Galápagos Eco Adventure Course

 

 

Independent Research Resource List – Galapagos Eco Adventure 2007

As part of your research for your independent research question, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in learning about the Galapagos.  The sites, books and movies provided below are provided as resource for you as you embark upon your research journey.  Please print out the “Research Log Sheet” and complete it each time you do your research to document the time that you spend on your own investigating your question.  In addition, each time that you visit the school library and work on your research, you will want to have a librarian sign your “Research Log Sheet” to document your “hours” spent researching your question during the school day.  You will need to visit our school library for a total of 15 complete periods from now through our departure time in March.  You may choose to watch a video for 3 of your periods. 

Below is a brief list of resources for you to use for our course. Unless noted, these are not required reading for the program; however, they are meant as suggestions to help you build a foundation before your experience and to help flesh out the experience upon return to the US.  Most of the books can be found through working with our school librarians, or at your local library.

Enjoy your adventure!

 

Websites:

 

• http://www.ecuador.org/ecuador/main.htm

  Website of the Ecuadorian Consulate in Washington, DC – with its own links about culture, music, history, etc.

• http://www.galapagos-islands.net/

Provides detailed information about each island that makes up the Archipelago as well as history on how they were discovered and their development.

• http://www.darwinfoundation.org/

 Describes the work of this Foundation which is one of the many efforts at environmental research and preservation on the islands.

• http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildplaces/galapagos/

 Describes the Word Wildlife Fund’s work in the Galapagos; provides photos and information about the species on the islands and the threats they face.

• http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/south-america/ecuador-and-thegalapagos-islands/

 The Lonely Planet’s online guide to the Galapagos Islands.

• http://www.gct.org/index.html

The Galapagos Conservation Trust; provides history and useful information about the islands. ***suggests other useful sites and books***

• http://galapagospark.org/png/index.php

Website of the National Park in Galapagos: organization in charge of the two protected areas of the archipelago, the National Park and the Marine Reserve. Available in both Spanish and English.

• http://www.vivecuador.com/html2/eng/galapagos.htm

The website of Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism about the Galapagos. Look at “trip planning tools”.

• http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/Galapagos.html

A website maintained by the Department of Geological Sciences at Cornell University. Contains a lot of information, pictures, maps, as well as suggested links and books.

• http://www.pbs.org/safarchive/5_cool/galapagos/g2_islands.html

PBS’s website on the Galapagos Islands.

• http://www.adventurephotographs.com/galapagos/index.asp

A website with over 300 pictures of the Galapagos and its flora and fauna.

• http://www.destination360.com/south-america/ecuador/galapagos-islands.php

Has various pictures and information about the island including rotating 360 degree photos of various locations on the island.

• http://pubs.nsta.org/galapagos/

The National Science Teachers Assocation’s website on the Galapagos and learning opportunities.

• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4794986

 NPR’s series on the Galapagos Islands and the dangers facing wildlife and flora.

• http://www.junglephotos.com/galapagos/ghome.shtml

A photo gallery.

• http://gosouthamerica.about.com/cs/galapagosislands/l/blpixindex.htm

Another photo gallery including photos of the islands taken from space.

• http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0411/photo_01.html

  National Geographic’s photo gallery of the Galapagos.Articles: •http://archives.cnn.com/2001/NATURE/01/22/galapagos/

CNN’s article about the oil spill of the tanker Jessica in 2001.

•http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/03/31/AR2006033100604.html

A Washington Post article describing the author’s 10 day kayaking trip through the Galapagos accounting the changes that tourism are bringing to the islands.

 

 

Books:

 

·        Use Highland Park High School Book/Media Catalog to find books in the HPHS library

    • Books from HPHS will be on a cart in the library for a limited time.
    • Students can check one HPHS book out at a time for one week.

 

  • Use WorldCat to find books in other libraries
    • Go to HPHS Library homepage
    • Click on FirstSearch (from home you’ll need the password – get a list of passwords from the library)
    • Click on the WorldCat link
    • For “Search in Database”, use “Illinois Catalog”
    • Type search term
    • When you’ve located a book you’re interested in, tell Mrs. McLoughlin or one of the other librarians what book you’d like, and we can borrow it through Interlibrary Loan

 

 

• Lonesome George: The life and loves of a conservation icon

by Henry Nicholls

Henry Nicholls details the efforts of conservationists to preserve the unique biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands and illustrates how their experiences and discoveries are echoed worldwide. He explores the controversies raging over which mates are most appropriate for Lonesome George, a 5ft long, 90kg tortoise and the last of his species, and the risks of releasing crossbreed offspring into the wild. His story draws together the islands' geology, evolution and history of human exploitation.

 

• Annie's Box: Charles Darwin, his Daughter and Human Evolution

by Randal Keynes

Recounts the personal tragedy that lay behind Darwin's revolutionary understanding of man's place in nature. Taking the story of Darwin's daughter as his starting point, Randal Keynes brings together science and humanity in a ground-breaking book that makes a major contribution to our understanding of Charles Darwin.

 

• Spectacular Galapagos

by Tui De Roy

The newest title in the Levin Spectacular series explores one of the most dramatic natural settings in the world, the Galapagos Islands. Richly written text and more than 100 colour images by the award-winning author and a select group of the most renowned international wildlife photographers offer a spectacular opportunity to witness up close rarely seen species of animals and birds.

 

• Wildlife of the Galapagos (Collins Safari Guides)

by Julian Fitter, Daniel Fitter and David Hosking

This guide covers over 350 commonly-seen species including birds, mammals, reptiles, invertebrates, plants, and coastal and marine life, and is illustrated with over 550 color photographs, maps and drawings. Includes information on the history, climate, geology and conservation of the islands, and a visitor site section with maps of 25 of the most frequently visited sites and an indication of the species you are most likely to see there.

 

• Evolution's Workshop, God and Science on the Galapagos Islands

by Edward J. Larson

A vivid history of the Galapagos -- and the role of the islands as a crucible of evolutionary ideas. It covers not just Darwin but the discovery of the islands, visits of Hancock and Beebe, influence of the United States during WWII, and the establishment of the national park.

• Plundering Paradise, The Hand of Man on the Galapagos Islands by Michael D'Orso

Not subtle but eye-opening nevertheless, Michael D'Orso's book focuses on the damage and challenges of people in the Galapagos as seen though the knowledgeable eyes of, mostly, long-term expat residents.

 

• Galapagos, A Natural History Guide by Michael Jackson

This comprehensive overview of the habitats, plants, birds, and animals of the islands, written with the curious visitor in mind, is practically mandatory reading. It's the single best overview of the archipelago. Jackson also includes a useful bibliography, wildlife checklists and a list of plants by vegetation zone. Illustrated with many charts and maps.

 

• Ecuador in Focus, A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture by Wilma Roos and Omer van Renterghem. A slim guide to the history of Ecuador, its cultural heritage and political, environmental and economic challenges.

 

 

Movies:

 

**REQUIRED. NOTE WE WILL BE VIEWING “IN THE WILD” DURING ONE OF OUR CLASS SESSIONS.  DO NOT COUNT THIS AS YOUR RESEARCH

  • In the Wild: the Galapagos Islands with Richard Dreyfuss: 1999, 60 min. Academy award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss narrates a video shot during his 3 week tour of the islands.

 

• Galapagos: an IMAX documentary; 39 min, 2001. The film focuses on the work of Smithsonian-based biologist Carol Baldwin and outlines Charles Darwin's theories on natural selection. Highlights include footage of the giant Galapagos tortoise and the Galapagos iguana, which perfectly camouflages itself against the gray rock on which it suns itself. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh.

• Galapagos:Beyond Darwin: 100 min, 1996. A Discovery Channel program that takes viewers 3,000 ft below the surface of the ocean near the Galapagos Islands to document the underwater species that Darwin was unable to observe without the use of a submersible.

• Master and Commander: 138 min, 2003. About a British captain who sails his vessel around South America in pursuit of a French vessel during the Napoleonic Wars. Scenes actually filmed in the Galapagos.

 

*Adapted from materials from the Toyota International Teacher 2006 Program.