Thousands Evacuate Bali Amid Fears of Volcanic Eruption

SCIENCE Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from an area around Mount Agung as hundreds of volcanic earthquakes were recorded in a single day. (The Australian and The Guardian) Where is Mount Agung? Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit Text Set, including today’s MapMaker Interactive map.   Discussion Ideas Indonesian authorities have evacuated more than 75,000 … Continue reading Thousands Evacuate Bali Amid Fears of Volcanic Eruption

Orangutan Letter Writing Campaign

Did you know that orangutans share 96% the same DNA as you and me? That’s right, they are almost identical to us and yet we (as a whole) give little thought to what is happening to them and or what we as humans are doing to drive the species to the brink of extinction. Today I want to devote my article to orangutans. Before I … Continue reading Orangutan Letter Writing Campaign

How Can Planting a Tree Save an Orangutan?

How can planting a tree save an orangutan? That is the same question we asked our friends at Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) when we heard about their Tree Planting Project—and the answer will amaze you. Below is a great explanation  from Barbara Bichler, director of School Projects for BOS in Germany: Located in the Indonesian part of central Borneo, Mawas is an area of 309,000 hectares—twice … Continue reading How Can Planting a Tree Save an Orangutan?

Race to Save Ancient Human Secrets

WORLD Archaeologists enlist UNESCO’s help to protect prehistoric sites threatened by karst quarrying. (Nat Geo News) What is karst? Find out here! Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit. Discussion Ideas The Nat Geo News article outlines threats faced by Borneo’s karst landscape. What is karst? Read through our super-short encyclopedic entry to find out. Karst is an … Continue reading Race to Save Ancient Human Secrets

Educator Spotlight: Exploring Indonesia through Art, Music, and Dance

Karen Krzystof-Bansley is a sixth-grade teacher at Maddock Elementary School in Burbank, Illinois. Karen has been teaching middle school for 16 years. Activity: Indonesian Pen Pals Subjects: writing, geography, communication Grade: 6-8 Tell us about your activity.   Over the course of the school year, my 6th graders were pen pals with a class in at SMP Sumatra 40 in Bandung, Indonesia. Through letter-writing, both sets … Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Exploring Indonesia through Art, Music, and Dance