1. Founders of the Children’s Rain Forest Unit 1: Cooperation and Competition By: Katrina Feickert Charles Mack Elementary, EGUSD

2. Vocabulary Equator biologist enthusiastic preserve optimistic

3. Equator (context clues) The imaginary line that circles the Earth’s center Although you can not see it, the equator cuts through South America and Africa. It all began in the first week of school when Eha Kern, from the Fagervik School, in the Swedish countryside, showed her forty first- and second-grade students pictures of hot, steamy jungles near the equator.

4. biologist (context clues, word structure) A person who studies plant and animal life specific to certain environments The biologist studied plant and animal life. But then, the very weekend after Roland’s idea, she was introduced to an American biologist named Sharon Kinsmen.

5. enthusiastic (context clues) Filled with excitement She was just as enthusiastic as the students The enthusiastic woman jumped up and cheered when her name was chosen.

6. preserve (context clues) To protect and maintain My father preserves old photographs. He protects them from harmful light and stores them safely. So far, kids from twenty-one nations have raised more than 2 million dollars to preserve nearly 33,000 acres of rain forest.

7. optimistic (context clues) Having a positive outlook They make me feel optimistic. When I am with them, I think maybe anything can be done. Even when there were problems, she was optimistic. She always saw the bright side of things.