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Parrots Over Puerto Rico
Last updated Friday, April 5, 2019
Author: Cindy Trumbore
Date of Publication:
ISBN: 1620140047
Grade Level: 3rd (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Apr. 2019
Synopsis:
Above the treetops of Puerto Rico flies a flock of parrots as green as their island home. . . . These are Puerto Rican parrots. They lived on this island for millions of years, and then they nearly vanished from the earth forever. Puerto Rican parrots, once abundant, came perilously close to extinction in the 1960s due to centuries of foreign exploration and occupation, development, and habitat destruction. In this compelling book, Roth and Trumbore recount the efforts of the scientists of the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program to save the parrots and ensure their future. Woven into the parrots story is a brief history of Puerto Rico itself, from before the first human settlers to the present day. With striking collage illustrations, a unique format, and engaging storytelling, Parrots Over Puerto Rico invites readers to witness the amazing recovery efforts that have enabled Puerto Rican parrots to fly over their island once again."
| Note to readers: |
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If there is a map or globe in the room, find Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean.
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Write the number 100,000 on the board or piece of paper, so the kids can see how big this number is.
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Do a picture walk through the book before you read.
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Have you ever seen a parrot? In the wild or a pet?
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What do you know about parrots? What are they most well-known for?
Vocabulary
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Caribbean sea - an almost landlocked sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, bounded by the Caribbean islands, Central America, and the N coast of South America. Caribbean Sea. Arm of the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by the West Indies to the north and east, South America to the south, and Central America to the west.
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Atlantic Ocean - the world's second largest ocean, bounded in the north by the Arctic, in the south by the Antarctic, in the west by North and South America, and in the east by Europe and Africa
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Puerto Rico - Spanish, literally "rich harbor;" Caribbean island, name given in 1493 by Christopher Columbus to the large bay on the north side of the island; he called the island itself San Juan. Over time the name of the bay became the name of the island and the name of the island was taken by the town that grew up at the bay.
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hurricane - a severe tropical cyclone originating in the equatorial regions of the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea or eastern regions of the Pacific Ocean, traveling north, northwest, or northeast from its point of origin, and usually involving heavy rains.
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predator - any animal that lives by preying on other animals
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prey - an animal hunted or caught for food
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aviary - a place where birds are kept, such as a building at the zoo or a bird sanctuary
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endangered species - a species whose numbers are so small that the species is at risk of extinction (disappearing from the world)
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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What are some of the predators that prey on the parrots?
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What kind of other things have caused the parrots to disappear? (for example, weather, man's crops, buildings, wars)
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Do you know of other animals that are considered endangered species?
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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