A group of 11-year-olds at Albany Avenue showed an impressive amount of knowledge about the world's most mysterious type of ecosystem this week, when they gave a special public presentation on the rainforests. Their showcase simulated the rainforest expedition known as JASON X.

The entire sixth grade wing of the school, which is located in North Massapequa and is part of the Farmingdale School District, was transformed into an Amazon rainforest on Tuesday, March 30, as parents, administrators and elected officials explored the students' work.

The 125 students displayed several different interactive research projects in four rooms. One room focused on rainforest animals, another on insects, reptiles and amphibians, and a third on Amazon tribes. Yet another area showed students' research on the technology involved in JASON X, including an interactive simulated telecast of their rainforest discoveries.

JASON X is an international project founded by Dr. Robert Ballard, the famed scientist who discovered the wreckage of the Titanic. It is designed to motivate students about science and technology by involving them in interactive projects, such as the simulation that Albany Avenue did on the rainforest expedition. Each year, JASON takes a team of specialists to a remote site where new scientific discoveries are being made. This year, the project will explore the fossil rainforest in Castle Rock, the Peruvian rainforest, and the temperate rainforest of the Hoh River Valley in the Pacific Northwest. Albany Avenue's participation in JASON is funded by a federal grant program operated by Nassau BOCES.

Caroline Constantino, a science teacher who coordinates the JASON project at Albany Avenue, said it plays a much-needed role in engaging students in science and technology as the new millennium approaches. "Dr. Ballard is a wonderful role model to these kids," she said. "There should be a lot more districts getting on board with JASON."

Dr. Robert Schultz, assistant superintendent of curriculum for Farmingdale Schools, said the program is important to the district because it brings science to life for the students. "We'll continue it as long as the project exists," he said, as he walked through the rainforest canopy connecting the exhibits Tuesday. "We'll always try to find the funds for it, because as you can see, this has just brought science and the rainforest to life, which is so important to our ecological system, and to our environment."

Students were noticeably excited about their projects.

"We learned a lot of interesting things. We learned what kind of animals live in the rainforest, how much rain they get every year. They get a lot of rain every year," said Nick Principato.

Patrick Prendergast expressed concern about the destruction of the tropical, temperate jungles. "There are people chopping down trees. The trees in the rainforest are two miles apart. That's why if you chop them down, there will be hardly any trees in the rainforest." he said, adding, "There are a lot of medicines in the rainforest. There could be medicine to treat AIDS, and if we chop them down, we could miss out."

And, parents were impressed.

"It's a great way for the kids to learn. It's not the traditional books," said Denise Gibilaro. "It broadened their horizons."

Elyse Levine added, "I think it made them use a lot of different ways to learn."