1. Balwyn High School Year 7 Geography. Rainforests Issues task

2. Why should we care? Every second, an area of rainforest the size of 2 football fields is lost forever. Rainforest destruction causes the extinction of 50,000 species per year, 17 every second. Logging is a major cause of rainforest destruction. Millions of native people have died due to the invasion of their rainforest homelands. Up to 90% of all animal and plant species live in the rainforest and nowhere else. Most medicines are derived from the rainforest. At the current rate of destruction, experts believe all rainforests will be gone by the year 2030.

3. While extinction is a natural process, the alarming rate of extinction today, comparable only to the extinction of the dinosaurs, is specifically human-induced and unprecedented. While you were reading those statistics, approximately 150 acres of rainforest were destroyed. Within the next hour approximately six species will become extinct.

4. Your Task. In groups of 4, you are to develop a Tropical Rainforests Issues newsletter. The newsletter will outline rainforest issues around the world and the effects rainforest depletion has on places and people.

5. Your Task. You will be required to: conduct individual research on the topics of your choice. collate your research to develop the newsletter to share the issues with the class.

6. Within your group: You will need to decide the roles of group members and who will be responsible for researching particular topics. Each group member will be expected to complete: At least one research article; and At least one other newsletter item relevant to the topic of rainforests

7. The 4 research tasks are:  a rainforest issue on a national scale (in Australia)  a rainforest issue on a global scale (in another country or effecting more than one country)  effects of rainforest removal on the environment  effects of rainforest removal on people

8. Expectations Work to your best ability Research using at least 3 different reference Be prepared to try new things Be creative Work as a team – help each other out

9. Assessment You will be assessed on: Your written articles/items Your use of Microsoft Publisher (and other technologies) Your group work You will be assessed by: Class members Ms Heath

10. © State of Victoria 2003 This work has been created by the teacher/s listed below as employees of the Department of Education and Training, Victoria and copyright is owned by the Crown in right of the State of Victoria. It may be reproduced in whole or in part for study or training purposes, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgment of the source and no commercial usage or sale. Reproduction for the purposes other than those indicated above requires the written permission of the Department of Education and Training. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and copyright should be addressed to the Liability Management Manager, Department of Education and Training, 2 Treasury Place, Melbourne, VIC, 3002 The State of Victoria accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any part of this material and bears no responsibility for any modifications made. List of teachers name and materials produced – S. Heath - ‘Tropical Rainforests of the World’ Unit Plan & Publication task.