August 30, 2005
Social Studies Lesson # 5 -A Land of Fire, Destruction and Rebirth
Two of the world’s greatest historic eruptions occurred in Indonesia in the 1800s-one at Kraktau and the other at Tambora (see Indonesia Journal update). Krakatau, located between Java and Sumatra, is today only one third of its original size. Its eruption in August of 1883, lasted 24 hours, killed over 36,000 people and was heard more than 4000km away. Most people were killed in the tsunami which swept people, animals and even steamships several kilometers inland. This killer wave was up to 40m high and hit the coasts of both Java and Sumatra. Over 300 towns and villages were simply erased. Tremors were felt as far away as the English Channel and off the coast of Alaska. Fine ash particles from the eruption circled the earth in the atmosphere for the next two years, creating psychedelic sunsets and lowering the earth’s temperature. Today, Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) is a growing infant island surrounded by what remains of the older peaks. It sits smoking angrily and is the visual evidence of one of the most destructive events in recorded history.
Lesson Activities:
• Create a list of the world’s most famous volcanic eruptions. Include their dates and locations, listing them in a table.
• While volcanoes can cause mass destruction, they also have a positive impact on the land and people. Investigate how ecosystems and wildlife can benefit from this most active form of nature.
Posted by barb at 4:22 AM | Comments (0)
Social Studies Lesson # 4 - Island of the Dragons
Do you think all islands are tropical with lush vegetation? In
the Indonesian archipelago, the islands of the east are very different to
the islands of the western part. Komodo Island is a dry, desolate wilderness
sandwiched in between Flores and Sumbawa. Its towering cliffs form a
forbidding skyline rising above the Flores Sea and provide a perfect setting
for the lizards that call it "home." This is not a scene from the movie
"Jurassic Park," but is the island of the Komodo dragons, largest monitor
lizard in the world and found no other place on earth.
Indonesia is divided into two regions divided by the Wallace
Line which divides the archipelago between Lombok and Bali. (We will take a
closer look at the origin of the Wallace Line when the expedition draws
nearer to it.) The islands to the east, called Nusa Tenggara, share many
characteristics which are quite different to the islands of Bali, Java, and
Sumatra. These islands share similar flora and fauna, however, the dragons
of Komodo are only found on the islands of Komodo, Rinca, and their smaller
counterparts.
Lesson Activities:
a.. Research a map of Indonesia to identify the islands of the
archipelago. Label the islands. (Officially, there are 13,677 islands, but
you may identify only eight!)
b.. Create symbols which represent the plants and animals (don't forget
the seas and oceans) found in Nusa Tenggara and place them on your map.
c.. Research dinosaurs of the Pleistocene Era to find out more about the
distant cousins of the Komodo monitors. The remains of these ancient lizards
were found in Timor. (No evidence of these remains has been found anywhere
else in the world.)
d.. Research the latest articles about The Hobbit of Flores. A recent
archeological dig on this island has uncovered an amazing skeleton, evidence
of a group of people who probably encountered the cousins of Komodo!
Posted by barb at 4:19 AM | Comments (0)