For those of you who are studying the rain forest, be sure to check out the new site Canopy in the Clouds, Dosel en las nubes. It is a fabulous resource for students and allows them to explore a tropical montane cloud forest at their own pace. It is an enriching supplement to any science curriculum. The goals of the project are to:
- Promote conservation through educational media delivered in an innovative and engaging manner.
- Inspire young scientists by sharing our passion and excitement for carrying out science.
- Engage people in the beauty, biodiversity, and importance of tropical montane cloud forests from the perspective of the forest canopy.
We have really enjoyed going through the site. There are several components to it. First, you can click on the "Explore" section and select the area of the forest that you'd like to explore on your own, such as "light gaps," "mid elevation forest," "high elevation forest," etc. It will take you to an interactive panoramic page that you can navigate with a simple movement of your mouse. Once there, you can also click on a numbered area and watch an informative video clip, or read a short article about a specific theme.
You can also select the "Learn" option and learn about the cloud forest or the canopy. Teachers and parents will really love the "Teach" section, where you can download free lesson plans on a variety of themes.
And last, there is the "Media" section that a large storehouse of additional panoramas, photos, and videos with accompanying text available for educational use.
The best part? This site is currently developing a Spanish version, with the help of Centro CientÃfico Tropical. I hope you all enjoy this excellent site!