What's That Smell?!!

What Is This Video?

Frogs that fly, insects that look like sticks, flowers in every color of the rainbow—the tropical rainforest is bursting with life in every shade, shape, and...smell! Join Cooper, Gabi, and Oliver as they sniff their way through the diversity in the rainforest.

Conversation Starters

Ask:
  • What are some reasons why flowers make scents?
  • How might you use smells to help you identify something?
  • What are some of the scents you associate with different places, such as your kitchen, your backyard, or the school cafeteria?
  • Do any scents evoke memories for you?

Explore Some More

Scent Safari

Grab your field notebook and go on a scent safari: take a walk through your neighborhood documenting the scents you notice. Has anyone recently mowed a lawn? Have the leaves started to fall? Smell the flowers you walk past and describe their scent. Are they sweet? Fruity? Pungent? Leaves and other plant parts sometimes have characteristic scents. You might rub a leaf between your fingers to release some of its scent. Pine trees and other conifers also have strongly scented needles. Keep track of which trees have scented leaves. Can you think of a reason why leaves might have scent?