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The Amazon: Stories and Ecology of the Rainforest (in Brazil)

This course introduces students to the diversity of life in the rainforest and the knowledge and worldview of indigenous peoples. From the perspective of biology, students study tropical forest ecology and conservation, the dynamic ecology of the Amazonian Rainforest and Amazon River, the diversity of plants and animals, the interactions between species, and the challenges facing the rainforest today. In the English component of the course, students learn how indigenous peoples in the Amazon view the relationship between humans and nature by studying the writings and the oral storytelling of indigenous peoples. Students compare the indigenous and non-indigenous perspectives and evaluate how the stories we tell can affect the actual environment.

In order to safely participate in the planned activities, students should be able to swim, walk in the woods in muddy and uneven terrain for more than a mile, and sleep in a hammock.

Students earn 1 credit in science, 1 credit in English, and fulfill their service requirement. IB diploma candidates will be able to use this experience for their Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) project. This immersion-term course is cross-listed as SCI990R and ENG990R. A travel-abroad course, it requires parental consent.

Min-Max Credit Hours: 2.0-2.0