Rainforests
Hornsby Shire Library & Information Service
Linking Lives to Learning and Leisure
Preparing for your assignment – Questions to ask
When is the assignment due?
How long does your assignment need to be?
How many different ways can you present the assignment?
For example, are you designing a poster, making a model, or preparing a report?
Where are the world’s rainforests?
Are you looking for information on Australian rainforests or do you need information on other parts of the world?
What information do you need?
Follow the questions on your assignment sheet. For example, are you looking for information on rainforests in general, or are you looking for information on particular types of rainforests, such as tropical or temperate rainforests? Do you need information on animals (fauna), plants (flora), threats to the rainforest, or human uses of the rainforests?
Do you need pictures or diagrams?
How much material can you use from the Internet?
Search the websites and other online resources listed below.
Ebooks and Searchable Online Information
To use the Library’s specially chosen online ebooks and information:- Go to the Library Homepage
- Click on Online Resources from Home or Online Resources @ the Library
- If working from home, enter your library card and PIN.
- If you do not know your PIN, contact Hornsby Library on (02)9847 6614
- Click on a subject from the subject list. To search for rainforests, click on Environment, Geography, Newspapers & Journals, Science, and Society & Culture
- Click on the title you want to search
WebFeat Search Engine
To search all our online information at once:
- Go to Library Homepage
- Click on Online Resources from Home or Online Resources @ the Library
- If working from home, enter your library card number and your PIN.
- If you do not know your PIN, contact Hornsby Library on (02)9847 6614
- Click on WebFeat Search Engine
- Key in a keyword or a phrase – for example, rainforests
- You can key in more terms in the other search boxes -- for example, key in rainforest in the first search box and animals or amazon in the second search box
- Tick the box labelled Full-text articles only
- Tick the boxes next to the subjects Current Events & Issues, Environment, Geography, Newspapers & Journals, and Science & Nature
- Click on Search, and wait until the search is complete
- In the Results display mode box, choose Clustered and click on the terms you want to search
- Click on View to see the article
Websites
Rainforest LinksThis Australian site contains a list of links to other websites on different aspects of rainforests, such as location, rainforest strata, animals, plants, people who live in rainforests, destruction and saving of rainforests. The site is intended for teachers and compiled by teachers, but is also suitable for students.
Where are the rainforests?
This is the place to look for a map of where the world’s rainforests are located. The site also contains short paragraphs about the features of each rainforest area. This webpage also has links to aspects of rainforest life such as plants, animals, people and preservation. The linked pages contain colour photos and text.
Zoom Rainforests
This site provides a simple introduction to rainforests, their location and features. The site also contains separate articles on different birds and animals found in rainforests in different world regions. The website is particularly useful to younger students as it has been produced using a colourful, easy to read format.
Rainforest Information
Contains links to information on rainforests of the world, and the problems caused by human interaction. Includes pages for kids. Covers news and events, environmental issues, solutions and resources, and gives details of action you can take to protect the environment.
Using the online Library Catalogue
- Go to the Library Homepage
- Click on Library Catalogue
- For general information about rainforests, click on Subject Exact and key in rain forests, or rain forests Australia in the Search box. You must key in rain forests in two words to find the information you need.
- For specific information on topics such as the Amazon River, click on Subject Keyword and key in Amazon in the Search box
- To go to the next page of subjects, click on the symbol at the end of the subject list
Searching the Library Shelves
You can search for these shelf numbers in:
- the DVD collection
- the reference collection
- the junior lending collection
- the adult lending collection – including the magazines
| Subject | Shelf Number |
| Forests | 333.75 |
| Forest ecology | 577.3 |
| Rainforest biology | 578.734 |
| Rare and endangered animals | 591.68 |
| Physical geography | 910.091 |
Need more help? Ask at the Information Desk, and remember to bring your assignment sheet with you.
