tanzania: hero rats

LESSON EXTENSIONS

Use these lesson extensions to continue discussion of this topic in the classroom.

• Find out about other animals that could help with mine detection. Have students read the FRONTLINE/World feature “More Hero Animals” and discuss what characteristics of dolphins and honeybees make them suited to detecting mines.
• Help students recognize how Bart Weetjens’ early interest in rodents eventually turned into his life’s work and a strategy to address a serious global issue. Read FRONTLINE/World’s interview with Bart Weetjens and highlight the events that led Weetjens to found his organization, APOPO. Ask students to list their interests in a journal and consider whether any of these interests have the potential to help solve a local or global problem.