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Culture and AdventureGS24KrugerNational Park,South AfricaGLOBAL STUDIESSponsorLaura MohlUrsula PongPriceS$4,000Course Length7 daysPost-Interim Experience:Parent’s night / OnlineReflectionsDescriptionEssential Question: How does man, even in conservancy, affect the naturalbalance of an ecosystem?Upon arriving in Johannesburg, we will depart and head over to theDrakensberg Escarpment to the town of Hoedspruit, just outside of KrugerNational Park. Over the next several days, we will go on game drives invarious reserves, as well as in Kruger National Park proper.We will then journey to Buffaloland Private Reserve, where we willlearn tracking skills from the local guides and also learn about the localecosystems found within the park. Additionally, we will visit the MoholoholoAnimal Rehabilitation Centre where students will learn rehabilitationtechniques used on a variety of animals. We will then make our way toHazyview, a small town at the lower end of the Panorama Route, adjacentto Kruger’s Phabeni Gate. We will have a chance to see some of the mostscenic parts of Mpumalanga, where we will do some short walks at thevarious stops we make. We’ll see spectacular sights and natural formations,such as the Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Potholes, God’s Window, BerlinFalls and the Pinnacle.Throughout the course, students will view wildlife and man’s interaction withnature/wildlife at various parts of the expansive Kruger National Park. Ourcourse focus will be on how our interactions with nature has had unintendedconsequences on the entire ecosystem, as well as how humans try tomitigate those consequences as much as possible.Before leaving Kruger National Park, we will participate in outdoor activitiessuch as mountain biking, archery and white water rafting. Throughout theinterim course, there will be various opportunities to interact with the localpopulation. There will be some structured leisure time in the evenings whentravel in the park is no longer safe.Objectives• To become more familiar with the geography and culture of South Africa.• To learn about the customs, traditions and social structure of early triballife of the Shangaan in the Sabie River Valley.• To encourage a naturalist’s and conservationist’s appreciation of thewildlife and environment of Mpumalanga region.• To observe the flora and fauna in Western South Africa.RequirementsPre-Course requirements:• A physical examination may be required and students may need medicalclearance.• Attend all pre-course meetings and activities.• Read and review all pre-course information handouts and selectedreadings.• Student projects will be discussed and planned during pre-coursemeetings which will be digital in nature.Post-Course requirements:• Students will turn in their project one week after returning to Singapore.All projects will be digital in nature and aligned with SAS’s new InterimSemester Academic Policy.SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL interim semester HANDBOOK 55