The jaguars, manatees, howler monkeys and loggerhead turtles that inhabit the mystical Maya forests of Belize are sure to captivate your first grade class. Belize's tropical rainforests are home to more than 220 tree species and 350 species of birds, with a great diversity of rare and endangered plants, birds, insects and animals, including five species of wild cats.

After exploring their own environment using Rainforest Alliance lessons, students learn about Belize and compare the threats facing humans and animals in both environments. Have the students in your class draw pictures of people who help them feel safe in their neighborhood or play space.

Then introduce your students to the people who are trying to keep the rainforest safe. The Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment (TIDE), the Rainforest Alliance's Belize-based partner, has been conserving the Maya Mountain Marine Corridor, keeping it safe from development. Not only has the group designed a comprehensive community conservation plan for all one million acres of the Maya forest and coastal reserves, but TIDE has begun purchasing land, developing community education and awareness and encouraging ecotourism for the region.

After learning about Belize, why not help protect this country's beautiful ecosystems? Your class can support TIDE's work in Belize by holding a fundraiser and donating the money raised to Adopt-A-Rainforest.

Wil Maheia, Executive Director of TIDE notes that "the support we get at TIDE from kids in the United States makes a world of difference in this global community. With their gifts, we are able to protect many species that would otherwise be endangered. Just a few weeks ago our rangers saw a jaguar swimming across the Rio Grande River in an area that is protected because of kids donating to the Adopt-A-Rainforest program. These children should feel special because it was their money that allowed us to patrol these rivers to keep our jaguars alive."

Explore our first grade unit to learn more about the different animals that inhabit the forest and coastal ecosystems of Belize.

Boink! Manny Manatee smacked his head.

"Watch where you're going, Manatee," Sea Turtle said. "You swam right into me."

"How can I watch where I'm going?" Manny complained. "I can't see a thing in this dirty water."

"Well maybe you should open your eyes, sea cow," Turtle snapped.

"What are you boys fighting about?" asked Grandma Dolphin, who had been swimming by.

"Manatee swam into me," Turtle complained.

"It was an accident," Manny said. "I didn't see him."

"I'm not surprised," said Grandma Dolphin. "I can hardly see my own flippers. Why is it so murky around here?"

"It's from the Deep River," said Sapper, swimming out of a cave in the reef. "That river gets dirtier every day."

"It's a disaster!" Stone Crab shouted from atop a rock. "The mud is killing the coral." Sea Turtle said, "Even the sea grass tastes mucky."

"Where is all the dirt coming from?" asked Grandma Dolphin.

Turtle looked at Crab, who looked at Snapper, who looked back at Crab. "It's a mystery," Crab said.

"Well, maybe someone should solve it," said Grandma Dolphin. "One of you boys should swim up that river and find out what the problem is."

Crab looked at Snapper, who looked at Turtle, who looked at Manny Manatee.

"I'll do it," said Manny.

"Good boy!" said Grandma Dolphin. "Come back and tell us what you find."

Help Manny solve the mystery! Read about Manny's adventure in the Deep River and find out what Manny discovers.

Read Manny Manatee and the Mystery of the Murky Water in Spanish and Portuguese.

Barbara Henderson, primary science teacher at Rafael De J. Cordero School in Jersey City, New Jersey has been using the first grade curricula with her students since September 2003. She says that her first graders love the animals found in the Belize rainforest. Their favorite story is Manny Manatee and the Mystery of the Murky Water.

"After reading the story we discuss each animal," says Henderson. "I use the Rainforest Alliance species profiles or the internet to give them some basic facts. Then I use the coloring pages and we try to make them as realistic as possible. We discuss whether the animals are threatened, endangered or on the verge of extinction. A few of the children are familiar with some of the animals. They've seen manatees in Florida, or parrots in Puerto Rico. They love to share their experiences. I made a special trip to see the manatees in Florida on my summer vacation and now I can share my experiences, pictures and souvenirs, too."

Henderson was so inspired that she organized a Rainforest Theme Day at her school. Students raised $1,300 to protect Belize's Maya Mountain Marine Corridor.

Check out the activities that the students of Rafael De J. Cordero School participated in during their Rainforest Theme Day.

Are you using our curriculum? Let us know! Thanks to Barbara Henderson's helpful comments, we added coloring pages to the free resources available through the Rainforest Alliance Learning Site. Send comments and anecdotes about how you have used Rainforest Alliance Learning Site lessons, stories and other materials in your classroom to education@ra.org.

Read what others are saying about the Rainforest Alliance Learning Site.

The Rainforest Alliance Learning Site was featured on the Education Weekly page of The Guardian as a "Critics' Choice."

A recent article in The Journal: Technology Horizons in K-12 Education highlighted the new Rainforest Alliance middle school curricula, which focus on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of banana production in Honduras.

Explore the many lessons, stories and other resources for K-8th grade on the Rainforest Alliance Learning Site.

The American Forest & Paper Association School Recycling Awards recognize schools that have successfully implemented a classroom or school-wide recycling program. Winners will be announced at the Recycling General Session at AF&PA's 129th Annual Paper Week. Awards include a monetary prize and framed original artwork.

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes honors young people who have helped others and our planet. Applicants must be between the ages of 8 and 18, legal residents of the USA or Canada and must be nominated by an adult who has knowledge of the service activity with which the student is involved and can provide a reference. Winners receive $2,000 to be applied to their higher education or to their service project. Deadline for applications is April 30th.

The United States Department of Education seeks nominations for the 2006 American Stars of Teaching program. Parents, students, colleagues, school administrators and others can nominate an exemplary teacher who they believe is improving student achievement, using innovative strategies in the classroom, and making a difference in the lives of his/her students. One teacher will be recognized from each state. Deadline for submitting a nomination is April 15th.

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© 2006 Rainforest Alliance