I was just a fifth grader when I discovered, quite by chance, a stack of very intriguing books on the back counter of my teacher’s classroom. The books were a class set of Kon-Tiki, an internationally well-known memoir authored by Norwegian archeologist and explorer Thor Heyerdahl.

The original Kon-Tiki raft constructed by Norwegian explorer and archeologist Thor Heyerdahl. He and six others daringly sailed the raft 4,300 nautical miles of open sea from Peru to Polynesia in 1947. Photo Credit: Terry Lee Marzell

The front cover depicted a photo of a group of men bravely riding out a storm at sea on a primitive raft. The situation appeared precarious, as the waves were high and the raft was nearly submerged. Flipping the book over to read the summary on the back cover, I learned that the volume described a daring adventure by Heyerdahl and five others—modern-day adventurers. On April 28, 1947, the group of men sailed from Peru on a raft they built from balsa wood, bamboo, and hemp. After three months and 4,300 nautical miles on the open sea, they finally sighted land. The next year Heyerdahl published his account of that daring voyage. Translated into sixty-five languages, Kon-Tiki became a classic, inspirational story of modern-day daring and courage—a saga of mere mortals and their triumph against the power of the untamed sea.

My fifth grade teacher never assigned this book to our class. In fact, she never even mentioned Thor Heyerdahl or his explorations to us. Over the decades that have passed since I left elementary school, I’ve barely given a thought to the book or the explorer I briefly discovered in elementary school. That is, not until earlier this month, when I unexpectedly found myself standing in front of Heyerdahl’s actual, real-life Kon-Tiki, housed in a maritime museum located in Oslo, Norway. Instantly transported back in time to my fifth grade year, I was once again intrigued by the story of this amazing explorer and scientist.

The author Terry Lee Marzell examines the original Kon-Tiki raft and other exhibits at the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo, Norway. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

My first impression was that the Kon-Tiki was much larger than I previously envisioned. When you hear the word “raft,” you picture something about the size of a dining room area rug. By contrast, the Kon-Tiki  is an impressive 45′ x 18′, with an incorporated cabin that measures 14′ x 8′, and a mast that is 29′ in height. I suddenly realized that if you were going to travel 4,300 miles across the Pacific Ocean, with food and water and other necessary supplies for six men, you would need a raft bigger than an area rug!

My second thought was how delicate the Kon-Tiki appeared to be. Remember that today, the raft is 77 years old, and it has survived a 101-day oceanic voyage, not to mention it crashed on a reef in Raroia in the Tutamotu Islands, and then was towed back to port. Furthermore, the raft was originally constructed of split bamboo over lightweight balsa wood logs that were lashed together with hemp ropes. The cabin was constructed from plaited bamboo and roofed with banana leaves. Materials chosen because they are lightweight and sturdy, but ocean-worthy? I would personally be reluctant to would trust them.

But wait! There’s more! The museum also houses Heyerdah’s reed boat, the Ra II. This vessel was constructed of papyrus and was launched from Morocco in an attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, there are exhibits that detail stories about the famous scientist’s journey to Fatu Hiva, together with his wife, Liv; expeditions to the Galapagos and Easter Island; and details about the explorer’s Tigris voyage. The museum is a treasure trove of information about this amazing archeologist and scientist.

You can learn more about Thor Heyerdahl, view more photos of his raft, and explore the Kon-Tiki Museum with your students at this official maritime museum website.

Nothing offers opportunities for learning better than travel, whether to destinations that are near or far. Travel allows the student—and the teacher who practices lifelong learning—to fully experience a locale with all the senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. And one of the most fascinating destinations for travel for both students and teachers is Alaska.

Alaska offers wonderful natural environments for scientific study and observation. On a recent trip to the state, I explored several excellent opportunities for learning that teachers could share with their students. The most spectacular of these is the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis.

Of course, most teachers are unable to escort their students on a field trip to observe this magnificent natural phenomenon, but students can still learn about it from some excellent resources online. A brief description of the science behind the Aurora can be found on the website of the US Government’s Space Weather Prediction Center. Another brief explanation of the phenomenon can be found on the website of National Geographic. Information about predicting Northern Lights in Alaska, including a question and answer section, can be found on this website for the Geophysical Institute sponsored by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. You could also share this three-minute YouTube video of the Northern Lights that was recorded at about the same time of our visit:

My husband, Hal, and I were fortunate to observe the Aurora while we were in Fairbanks. We had to select a night with little cloud cover in the sky, travel about a half-hour’s drive away from the city in order to escape the lights of the city, and wait until the later hours of the night. We also had to dress head-to-toe in protective snow gear to shield us from the cold temperatures. But we were well-rewarded for our effort.

Author Terry Lee Marzell (left) and her husband, Hal (right), enjoy the spectacular phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis on a recent trip to Fairbanks, Alaska. The experience offers opportunities for science instruction for students of all grade levels. Feb. 10, 2024. Photo Credit: Robert FrankevichPhoto Credit: Robert Frankevich (Our Alaskan tour guide)

One of the surprising aspects about the Northern Lights that we learned is that we thought the colors were better perceived by the camera than by the naked eye. This observation opens the door for an informative lesson about the human eye,  how rods and cones in the eye function, and how these functions affect our visual perceptions. Despite the limited ability of our human eyes, we were amazed by the beauty of the stunning Northern Lights, not to mention the glittering starscape in the sky above us.

Remember, too, that Alaska is not the only place where the Aurora can be observed. There are terrific viewing spots in Canada, Iceland, and Scandinavia, particularly in Norway and Finland. And there are also the Southern Lights, also known as the aurora Australis, which can be seen in Antarctica, New Zealand, and parts of Australia.

I hope this blog post helps educators in the Lower 48 share the science and the beauty of this spectacular display with their students, no matter what the grade level. Enjoy!