Name ___________________ Date ____ Class ____ _

Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica Today

DiHerentiated Instruction

Pitcairn Island Pitcairn Island is one of the most isolated islands

in the South Pacific Ocean. The island-part of the region of Polynesia-lies about midway between Peru and New Zealand. Pitcairn would be a good place to visit if you wanted to remove yourself from society. The nearest hospital and grocery store are 3,000 miles (4,828 km) away. There is no television on the island, and the best way to communicate is by ham radio.

The HMS Bounty No one lived on Pitcairn Island until 1790. In that year, the island became home to the mutineers of the HMS Bounty, a British merchant ship commanded by Captain William Bligh. Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become a British colony (in 1838), and today it remains the last trace of the British Empire in the South Pacific. The island's population has shrunk from a peak of 233 in 1937 to fewer than 50 residents today. Almost all the inhabitants are descended from the Bounty crew and their wives.

The Economy Pitcairn's economy centers on fishing, subsistence farming, handicrafts, and postage stamps. It also depends heavily on British government aid. The rich island soil produces citrus fruits, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams, and beans. The islanders also raise goats, chickens, and bees. Bartering is an important part of the economy. Major sources of revenue include the sale of postage stamps to collectors and the sale of handicrafts to passing cruise or merchant ships. Residents of Pitcairn Island also maintain a Web site that sells stamps, honey, postcards, and other small items.

Pitcairn Island lacks a port or natural harbor. It also lacks an airstrip. Ships anchor offshore, and the island's inhabitants row small boats out to them to sell stamps and crafts or to purchase provisions.

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions.

1. Explaining How did the first inhabitants of Pitcairn Island arrive on the island?

2. Making Inferences Do you think tourism is important to the economy of Pitcairn Island? Why or why not?

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-.. -Teaching Strategies for Different Learning Styles

~ ..... - _. ,

The following activities are ways the basic lesson can be modified to accommodate students' different learning styles.

English Learners (EL)

Ask students to answer the following questions from the article: (1) What is the cur-rent population of Pitcairn Island? [about 50] (2) What are two major sources of revenue for the islanders? [sale of postage stamps and handi-crafts] (3) Name three agricultural products of the island. [citrus fruits, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams, beans, chickens, honey] (4) What is sold on the Web site maintained by islanders? [stamps, honey, postcards, and other small items]

Verbal/Linguistic; Intrapersonal

Have students write a two- to three-page biography about a member of the HMS Bounty's crew (e.g., William Bligh, Fletcher Christian, John Adams). Students should focus especially on their subject's involvement in the mutiny and what happened to him in the years following the mutiny.

Logical/Mathematical

Ask students to choose another small oceanic island. Then have them use library or Internet resources to construct a table comparing and contrasting the economies of Pitcairn Island and their chosen island. Tables should include such categories as agricultural products, industries, natural resources, and imports/exports. Make copies of students' tables to distribute to the entire class.

Visual/Spatial

In addition to stamps, the people of Pit-cairn Island also sell attractive commemora-tive coins to collectors. Ask students to design a new stamp and a new coin, incorporating geographic features onto both.

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Auditory/Musical; Interpersonal

Ask students to create a short skit, "The Mutiny on the Bounty," based on the famous mutiny. Students' skits should include at least one song. Encourage students to perform their skits in class.

Advanced Learners

The economy of many Oceanic islands is centered on tourism. This is not the case for Pitcairn Island. Ask students to assess the island as a potential tourist destination. How might island residents "sell" Pitcairn to tour-ists? What physical or historical attractions might be of interest? What would be needed in the way of infrastructure (roads, telephones, and so on)? Students should write a two- to three-page paper on the topic.

Below Grade Level

Ask students to consider whether they would enjoy being part of a small, remote community such as that on Pitcairn Island. Have them write reasons for their opinions in their journals.