Rapa Nui (Functional literacy)

Read the Introduction. Imagine that a local library is hosting a lecture next week. The lecture will be given by a professor from a nearby university. She will discuss her field work on the island of Rapa Nui in the Pacific Ocean, over 3200 kilometres west of Chile. Your history class will attend the lecture. Your teacher asks you to research the history of Rapa Nui so that you will know something about it before you attend the lecture. The first source you will read is a blog entry written by the professor while she was living on Rapa Nui. Read the blog. According to the blog, when did the professor start her field work? Choose the correct answer. The Professor’s Blog Posted May 23, 11:22 a.m. As I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background. I am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues. If you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment. For years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved. Another mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. Traveler_14May 24, 4:31 p.m. Hi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can’t wait to check out Collapse! KB_IslandMay 25, 9:07 a.m. I also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui

Read the text. In the last paragraph of the blog, the professor writes: “Another mystery remained...”. To what mystery does she refer? The Professor’s Blog Posted May 23, 11:22 a.m. As I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background. I am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues. If you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment. For years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved. Another mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. Traveler_14May 24, 4:31 p.m. Hi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can’t wait to check out Collapse! KB_IslandMay 25, 9:07 a.m. I also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui

Read the text. Choose if the statement below is True, False or Not stated. The Professor’s Blog Posted May 23, 11:22 a.m. As I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background. I am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues. If you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment. For years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved. Another mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. Traveler_14May 24, 4:31 p.m. Hi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can’t wait to check out Collapse! KB_IslandMay 25, 9:07 a.m. I also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui There is only one theory on what happened to the plants and large trees on Rapa Nui.

Listed below are statements from the Review of Collapse. Read the text and choose if the statements are facts or opinions. Review of Collapse Jared Diamond’s new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui. According to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui’s society. The lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.

Read the text and complete the sentences. Review of Collapse Jared Diamond’s new book, Collapse, is a clear warning . In the book, the author describes several civilizations and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui. According to the author, . They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them . When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people . Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds . He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui’s society. The lesson of this wonderful , humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, . The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone .

Read the text. What do the scientists mentioned in the article and Jared Diamond agree on? Choose the correct answer. Did Polynesian rats destroy Rapa Nui's trees? by Michael Kimball, Science Reporter In 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island). The book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond’s theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond’s theory about the cause of the disappearance. Now, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui. Studies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That’s a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.

Read the text. What evidence do Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt present to support their theory of why the large trees of Rapa Nui disappeared? Choose the correct answer. Did Polynesian rats destroy Rapa Nui's trees? by Michael Kimball, Science Reporter In 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island). The book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond’s theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond’s theory about the cause of the disappearance. Now, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui. Studies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That’s a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.

Read the texts again. Then drag and drop the statements to the proper place. I Review of Collapse Jared Diamond’s new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui. According to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui’s society. The lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment. II Did Polynesian rats destroy Rapa Nui's trees? (by Michael Kimball, Science Reporter) In 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island). The book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond’s theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond’s theory about the cause of the disappearance. Now, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui. Studies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That’s a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.

Read the texts again. According to the theories, which statements below are true?

After reading the three texts, what do YOU think caused the disappearance of the large trees on Rapa Nui? Give your arguments.