Arid & Semi-Arid Environments
Why are some places considered to be extreme environments?
1. Introduction to Arid Environments
1a) REVIEW the Arid Environments Introduction PPT 1b) UNDERSTAND: What makes an 'extreme environment' extreme? What are arid and semi-arid environments? Where are arid environments located in the world? What is the pattern? (The 'why' comes later....) 1c) COMPLETE: the Worksheet Introduction to Arid Environments KEEP the worksheet for future use in your review period. |
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2. The Location of Arid Environments 2a) Why are Arid Environments Located Along the Horse Latitudes? (HINT: There are four factors which contribute!) REVIEW the Location of Arid Environments PPT 2b) COMPLETE the Worksheet on the Location of Arid Environments using the PPT above 2c) TURN IN the Activity on your chosen desert: Individual Research on Arid Locations To get starting on researching individual deserts, See Link Deserts of the World Website |
How do physical processes create unique landscapes in extreme environments?
3. Desert Landforms and Weathering/Erosion
3a) Weathering, Erosion & Deposition; Flash Floods & Dust Storms
READ: Anatomy of a Flash Flood by Craig Childs
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS in your notes:
How do flash floods happen?
Where are the places the author in this article writes about? (place name, look up country)
Why does this author believe that understanding flash floods is important?
3b) REVIEW: Arid Landforms PPT Overview - this will START you on the landform journey...
COMPLETE: Arid Landforms Worksheet Overview - use the resources below
UNDERSTAND: Processes of EROSION, WEATHERING, DEPOSITION, and how these create desert LANDFORMS
3c) ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- BBC Article: 'Migrating Dunes Threatens Anakin Skywalker's Hometown'
- thebritishgeographer website and Geography 12 Landforms website
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Landform Gallery - You Should Know These!!
What are the future possibilities for managing extreme environments and their communities?
4. Desertification & Climate Change
4a) Watch the two videos linked to the right of the screen. You must be able to DEFINE and UNDERSTAND the significance of: Desertification Climate Change Soil Organic Matter Soil Aggregate Breakdown 4b) Desertification in the Sahel Intro PPT Your brief introduction to the meaning and importance of desertification. Take your own notes. 4c) Population & Desertification: Student Worksheet 4d) UNDERSTAND: Impact of Climate Change Read Reuters Article AND The Guardian - which is truth? Story Maps: 'Climate Migrants' - Darfur and Desertification Impact of Climate Change on China? - New York Times Interactive 4d)Desertification Videos (below) and additional linked: TEDTalk - Combating Desertification From IB Geography Course Companion, consequences of desertification: The environmental consequences are: - soil nutrients lost through wind and water erosion - changed composition of vegetation and loss of biodiversity... - reduced land available for cropping and pasture - increased sedimentation of streams - expanding areas of sand dunes (ergs) The economic consequences are: - reduced income from traditional economy (pastoralism/cultivation) - decreased availability of fuelwood - increased dependance on food aid - increased rural poverty |
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What is the power of different stakeholders to extract economic value from extreme environments?
5. The Importance of Agriculture in Arid Environments
What are the issues and solutions involved with large scale (or small scale) agriculture in arid environments?
5a)READ: Salinity is Global Problem in Arid Environments - Read the article and answer the following questions:
What are the consequences of increasing salinization?
What is the cost of salinity to agriculture estimated at per year?
Why does salinization commonly occur?
What is 'saline soil' and salinization?
5b) UNDERSTAND: The Aral Sea - Waiting for the Sea
"It took just 40 years for the Aral Sea to dry up. Fishing ports suddenly found themselves in a desert.
But in one small part of the sea, water is returning."
Summarize the irrigation technique case study illustrated below by recording the following:
Geographic context: describe the local, national and/or regional levels
Key development(s): describe the key change that took place (draining of the sea)
Stakeholders: who was involved in the process?
Impacts: What were the SEEP impacts? (use specific data here)
5c) COMPLETE:
Summarize the irrigation technique case study illustrated below by recording the following:
Geographic context: describe the local, national and/or regional levels
Key development(s): describe the key change that has taken place
Stakeholders: who is involved in the process?
Impacts: What are the SEEP impacts? (use specific data here)
So how do some create agricultural success stories in arid environments? What is their secret?
When properly managed in an arid environment, agriculture can mean the difference between life and death.
How do these desert inhabitants use their ingenuity to create viable and fertile land out of arid soil?
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6. Mineral Extraction & Impact on Local Communities
6a) READ: Articles highlight the strain between Areva and Niger! Niger's Uranium: Blessing or Curse? Areva Responds to Allegations About Uranium Mining Special Report: Areva & Niger's Uranium Fight 6b) The Other Side: What can mining offer local communities? The Dark Side of Mongolia's Mineral Boom - The Atlantic 6c)COMPLETE/UNDERSTAND: Niger's Uranium Mining Intro Worksheet Use the map provided in the worksheet, the top video, and the article linked below (6b) to complete the worksheet prior to our lesson. |
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6d) WATCH: Orphans of the Sahara Pt.1 - Return / Pt.2 - Rebellion / Pt.3 - Exile
Part One: with the fall of Gaddafi, thousands of Tuaregs return to Niger and launch their fight for an independent state.
Part two of this series explores northern Mali in 2012 as it falls to Tuareg separatists and their al-Qaeda rivals.
Part three of this series explores the astonishing wealth that lies beneath the Tuareg's ancestral land...
Cold and High-Altitude Environments
Why are some places considered to be extreme environments?
7. Introduction to Cold and Mountainous Environments 7a) COMPLETE: Worksheet - Intro to Cold Environments Use the maps below to complete the task above 7b) READ: - Koppen Climate Classification (to right on screen) - Link to the Global Distribution of Glaciers - Link to the World's Tallest Mountain Peaks 7c) REVIEW: Key Definitions Cold Environments PPT High-Altitude, Polar, Glacial, Peri-Glacial |
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8. The Location of
Cold & High Altitude Environments 8a) REVIEW: Why are cold environments distributed where they are? Distribution of Cold Environments PPT AND 8b) READ: The Global Distribution of Cold Environments to find out! - Summarize the 5 key additional reasons - Describe 3 reasons why climate changes - Add description of 'fold mountain' distribution and formation to your notes |
How do physical processes create unique landscapes in extreme environments?
9. Processes & Landforms of Peri-Glacial Environments 9a. REVIEW: Intro to Permafrost and Peri-Glacial Environments PPT Terms to understand: insolation, continuous permafrost, discontinuous permafrost, sporadic permafrost, active layer, talik 9b. REVIEW: Landforms of Peri-Glacial Environments PPT Overview Terms to understand: pingo, thermokarst, freeze-thaw, frost-heave, solifliction, patterned ground, stone polygons, ice wedges 9c. COMPLETE: Landforms of Peri-Glacial Environments Worksheet |
Continuous vs. Discontinuous Permafrost: What is Sporadic Permafrost? |
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9e. Links to further reading on peri-glacial landforms:
Physical Geography: Peri-Glacial Fundamentals
CoolGeography: Periglacial Processes
The Physical Characteristics of Glacial and Peri-Glacial Environments
9e. Links to further reading on peri-glacial landforms:
Physical Geography: Peri-Glacial Fundamentals
CoolGeography: Periglacial Processes
The Physical Characteristics of Glacial and Peri-Glacial Environments
What is the power of different stakeholders to extract economic value from extreme environments?
10. Building on Permafrost:
Mineral Extraction & the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline 10a. READ: Building on Permafrost Article Provide a brief summary of the article using the question headings in the article as structure. Why is understanding permafrost important? 10b. READ The Trans-Alaskan Pipeline Which characteristics present challenges for mineral extraction? How was the pipeline built to ensure it's stability? Describe these key characteristics using details from the article: - zig-zag pattern - refrigeration posts - vertical movement - aluminum radiators - horizontal movement - fiberglass insulation |
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11. Sustainable Human Activity: Peri-Glacial Environments 11a) REVIEW: Sustainability & Oil Drilling PPT Overview 11b) READ: What Obama's Drilling Ban Means for Alaska and the Arctic "With state revenues declining, Alaska wants more oil. Obama is pushing back—a little." 11c) Additional Reading: Impacts of Resource Extraction Timeline: BP's History of Problems in Alaska BP Pipeline Leaks Oily Mixture Onto Alaskan Tundra EXTENSIONS Reading: Greenland Needs Money: Is An Uranium Mine the Answer? |
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What are the future possibilities for managing extreme environments and their communities?
12. Sustainability in Cold Environments: Climate Change
12a) REVIEW: Climate Change in Peri-Glacial Environments PPT 12b) READ: Global Climate Change: How Do We Know? "The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is very likely human-induced and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in the past 1,300 years." Consequences include Decreased snow cover, glacial retreat, declining Arctic sea ice, warming oceans, global temperature rise and sea level rise... 12c)UNDERSTAND: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment Report (LINK) - Impacts to Animals and Their Habitats P6 - Impacts to Indigenous Populations (Hunting/Cultural Heritage) P7 - Impacts of Thawing Permafrost on Coastal Erosion P8 - Impacts of Thawing Permafrost on Human Activity P9 - Impact of New Sea Routes P12 12d) Climate Change Impact on Arctic Wildlife (WWF) |
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13. Human Adaptability in Extreme Polar Environments
13a) Antarctica: A Year on Ice Film (Trailer to right) "A visually stunning chronicle of what it is like to live in Antarctica for a full year, including winters isolated from the rest of the world, and enduring months of darkness in the coldest place on Earth." (IMDB) How have humans adapted to extreme environments? What makes human settlement in polar environments difficult? 13b) The Closest Thing on Earth to a Mission to Mars (CNN Article) "The buildings lie at the southern-most tip of the Earth, on a plateau 3,200 meters above sea level. Other than their occupants, the nearest human beings are 600 kilometers away, making it more remote than the International Space Station." What physical characteristics make inhabiting Antarctica a challenge? |
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