The earth is tired
September National Geographic has a major feature on soil: Our Good Earth. The future rests on soil. Can we protect it? You can read this online or find a quiet moment to enjoy the hard copy in the library.
If you have had a try at playing Ayiti:The cost of life (featured in an earlier post) then you may be interested in the short story within this feature called Haiti Soil. This fills in some of the background to the terrible poverty of this small Central American nation. Here is one snip:
“Tè a fatige,” said 70 percent of Haitian farmers in a recent survey when asked about the major agricultural problems they faced. “The earth is tired.”
National Geographic is such an institution that it is often taken for granted as recreational and research reading. To tell the truth, I don’t find it an easy journal to recommend for specific tasks at high school level. The articles are rich in detail and illustrated with breathtaking photography. Their best use for me is just as recreational reading and a wonderful window on the world.
The bonus that comes with this is that you can enhance your knowledge of the world and many geographical and historical concepts whilst being engrossed in stories of real people, places, and the animal world.
Just what the teacher ordered!
Do you have a favourite magazine which extends your academic knowledge without really trying? Please add your suggestion via comments to this post.
Mrs Thomson
