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Journey to Kilimanjaro
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Viewing Ideas
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Before Watching
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The mountains featured in this program are in Kenya and Tanzania
(see
Map. You may want to create a historical perspective for this
program by comparing information about these countries found in
old books with that presented in current literature. How have
the descriptions of African people changed? How have the names
of the countries changed? Why do your students think these
changes have occurred?
After Watching
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The animals living on Kilimanjaro have adapted to conform to
their habitats. However, not all animals, or even all members of
the same species, have adapted in the same way. Various types of
snakes, for instance, use different methods for subduing prey.
Constrictors wrap their bodies around their intended meals,
suffocating them. Venomous snakes poison their victims. Ask your
students to compare these two methods. How are the different
methods useful for animals in different habitats?
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A rat is quite small compared to an eland (a type of antelope
found in the desert). Both of these animals can be found in the
ecosystems of Kilimanjaro. Which creature seems better adapted
to keeping warm on a cold night? Which one would stay cooler on
a hot day? Why? The eland has a greater surface area, which
allows more heat loss. To see how important the difference in
surface area is to heat loss, conduct this simple experiment.
Fill two buckets with ice and water. Ask a volunteer to put one
hand in each bucket, clenching one hand into a fist and keeping
the fingers on the other hand spread apart. How long can she
keep the open hand, with its greater surface area, in the ice
water? How long can she keep the closed fist in the ice water?
What are some other examples of this principle?
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