Climate, Landscapes and Life: The Tropics - Discovery Education

Connection to Literature
The location chosen as the backdrop for a work of literature may serve various purposes. Sometimes authors
choose locations other than their “home turf” in order to separate their story from the everyday background and
social mores of their own region. Ask your school librarian or media specialist for a list of tropical-themed books,
or have students read one or more of the following novels. Ask them to analyze their thoughts about the novels’
central idea(s) and what part the tropical locale plays in the story - is the author writing about his/her own territory,
or does the book’s setting serve as an exotic “foreign” locale Have students write a summary of their analysis,
then lead a class discussion on the role of location in literature.
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LITERATURE
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
When I was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
When the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent by Julia Alvarez
Note: questions of class, exploitation, colonialism and racism arise in some of these books, and should be explored
along with the historical aspects of that particular time, social structure and geographical location.
In the Newsroom
In the tropics and in other regions, the process of desertification is slowly damaging more and more of the environment
and affecting the livelihood of large numbers of the human population. Desertification is the loss of soil
fertility or productivity in drought prone areas. A number of factors can lead to this type of soil damage; some
damaging factors include: drought, deforestation, overcultivation, poor irrigation and soil erosion. In the tropics,
the areas most severely affected by desertification are India and Bangladesh. Australia and other parts of Asia are
also affected. Have students work in small groups to research the current situation in these areas as well as possibilities
to halt or deter the problem. Have the teams put together an “Environmental NewsWatch” show based on
their investigative reporting - with volunteers writing, producing, directing, and serving as anchorpersons. If video
equipment is available, select a camera operator and record their presentation for review at a later time.
2 Hours
Multiculturalism/Health
A great number of the fruits, vegetables and grains we eat are of tropical origin, such as bananas, oranges,
pineapples, potatoes and rice. To illustrate a discussion of nutrition and diets common in the tropics, bring to class
a selection of fresh tropical fruits and other foods for students to sample. An alternative approach is to have students
locate tropical cuisine recipes on the Internet, prepare their selected dish at home and hold a potluck luncheon
at school for the class. In anticipation of the meal, or following, discuss with students the various ingredients
that the different cuisines have in common. How are various dishes featured in the cuisine of the region: i.e., is a
particular dish prepared only for special holidays If any students originate from a tropical region, you might consider
inviting them to help lead this exercise.
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HEALTH
Culminating Activity
Have students work in small groups to create a multi-media presentation about the geographic information they’ve
learned from the program. Brainstorm with the class the topics that should be covered, as well as the types of materials
and media they would like to include in their presentation. Have each group present to the entire class; you
may wish to set up a school-wide screening so that the class may show their presentations to the entire student population.
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© Copyright 2002 • AIMS Multimedia • Climate, Landscapes and Life: The Tropics • #2650