![](media/image1.png){width="1.25in" height="1.1430555555555555in"}JASON
XV City Educational Event

# List of Activities

## As of 12/18/03

The overall goal of the event is to provide an engaging and educational
environment that supports the JASON XV, *Rainforest at the Crossroads*
curriculum and reinforces the JASON Foundation for Education and NASA
partnership. In designing activities and recruiting City sponsors,
emphasis is placed on partnering with local non-profit (NP) and
educational organizations.

It is estimated that over 11,000 JASON students and adults will visit
JASON City during January 26-30 and February 2-6, 2004.

1.  **Design a Mola**-Sponsor: Ames Education. **Manager: Leslie
    Flowers**- Molas are beautiful and interesting cloth creations of
    the San Blas Kuna women of Panama. Designs vary from geometric to
    birds, village scenes, animals, or symbols depicting cultural or
    religious themes. Sewn by hand, the complicated stitching requires
    hours of hard work. Our students will make their own molas from
    colored construction paper.

2.  **NASA Satellite Puzzles**: Main Sponsor: Ames Education;
    Assistance: Science Applications International Corp, **Mike
    Fitzgerald**-Students will study the wide spread prevalence of
    tropical deforestation using large 4 X 6 foot puzzles made from
    satellite photos of Costa Rica.

3.  **Rainforest *Insect Discovery Lab***: Sponsor: Center for Ecosystem
    Survival, San Francisco (NP), **Contact: Norman Gershenz**- seeks to
    instill a sense of awareness, wonder and appreciation of insects,
    rainforest biodiversity, and its importance to us. In addition, the
    goal is to inspire changes in people\'s day-to-day attitudes and
    activities, encouraging them to take actions to protect the natural
    world. Partial Insect List:

# Whip Scorpion

# Hissing Cockroach

# Walking Sticks

# Horse Lubber Grasshoppers

-   Darkling Beetles

4.  ***Spirit of the Rainforest***: Sponsor: WildLIFE Associates, Half
    Moon Bay (NP), **Contact: Steve Carlin**- Students will see unusual
    and awe-inspiring animals, hear the mysterious sounds of the living
    forest and, on a projection screen, view close-ups of rainforest
    habitats and the diverse native peoples who inhabit them. We create
    a positive look at the tropical rainforest and its plants, wildlife
    and people. This program is a powerful multicultural learning
    experience. Animal List (rotated on daily basis):

# Red Footed Tortoise

# Tarantula

# Burmese Python

# Binturong

# Prehensile-Tailed Skink

# Turkey Vulture

# Squirrel Monkey

-   Kinkajou

## Two-toed Sloth

-   Alligator

5.  **Rainforest and California Bats**: Sponsors: Oakland Museum,
    Oakland and California Bat Conservation Fund, San Francisco (both
    NP)- Students will learn about the 15 different bat species found in
    California and compare them to the hundreds of species found in
    Panama. They will find out which species are endangered and why and
    listen to the incredible sounds of bats and learn what they mean.
    Participants will also discover what they can do to help bats
    survive.

6.  **Amazon Trail**: Sponsor: Apple Computer, Contact: Don
    Zundel-Curriculum Development: **Mike Weir**: Using Amazon Trail 3
    software on iMac computers, student will take a virtual expedition
    to the rainforests of Brazil, learning about the plants and animals
    as they go.

7.  **EnvironScape**: Sponsor: Santa Clara Valley Water District, San
    Jose; **Contact: Kathy Machado**- A hands-on 3D experiment with a
    watershed model that includes information on watersheds, flood
    plains, run-off, flood control measures and types of soils.

8.  **Rainforest Wildlife Art**: Sponsor: Santa Clara Valley Water
    District, San Jose; **Contact: Kathy Machado** -Another art/craft
    activity with large plant and animal stamps and water based paint
    where young people make pictures of live in a rainforest. All paints
    used are manufactured by Palmer Paints, Inc- and conform to ASTM
    D-4236

9.  **Study of Fresh Water Samples**: Sponsor: Marine Science Institute,
    Redwood City (NP)-**Contact: Dennis Rogers**-Students will look for
    life from water samples taken from local streams and rivers. Also,
    data collection and analysis activities that utilize (JASON
    Foundation partner) Texas Instruments hand held technology will be
    demonstrated; TI 73 Explorer graphing calculator and a Computer
    Based Laboratory.

10. **Study of S.F. Bay Mud**: Sponsor: Marine Science Institute,
    Redwood City (NP)- **Contact: Dennis Rogers**-Daily samples of bay
    mud will be studied by students looking for animal life. This is
    similar to what would be found along the banks of the Panama Canal.

11. **Observation of Rainforest Biological Artifacts**: Sponsor: Happy
    Hallow Zoo, San Jose (NP); **Contact Shannon Noll** - Students will
    have an opportunity to observe biological artifacts (biofacts) from
    the rainforest up-close and hands-on and to fill out observation
    sheets about the biofacts.

12. **Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to Save the Rainforest**: Sponsor:
    Happy Hallow Zoo, San Jose (NP); **Contact Shannon Noll**- This
    activity centers on products we use every day that come from the
    rainforest (i.e. rubber, OJ, paper) and providing practical
    conservation ideas.

13. **Saving the Rainforest, A Cup at a Time**: Sponsors: TransFair USA,
    Oakland (NP); Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co.-; Contacts: Nathan
    Beers and Sarah Crosby-Baker. **Manager: Leslie Larson** -Adults
    will be given free shade grown coffee and information about why
    buying Fair Trade Certified ^TM^ organic coffee is good for the
    rainforest and the people who live and work there. Young people will
    be able to enter a daily drawing for a free canister of Fair Trade
    Hot Chocolate.

14. **Embera Body Decorating**, Sponsor: Ames Education-Replicating the
    natural dark purple fruit dye called Jagua used by the native Embera
    peoples of Panama with non-toxic paints. Students will have
    intricate lines painted on either their arms or faces in much the
    same fashion as the Embera. Embera photos by Tim May to be used with
    permission. All paints used are manufactured by Palmer Paints, Inc-
    and conform to ASTM D-4236

15. **Recycle Relay**: Sponsor: TBD-Students will learn how they can
    help save the rainforests and their local ecology by recycling
    household items (paper, plastic, glass, cans, etc). The Recycle
    Relay is a race in which not only speed is important but knowing
    what can and cannot be recycled. Prizes will be awarded to winning
    teams.

16. **Hibiscus Rings:** Sponsor: Ames Education, **Manager: Ann
    Trammel** (this activity will only be available on January 29) This
    craft activity allows students to make a colorful flower ring (hat)
    much like the ones made by the indigenous peoples of Panama. The
    Panamanian flower rings are usually made up of hibiscus flower, ours
    will be made from paper.

17. **NASA Remote Sensing**: Sponsor: SOFIA **Manager-Ed Alley**-IR
    camera-for auditorium only. Students will study the various levels
    of heat emitted from fish, plants, rocks, people, furniture, etc.
    using a portable infrared camera.

18. **Earth Balloon**: Sponsor: San Jose Beautiful (NP); **Contact: Russ
    Louthian-**The Earth Balloon is an inflatable 19-foot portable
    classroom. It is constructed of lightweight nylon and imprinted
    inside and out with a collage of over 5,000 NASA satellite photos
    covering all of the earth's surface area. Geography and the Panama
    Isthmus will be discussed during each 7 minute program from within
    the balloon.