Alexander von Humboldt wore many different hats – a Prussian administrator, a researcher and scientist, an explorer, a writer, a cultural informant, a spirited opponent of slavery, a traveler, and an illustrator, to name a few. Likewise, he effortlessly traversed various scientific disciplines like botany, geography, climatology, and physics.

In this task, you are going to explore the different roles he took on by reading about them in Andrea Wulf's biography of Humboldt, "The Invention of Nature." Split into expert groups and choose one of the following topics. (The book extracts can be found in the folder "Excerpts from A. Wulf, The Invention of Nature.")

Group topics 

1. Humboldt's new vision of nature
2. Colonialism, slavery, and the degradation of the environment
3. 'A fountain of knowledge:' Humboldt as an informant to Thomas Jefferson
4. Nature writing: Connecting science, language, and literature
5. Humboldt, the scientist and 'tech geek'

Pre-reading

Based on the previous tasks, what do you already know about your topic? What questions do you have? Brainstorm with your group. 

While reading 

Take notes of the main points and look up unknown words. If necessary, do further research online.  

Together with your group, summarize the main points. Include examples, quotes, or scenes from the text to illustrate your points.  

Post-reading

Prepare a brief oral presentation about the role that you researched. Use illustrations as needed, for example maps, paintings, graphics, or quotations. Alternatively, make a poster with your findings that can be hung up in your classroom (or posted online).