“People of the Forest”

For many people around the world the forest is home. They live under the green canopy of the trees and rely upon the bounty it provides to clothe, shelter and feed them. Whether you live in the forest, near the forest, or many miles away, we all rely upon the forest for the raw materials we use every day in our lives. How do you depend upon the forest? What items do you use that come from the forest? What other value does the forest provide other than goods? To explore these and other questions use Project Learning Tree’s “People of the Forest”. Learn about forests, the people that call it home, and the products that come from it!

Young Child Extension
Explore forests! Bring in pictures of indigenous people that live in forests, such as the Mbuti of Africa, or the Pesch of Latin America. Discuss how these people may live differently than we do but that we all rely upon the forest for many things. Have examples of products from forest to explore at center time. Read stories about people and forests. Who else uses the forest? Do animals need forests too?

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Crandell, R. 2009. Hands of the Rain Forest: The Embera People of Panama. Henry Holt and Co.
Dundy, M.R., and K. Richardson. 2010. Forests For All. MDCT Publishing.
DK Publishing. 2004. Forest. DK Publishing, Inc.
Fonte, I. 2007. Animals of the Forest. Barnes & Noble Books.
Fowler, A. 1999. Our Living Forests. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Gibbons, G. 1997. Nature's Green Umbrella : Tropical Rain Forests. New York: Harper Trophy.
Jeunesse, G. 2003. In The Forest. Scholastic, Inc.
Lindeen, C.K. 2003. Life in a Forest. Capstone Press.
McGehee, C. 2006. A Woodland Counting Book. University of Iowa Press.
Pyers, G. 2004. Forest Explorer. Raintree Publishers.
Rutten, J. 1998. Forests. Child's World, Incorporated.
Stone, L.M. 2004. Forests. Rourke Publishing, LLC.

Grades 3-5
Dundy, M.R., and K. Richardson. 2010. Forests For All. MDCT Publishing.
DK Publishing. 2004. Forest. DK Publishing, Inc.
Fonte, I. 2007. Animals of the Forest. Barnes & Noble Books.
Fowler, A. 1999. Our Living Forests. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Ganeri, A. 2003. Forests. World Almanac Books.
Gibbons, G. 1997. Nature's Green Umbrella : Tropical Rain Forests. New York: Harper Trophy.
Jeunesse, G. 2003. In The Forest. Scholastic, Inc.
Lindeen, C.K. 2003. Life in a Forest. Capstone Press.
Marvis, B. 1995. Plants of the Forest. Chelsea House Publishers.
McGehee, C. 2006. A Woodland Counting Book. University of Iowa Press.
Owens, C. 1998. Deforestation. Child's World, Incorporated.
Paul, T. 1997. In Woods and Forests. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Pyers, G. 2004. Forest Explorer. Raintree Publishers.
Rutten, J. 1998. Forests. Child's World, Incorporated.
Stone, L.M. 2004. Forests. Rourke Publishing, LLC.
Woods, M. 1999. People of the Rain Forest. ABDO Publishing Company.

Grades 6-8
DK Publishing. 2004. Forest. DK Publishing, Inc.
Lucas, E. 1994. The Ojibwas: People of the Northern Forests. Lerner Publishing Group.
Martin, P.A. 2000. Woods and Forests. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Parker, J. 2002. Disappearing Forests. Weigl Publishers.
Woods, M. 1999. People of the Rain Forest. ABDO Publishing Company.

Grades 9-12
Heinrich, B. 1998. The Trees in My Forest. HarperCollins Publishers.
Lucas, E. 1994. The Ojibwas: People of the Northern Forests. Lerner Publishing Group.
Rae, A. 2010. Trees and Timber Products. Black Rabbit Books.
Siy, A. 1993. The Waorani: People of the Ecuadoran Rain Forest. Silver Burdett Press.

Links
An Introduction to North America’s Native People: Northeast Woodlands Culture Area
http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/noamer_newoodlands.html

People of the Forest
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp/elephant/PDFs/pygmybg.pdf

People of the Rainforest
http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/people.html

Baka People
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baka_people_(Cameroon_and_Gabon)

Pygmy Peoples
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_peoples

People of the Amazon Rainforest: The Yanomami
http://library.thinkquest.org/27507/people.htm

Forest Products
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_product

Non-timber Forest Products
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-timber_forest_products

Forest Habitat
http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/noamer_newoodlands.html