Introduction:

Forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. Approximately 200.000 square kilometer (larger than England, Wales and Northern Ireland combined) of forests are depleted each year. By now approximately half of forest once occupied the earth’s surface has been disappeared. How do you feel about this issue?

TASK:

In this web quest activity you will work in groups of five. Assume that you are 5 different animals, which are bird, lion, fish, cat, and earthworm .You are living in a large forest, which is a part of an ecosystem and the forest is disappearing by hand of human. As animals to avoid this problem what can you suggest to human as alternative ways so that you will live happily in your forest.

The Process:

STEP 1: Brainstorm your problems that you faced with during the deforestation.

STEP 2: Research, read and analyze the information by visiting the web sites that are provided for you in the previous page.

STEP 3: Answer the following questions.

1. How do you (as animals) feel now when the trees have been cut down?
2. What will happen to you after deforestation?
3. How do you feel (as animals) , when you see a human who is bigger and stronger than you come to chop down your tree?
4. Think of some examples in our community where our ecosystem may be in danger (i.e. pollution, littering, car exhaust).
5. List the relationships between different members of the ecosystem and state what will happen when this relationship is disturbed by external factors like deforestation.

STEP 4: At the end of this activity you are going to give a group presentation under this heading by role-play. In your role-play you are going to demonstrate your feelings and the situation you are in as animals after deforestation. Your presentation has to include the answers of questions that are given above.

http://www.chem.wm.edu/chemWWW/courses/chem105/ projects/group1/page7.html - 2k	Side Effects of Deforestation
Library.thinkquest.org/C0110400/usr/www/tqteams/ tqic/2001/C0110400/4cs%20folder/Fossil.html - 8k	Deforestation
http://www.academicpress.com/inscight/07291998/ecosyst3.htm	Ecosystem
http://www.aquapulse.net/knowledge/deforestation.html	Causes of Deforestation
http://www.globalforestwatch.org/english/index.htm	Current Information About Forests
http://www.ciesin.org	Information about Deforestation
http://www.geocities.com/lucilite/Deforestation.html	Effects of Deforestation on Environment, Ways of Reducing Deforestation.
http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research.envmind/CPHumanBens.html	Benefits of Trees and Plants to Human

Evaluation:

You are going to be evaluated according to the following criteria table.

TASK	AVAILABLE SCORE	RECEIVED SCORE
Researching and Gathering Information	5 Points
Participation in Group Work	3 Points
Explanations With Reasons Given to Questions	6 Points
Well Organized, Presented Good Use of English	2 Points
Presentation (Role Play)	4 Points
TOTAL	20 Points

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Could you suggest any alternative sources for humans so that they won’t cut and burn forests anymore?