Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard:

An Interdisciplinary Unit

Megan Normandin
Fitchburg High School
Fitchburg, Massachusetts

 

Home

"I am an inspired walker..." About Peter Matthiessen

"That the snow leopard is, that it is here, that its frosty eyes watch us from the mountain -- that is enough." About the book

"...in one day's walk we are a century away." Cultures, Climbers, and Kingdoms

"...like a leopard of myth..." Folklore

"... inch by inch, five miles into the skies..." The Earth's Youngest Mountains

"In Asia more than all places on Earth, it is crucial to establish wildlife sanctuaries at once, before the last animals are overwhlmed." The Snow Leopard and Other Wildlife

 

 

Introduction

Each summer the National Endowment for the Humanities sponsors institutes and seminars for teachers. Groups of teachers from all over the country get together at sites all over the world to study with renowned scholars and to deepen their knowledge of topics within their discipline. One such institute, Cultures and Religions of the Himalayan Region, was the inspiration for this website. The goal of the site is to use The Snow Leopard -- Peter Matthiessen's 1978 classic non-fiction work -- as a jumping-off point for study of the Himalayan region, as well as related topics such as travel writing and folklore, culture and religion, endangered species, geography, and mountain climbing. For each topic to the left, you will find a brief introduction explaining the connection to The Snow Leopard, an overview of the topic, helpful links, and a student activity.

 

Shey Gompa, the Crystal Monastery