Spotlight on Island Life
This month World Wise Window takes an oceanside view of island life. Peace Corps Volunteers serve in 18 island nations all over the world, including Madagascar, Cape Verde, and Jamaica. With a focus on Pacific Island nations, the Window has stories and lesson plans from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga, among others. Plus, there's an online video highlighting the incredible biodiversity off Fiji's shores.
World Wise Reading & Lesson Plans
A book addiction, daily life, homelessness, and a walk to church are the topics of our featured stories:
- “Living by the Book”—“She asked me if all Americans read as much as I did, if Americans ever neglected their household and family duties to read, and if Americans ever missed work to read a good book.” Story. Podcast. Lesson.
- “Under the Tongan Sun”—“On moonless nights, I fell asleep in complete darkness. But I fell asleep knowing that I would always wake up under the Tongan sun.” Story. Lesson.
- “A Single Lucid Moment”—“We answered numerous questions over time from villagers amazed with this foreign thing called homelessness.” Story. Lesson #1. Lesson #2.
- “Sunday Morning Stares”—“All these stares, every look shot my way by the dark eyes of the Papua New Guineans, they are 100 percent curiosity, zero percent animosity. They just want to know something about me.” Story. Podcast.
Video Resource
- “The Coral Reef: A Hidden World” was a Peace Corps project designed to help educate Fijians about the value of the coral reefs in their waters. The video provides a valuable teaching tool for any classroom studying coral reefs, covering topics such as the biology of corals, community relationships, feeding behaviors, defense adaptations, and the effect of humans on coral reefs.
More Stories
- “Everyone Everywhere Has Tales to Tell”—“I needed to travel from my home island of Ettal in the lower Mortlocks of Chuuk (formerly Truk) to the district center 150 miles away. The trip took five days.”
- “Island Ghosts”—“Ghosts are taken very, very seriously on Fefen, an island in Chuuk, Micronesia.”
- “Chores and Doughnuts”—“As I pass the men on the bumpy dirt road, each flashes me a smile as warm and as bright as the sun that shines into their friendly faces.”
- “Training: A Question of Family”—“Upon meeting my host parents, I was immediately considered a son, although I was treated more like an important visitor.”
- “Scaling the Nawi Hill for Delicious Chinese Dishes”—“The hill is a long, steep grade, covered only with loose gravel that makes the walk difficult. It is hard to get sure footing.”
- “Local Generosity "Nose" No Limits”—“The quality of the callaloo is the yardstick by which some West Indians rate their islands. I learned this soon after my arrival in Dominica.”