Ecuador Endures Massive Quake

WORLD This region, where the Pacific seafloor is shoving underneath South America, also produced the biggest earthquake ever recorded—and built the Andes mountains. (Scientific American) Use or video to better understand South America’s earthquakes. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit, including today’s simple MapMaker Interactive map. Discussion Ideas In our video “Earthquakes 101,” we learn that most … Continue reading Ecuador Endures Massive Quake

Creature Feature: Wait, there are bears in South America?

by Johnna Flahive Yes! Does the name “Paddington” ring any bells? Despite the popularity of the beloved bear from the “deepest, darkest Peru,” many people are surprised to learn there really are bears in South America. Andean bears (a.k.a. spectacled bears) live there, and their story is just as full of peril and adventure as Paddington’s. The earliest ancestors of Tremarctos ornatus (Andean bears) arrived … Continue reading Creature Feature: Wait, there are bears in South America?

Ecuador OKs Oil Drilling in the Amazon

ENVIRONMENT Ecuador OKs Oil Drilling in the Amazon “The world has failed us,” says Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa. In 2007, Correa and the United Nations Development Program proposed a plan that would prevent oil drilling in Yasuni National Park. Yasuni is part of the vast rain forest ecosystem of the Amazon basin—the so-called “lungs of the world.” Correa’s plan was to attract donations of at … Continue reading Ecuador OKs Oil Drilling in the Amazon

Map Mishaps in the World of Brazilian Textbooks

If anyone was listening to NPR this morning, they heard Steve Inskeep remark, “It is famously said that most people do not know their geography.” In this case, “most people” was a reference to Brazil’s Ministry of Education. In a new geography textbook just released to 6th grade students, a map featuring South America contained more than a few blunders: Paraguay was switched with Uruguay   … Continue reading Map Mishaps in the World of Brazilian Textbooks