Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

This page has resources for general information about plants and about the rain forest!


Plant. (2016). In World Book Discovery Encyclopedia. (Vol.9 PQR, pp. 182-187 ). Chicago, IL: World Book, Inc.

This encyclopedia entry describes how a plant grows, from seed to adult. It gives basic information to young learners, such as where plants may grow, plant parts, and the plant life cycle. There is information about photosynthesis and what plants need to live. There are also a few interesting facts listed. For example, sequoia trees are one of the largest living things on Earth. Also listed are some reasons why plants are important and how they are dangerous. This resource is helpful as it is easy to read and there are diagrams of plant parts, making it easy for the reader to visualize. At the end of the entry, other articles are recommended for additional reading about specific plants. However, the recommended readings are not about rain forest plants. The drawback to this encyclopedia is that there is no entry for rain forests, just for plants in general. (Book)


Rain forest. (2010). In American Heritage Children's Science Dictionary. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

This is a short entry giving a definition of a rain forest. On the same page as the definition there is a “Did You Know?” box describing the Amazon River Basin. The definition is a brief, three sentence explanation of a tropical rain forest. The “Did You Know?” box discusses how the Amazon River Basin is the largest rain forest in the world. There is basic information such as how the rain forest contains plants, animals, insects, and other organisms. The paragraph also discusses how both animals and trees in the Amazon rain forest are suffering due to deforestation. This paragraph is perfect as an introduction to the Amazon River Basin rain forest and is appropriate for third grade readers. (Book)



Rain forest (2011). In Student Discovery Science Encyclopedia. (Vol. 9 PQR, pp. 155-157). Chicago, IL: World Book, Inc.

This encyclopedia entry is written in a kid friendly way so that students can understand what a rain forest is and what can be found there. New vocabulary words, such as tropical or equator, are defined within the text so that students do not need to look them up in a glossary. Some new vocabulary words are sounded out phonetically in parenthesis so that students know how to read and pronounce the words. Large photographs and maps depict plants in the rain forest and where rain forests can be found. Basic information about the layers of the rain forest are described as well as the animals that live within each level, or layer. There is also basic information concerning the people who live in the rain forest and why rain forests are important. At the end of the entry are suggested follow up readings within the encyclopedia. This is a good resource for struggling readers or those on grade level as an introduction to the rain forest. (Book)



Rain forest. (2016). In World Book. (Vol 16 Q-R, pp. 125a-126f). Chicago, IL: World Book, Inc.

In this encyclopedia entry, readers can learn about many different aspects of the rain forest. First, rain forest is defined. Then, one can learn about the difference between tropical and temperate rain forests. Other information described includes characteristics of the rain forest, such as the climate, a brief description of plants, rain forests around the world, the history of rain forests, and the people of the rain forest. There are detailed photographs of waterfalls, animal and plant species, the land, and people of the rain forest. There is also a map detailing where rain forests are located in the world. One can learn a lot of general information from this encyclopedia entry but can also learn some specifics, such as information about the cacao tree or information about deforestation. This entry has a little bit of something for everyone.

http://www.worldcat.org/title/world-book-encyclopedia-2016/oclc/961031598&referer=brief_results


Venus flytrap facts. (2018). Kids Encyclopedia Facts. Retrieved from https://kids.kiddle.co/Venus_flytrap.

This is a kid friendly encyclopedia entry for the Venus Flytrap. The web page gives a brief introduction to the plant, and then teaches about the appearance, nutrition, and growth. One feature of this website is that rather than having a glossary, possible new vocabulary words are highlighted in blue. A student can click on the blue word and be brought to a new page which gives the definition, examples, and photographs of the term. Some of the related terms for this entry include carnivorous, nitrogen, trigger, and digest. There is also a short Table of Contents describing what information is taught on the page. There are close-up photographs to help visual learners understand and visualize what the text describes. On the right side of the web page is the plant's conservation status and scientific classification information. There is also a quick video clip showing how the Venus Flytrap catches insects. (Website)

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