Fun Facts |
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In the rainforest, rivers are highways – families own boats, not cars, and kids take a ‘schoolboat’ to school. |
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What do chocolate, popcorn, cola, and salsa have in common? They are all foods whose ingredients were originally discovered in the rainforest! | |
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Many indigenous people in Borneo live in communal structures known as longhouses. Over 100 people can live in a longhouse | |
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Rainforests cover less than two percent of the Earth's surface, yet they are home to some 40 to 50 percent of all life forms on our planet – and as many as 30 million species of plants, animals and insects. | |
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The Iban are skilful hunters who once used blowpipes with poison darts. | |
| LINKS | ||
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Facts about Sarawak | |
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Kids saving the rainforest | |
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Children’s Tropical Forests | |
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The Rainforest Foundation | |
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All About Rainforests for kids and teachers | |
Lanau’s
Rainforest Adventure
Lanau, from the Iban tribe in Borneo, lives deep in the
rainforest in a ‘longhouse’ - with 70 people! In Borneo, rivers
are highways – and Lanau goes to school in a boat. His uncle teaches
him how to survive in the rainforest by showing him which plants provide
food, medicine – and even poison for darts. Lanau also learns how
to set a trap of sticks and vines. Although he might see leopards or even
a 15-foot python, his real challenge is to maintain a balance between
his traditional culture and the modern world.
'Exploring Borneo' is now a complete educational package. By accompanying Lanau on his rainforest journey, your students will learn about:
- Indigenous cultures of the rainforest
- Flora and fauna of the rainforest
- Skills needed to survive in the rainforest
- Animals, like orangutans, wild pigs, monkeys and snakes
- Different modes of transport (rivers/boats)
- How geography shapes housing
- The interaction between people and their environment
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In the rainforest, Lanau saw an orangutan.
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Lanau’s uncle demonstrates
how the ‘sandpaper leaf’ can sharpen a machete |
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Iban children go to school in a boat. |
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Tribespeople used to hunt with
blowpipes. |
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In Borneo, rivers are like highways, and river buses transport people along the river. |