Patrol the Leuser Ecosystem with Forest Defenders at HAkA

Articles/Websites

Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APSocial Studies, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by Global Forest Watch

Open Resource

What it is

This article and video are about the efforts of an Indonesian organization, HAkA, to protect the Leuser ecosystem, what this ecosystem provides, and the challenges this organization faces while defending the Leuser ecosystem.
Students will see the technology HAkA uses in their efforts, such as satellite imagery and alerts from Global Forest Watch to monitor deforestation in this ecosystem.

Teaching tips

Positives

The article is concise and easy to understand.
The demonstration of the technology in the video is engaging and interesting.

Additional Prerequisites

Students need to know what a carbon sink is and how it affects climate change.
Students need to understand the importance of biodiversity.

Differentiation

This video can enhance a lesson on the economic incentives that lead to worldwide deforestation.
This video can support a lesson on how human population size and the management of natural resources are linked.
Students can research other forests that are carbon sinks and how to maintain them.
After watching the video, the teacher can lead a classroom discussion on the importance of conserving ecosystems worldwide.
This video has closed captioning, but the captions are often inaccurate. Students who struggle to understand the video may benefit from slowing the playback speed.

From the scientist review

This video introduces the Leuser region in Indonesia and discusses the challenges it currently faces with deforestation. The video also discusses how scientists and forest workers use satellite data to monitor deforestation and why it is valuable data in addition to data from the field. The video includes many graphics of maps and satellite technology. The narrator briefly mentions the idea of sharing data and open data access. Overall, this resource is a concise introduction to remote sensing research, its uses, and the importance of ecosystems. The information is accurate, and this video is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Subjects: Social Studies, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering
Other types: Videos
Language: English
Location: Asia
Provider: Global Forest Watch
Authors: Global Forest Watch, Sarah Ruiz
Published: January 30, 2024
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D2.Eco.3.9-12 + 11 more

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D2.Eco.3.9-12Analyze the ways in which incentives influence what is produced and distributed in a market system.

Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.4Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9-10 texts and topics.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.

New Jersey Climate Education Hub

English Language Arts

SL.ES.11-12.3Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.

Science

HS-ESS3-3.Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among the management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.
HS-ESS3-4.Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
HS-ETS1-3.Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Social Studies

6.1.12.EconEM.5.a:Analyze the economic practices of corporations and monopolies regarding the production and marketing of goods and determine the positive or negative impact of these practices on individuals and the nation and the need for government regulations.

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