Back in June the Google Earth Outreach team went to the Amazon to work with the people of Rondonia, Brazil. The team’s purpose was to train people on using Google Earth to preserve and document local history. Chief Almir Surui of Rondonia, Brazil invited the Google Earth Outreach team to Rondonia to teach his people how to use the Internet to document, and share with the world, local and cultural stories. Cheif Almir hopes that documenting how the rainforest is changing and how that is affecting his people will raise global awareness of the challenges facing people in the Amazon.

This video shares some of the footage recording during the Google Earth Outreach team’s trip to the Amazon.

Applications for Education
This video is a great example of how Google Earth, and Internet resources in general, can be used to document and share stories, and raise awareness about those stories. In this case viewers are learning about a little known group of people deep in the Amazon. Digital story telling is a great way for students to share their experiences. If you or your students are looking for a public service project, consider a digital story telling project to have students create a video or podcast about the need for donations to a local library or food pantry. You may also consider having students document local history. Students could interview the elder members of their community to document the changes in that community.