheet
on the discuss e-mail that it wasn't formatting the same but if you want to
use it and modify it, if you put it into your word processing program you
can reformat it correctly. Ginny
>

Information

From: www.alli.wnyric.org@aya
Subject: Information
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 09:50:17 -0500
Back to top

The seventh grade advanced life science class in Allegany, NY is working on your project. We think it is very interesting. We would like to find various
information on the rainforest and other Biomes. If
you live in any Biome other than the Temperate forest
region, we would like to know your soil tests, water tests, temperature, and other factors. Please post if
you have any information. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Teacher Intro

From: Anne Marshall
Subject: Teacher Intro
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 11:49:46 -0700
Back to top

Hi, my name is Anne Marshall and I teach at a small charter school in
Chandler Arizona named Center for Educational Excellence. I have a
combined class of 14 4,5 and 6 graders. I have been reading the mail
and
putting together a unit so I guess we'll just jump in. We went outside
yesterday to look at our square meter of ground and we may not be
popular
when we report it was 85 degrees F. I have never done a project like
this
before. Wish me luck.

Week #3 Challenge Question Winners

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: Week #3 Challenge Question Winners
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 23:20:25 -0500
Back to top

Last week's Challenge Question stumped everyone. Grott's Greats were pretty

close with an answer of 95%.

Question:
If PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE has produced LIVE FROM ANTARCTICA and now LIVE FROM
THE RAINFOREST from the heart of the Amazon Basin, what is "X" if we called
our series LIVE FROM X PERCENT OF EARTH'S FRESH WATER?

***

Answer:
The Amazon is said to make up 1/5th of Earth's fresh water, and the ice-cap
in Antarctica holds 70%. So, 1/5th = 20%, plus 70%, means PASSPORT TO
KNOWLEDGE could rename itself "LIVE FROM 90% OF EARTH'S FRESH WATER". Nah...
think we'll stick with what we've got.

Thank you to everyone who participated this week.

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

CHALLENGE QUESTIONS - WEEK #4

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: CHALLENGE QUESTIONS - WEEK #4
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 23:20:51 -0500
Back to top

***CHALLENGE QUESTIONS - WEEK #4***

It is time once again to get out the reference books. Where will you find

this week's answers? Who will be the first class to submit them?

Question #1:

What color is a jaguar?

Hint--it's not as simple as you might think, and you need to keep looking
(just as you must do if you're walking in the rainforest!)

***

Question #2:

There is a breed of chicken that has made an unusual adaptation to life in
the Amazon Rainforest. What is the breed of that chicken and what is its
adaptation?

You are invited to send original student answers to: ebend@netlabs.net
Please include the words CHALLENGE QUESTION in the subject line of your

email. I will announce the classes that submit correct answers next week.

Answers are due by Wednesday, April 1 at 10:00 pm EST.

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

THANKS TO ALL

From: Gianfranco Martinis
Subject: THANKS TO ALL
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 18:48:42 GMT
Back to top

Hi to all,
I just wanted to say Thanks to all who sent me a message, I
really apreciate what you have done.
I am sure your help is going to help me a lot to get the
schoolarship.

For those who couldn't sent me the message (for any reason), they
are on time.

Ok, I think that I have alredy disturb you too much.

I remaind you that anything you could need from me or Argentina,
no doubt in contact me.

Best wishes fromn Salta, Argentina

*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/_/ _/_/
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Gianfranco Martinis
_/ _/ _/_/ _/ E-Mail: cpces04@salnet.com.ar
_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ Home Address: 220 Los Ceibos Street
_/ _/ _/ _/ 4400 - Salta - Argentina
_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/

*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: "THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 1998 18:29:31 -0500
Back to top

Welcome to "THIS WEEK" IN "LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST"!!!

***CONGRATULATIONS MARILYN WALL***

Marilyn Wall, one of our PTK Advocates, has won the CESI/CIBA Exemplary
Elementary Teacher Award for 1998. She will receive her award from Bill Nye
at a luncheon during this year's NSTA Convention in Las Vegas.

In Marilyn's message to project director, Geoff Haines-Stiles, she stated,
"And to whom do I owe this honor... to none but PTK. As I have said so many
times before, it has truly changed the way I view science and the way I
teach. So many of the activities I wrote about involved PTK and its 'Live
from....'"

***

This past week I started using the activities from the Teacher's Guide with
my students. After completing our "KWL" charts we worked on the Rivers,
Maps and Math Activity, which is one of the online lesson plans at the LFRF
web site. I highly recommend that you do this activity with your students
as one of the opening activities. It is not only a great geography lesson,
but when the students watch the live broadcasts and send messages to the
scientists they will be able to picture where the scientists are located.

After we completed Rivers, Maps and Math we began our research for "A Day
in the Life". Each of the students had to choose a different animal or
plant from the rainforest. We spent two days using CD-ROMs, encyclopedias,
online resources and the LFRF web site. At times some of the students had
to change their organism because it was difficult to find enough
information. We had to give up our idea of having everyone use the same
organism for the food web game because most of the students wanted to be
animals. A Day in the Life of a plant wasn't quite as exciting. I will post
some of the urls we found to be helpful this week and I encourage others to
do the same. I still plan to have them use the search engines to find their
information, but with only one computer in the classroom and twenty-seven
students this isn't always feasible.

***

Backyard Biodiversity Survey: The Debate is in Full Swing

The consensus development section of the debate is now underway with data
collection due to begin April 7. (We suddenly have summer temperatures in
New Jersey and my students can't wait to get outside and collect their
data!) Right now, students and teachers are deciding exactly how much area
to study, how often, how to tabulate results (Do you say 1 square foot of
grass or 935 blades of grass???), and how to study the exact same area two
weeks later if you can't mark it?

If you haven't signed your class up yet, it's not too late! The debate-lfrf
archives are now online in the INTERACT section under Collaborative
Activities or e-mail Susan Hurstcalderone or Eileen
Bendixsen and we will happily fill you in on what has
been happening. While you are at the website you will also want to sign up
for the "debate-lfrf" mail list.

***Come Join Us***

***

We are one week away from the first LIVE broadcast. Last week we announced
that we would have a panel of scientists available for each broadcast to

answer students' questions. Get those questions ready! For tips on how to
ask good questions visit the INTERACT section of our web site and go to
Researcher Q & A. I will be sending a separate message to let you know
about the start of the Researcher Q & A in the next day or two.

Welcome to Anne Marshall who posted her introduction this week. The
collaborative activity has begun, the Teacher's Guides and MultiMedia Kits
are on their way, the first live broadcast, Researcher Q& A, and web chats
are around the corner. It is time to grab your passports as we travel to
one of the most exciting and diverse places on earth where we will INTERACT
with Real Scientists in Real Time LIVE FROM THE RAINFOREST!!!

Have a great week!

Eileen Bendixsen
Moderator, DISCUSS-LFRF
For more information about PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, see:
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov

URLs

From: Eileen Bendixsen
Subject: URLs
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 1998 22:20:59 -0500
Back to top

Dear Discuss-lfrf Members,

These are the urls I promised.

Eileen

Spider Monkey
http://www.hensonrobinsonzoo.org/k001.html
http://www.sazoo-aq.org/spidmonk.htm

Two-toed Sloth
http://www.sazoo-aq.org/sloth.htm
http://www.hensonrobinsonzoo.org/a001.html
http://www.oit.itd.umich.edu/bio/doc.cgi/Chordata/Mammalia/Xenarthra/Megalon
ychidae/Choloepus_hoffmanni.ftl

Three-toed Sloth
http://www.oit.itd.umich.edu/bio/doc.cgi/Chordata/Mammalia/Xenarthra/Bradypo
didae/Bradypus_tridactylus.ftl

Blue Poison Frog
http://www.hensonrobinsonzoo.org/a002.html

Capuchin Monkey
http://oakview.fcps.edu/~smith/research/capuchin.html

Capybara
http://www.birminghamzoo.com/ao/mammal/capybara.htm

Collared Anteater
http://www.oit.itd.umich.edu/bio/doc.cgi/Chordata/Mammalia/Xenarthra/Myrmeco
phagidae/Tamandua_tetradactyla.ftl

Mammals
http://euro.webtravel.org/cr/moon/mammals.html

Spring has come!

From: syu@mqg.biglobe.ne.jp
Subject: Spring has come!
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 1998 23:03:38 +0900
Back to top

Dear All,

I live in Ashiya city (N34 43 E135 20) Here is between Osaka and Kobe.

Cherry blossoms have begun to appear here and there. This winter was a
mild winter. Cherry blossoms is a symbol of spring in Japan. You can
see Japanese cherry blossoms at my homepage.
http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~syuLove/

Although spring is wonderful, the allergies here are bad, (the hay
feaver seem to sit right in our area) I see some people wearing the
surgical masks around, they must be extremely sensitive to it. ATCHOO!

Today I saw Bees are buzzing. We say neither cold nor heat lasts
beyond equinox. What is your season like?

Bye from Japan
Syu

syu@mqg.biglobe.ne.jp

LFRF Backyard Biodiversity Survey Sign Up From

From: "Eileen Bendixsen"
Subject: LFRF Backyard Biodiversity Survey Sign Up From
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 05:51:54 PST
Back to top

Dear members of the LFRF Discuss and Debate Lists:

The online collaborative activity for this Passport to Knowledge module
is about to begin. Actually, teachers and their students have been
discussing the best ways to carry out the surveys for several weeks.
Now is the time to begin registering your class and undertaking the
actual surveys. Please fill in the following form and email it to:
surveys@mail.edc.org -- this will register your class(es) for the
project and it will help us fine tune future collaborative activities.
Also note that even if you decide not to have your students participate
in the field work phase, you can still participate by using the
accumulated data from other classes to join in on the challenge phase

where the data will be analyzed by students to answer questions and draw
inferences.

=================================================================
Send responses to surveys@mail.edc.org

I plan to participate: Yes___ Not sure yet____ No_____

IF YES, then please complete this short participant profile:

Teacher Name:
School Name:
Grade Level(s):
Number of classes who will be participating:
Total number of students:

If NO or NOT SURE, skip filling in the profile and
please take a moment to check of one or more reasons.

No or Not Sure: for the following reason(s)

___ Not working with students
___ Not appropriate for my age level
___ Not appropriate to the curriculum we are using
___ Not time enough to fit into our spring schedule
___ Not interested in participating in a collaborative
activity at this time
___ Unsure of what is expected or how much time it might take
___ Logistical problems taking students outside
___ Notice of the activity and its steps has come too late
for this semester

Thanks for your help. Remember that even if your class does not
participate in the data collection, you can still use the accumulated
data from the participating classes to join in the final stage of the
activity.

More information about the Biodiversity Backyard Survey and an archive
of all of the messages from the Debate mailing list leading up to the
survey launch can be found on the Live from the Rainforest web site
http://passport.ivv.nasa.gov/rainforest

==============================================================

Robert Spielvogel
Center for Children and Technology
Education Development Center

______________________________________________________
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