By the end of this unit, students will understand that "environmental abuse has serious consequences.
Its causes need to be tackled to ensure a more sustainable future" ( IGSCE Geography Detailed Curriculum)
1. FRAGILE ENVIRONMENTS INTRODUCTION:
1a. Introduction to Fragile Environments: Understanding Humans Environmental Impact Powerpoint
1b. First "Options" Homework: You can complete in any creative way as long as all elements are present.
Link: World Wildlife Federation's "Terrestrial Ecoregions" (similar to biomes)
Using the link above, choose an ecoregion from the site and record in your own words:
a) a short description of the ecoregion (incl. climate, temperature, rainfall, flora and fauna, using specific examples)
b) the "sensitivity to disturbance" or how much the ecoregion has the potential to be affected by human activity
c) a brief description of how EXACTLY your ecoregion has been affected by human activity (ex: deforestation in Brazilian Amazon)
*** You must use at least one other additional source and include the citation***
Ecoregion Overview Due: Thursday August 3rd
2. SUSTAINABILITY AND OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT:
2a. Sustainability and Our Ecological Footprint Powerpoint
A definition of sustainability may be.. "actions that meet the needs of the present without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs..."
2b. Your Ecological Footprint Calculator: Take the Quiz!
"How much land area does it take to support your lifestyle? Take this quiz to find out your Ecological Footprint, discover your biggest areas of resource consumption, and learn what you can do to tread more lightly on the earth" - The Footprint Network
Topic One: Soil Erosion and Desertification
3. SOIL EROSION AND DESERTIFICATION
3a. Soil Erosion Overview PPT
What is soil erosion?
What two natural processes cause soil erosion?
Which human processes cause soil erosion?
3b. Desertification Overview PPT
What is desertification?
What physical processes cause desertification?
What human processes cause desertification?
3a. Soil Erosion Overview PPT
What is soil erosion?
What two natural processes cause soil erosion?
Which human processes cause soil erosion?
3b. Desertification Overview PPT
What is desertification?
What physical processes cause desertification?
What human processes cause desertification?
4. CONSEQUENCES OF DESERTIFICATION:
4a. Battle Royale.... Today we work on your arguments. You will be assigned a 'consequence of desertification' below and have 20 minutes to record the most important arguments in your workbook. At random, you will be called to argue your point against an opponent. You must... 1. Define your term (you can use other websites). 2. Explain the consequences for: - Local people (in the Sahel countries worst hit) - The region (Sahel) or continent (Africa) - The Global Community (World) See the Consequence links below: 1. Climate Change 2. Environmental Refugees 3. Malnutrition 4. Famine |
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5. SOIL EROSION AND DESERTIFICATION: MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
5a. Strategies to Manage Soil Erosion: Permaculture and Terracing PPT
5b. Africa's Great Green Wall: Global Environment Facility - Investing in Our Planet
5c. Managing Desertification in the Sahel: Senegal (planting trees - A Great Green Wall), Ethiopia (grazing techniques)
Create a table in your notebook to illustrate the following strategies
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Topic Two: Deforestation
6. DEFORESTATION;
WHAT IS IT AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? 6a. "Dear Future Generations: Sorry" By Prince Ea At what rate are we losing our trees? What does this video argue for? How are climate change, soil erosion and deforestation related? 6b. The New York Times One Pager - please complete the One Pager using a line from the video " Dear Future Generations" 6c. Introduction to the Amazon PPT |
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7. DEFORESTATION: CASE STUDY BRAZIL 7a. Deforestation in Brazil PPT 7b. Case Study: Santarem Brazil Read P95 Essential Mapwork Skills - Complete Questions 1 and 2 in class |
8. DEFORESTATION: CASE STUDY COLOMBIA
8a. Deforestation in Columbia Overview PPT
Case Study: La Colosa - READ this OVERVIEW!
Mining in the Amazon - Further Information
8b. Your Roles: Read the following articles and take notes on your character's concerns, motivations, and goals.
Columbian Government
Greenpeace Environmental Group
Anglo Gold Ashanti (AGA)
Local Residents
Columbia Eco-Travel
Cajamarca Farmers
8c. Your Mission: Due to the extreme controversy surrounding the proposed development of the new gold mine in the Tolima district of Columbia, the government has agreed to hold a meeting where all parties can argue their case for whether the mine should go forward.
You will have five minutes to argue your case and a five minute window to respond to other's concerns.
Two people will be responsible for the opening and two for the response. In the opening statement you must provide:
1. an introduction (who you are)
2. opening statement (your position on the mine)
3. goals (what you want to happen)
4. consequences (what will happen if the mining goes forward, particularly with regard to the consequences of deforestation?)
RUBRIC: Town Hall Presentation and Reflection
Reflection:
1) Summarize the four main Points of View discussed in class today.
2) Outline your personal opinion (not your characters) of whether the mine at La Colosa should go forward
8. (continued) CONSEQUENCES OF DEFORESTATION:
You are a reporter for the National Geographic and your publisher has asked you to write an article on the consequences of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. You have already researched what causes deforestation and why the Amazon is cleared at a rate of 40 football fields per minute. Now you will research what will happen if we don't stop it! Watch the video and pretend you are the reporter on the trip. What do you find? *** Include a short definition of deforestation and its causes, one additional consequence not included in the video and two pictures or maps in your article. |
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9. DEFORESTATION SOLUTIONS
9a. Managing Deforestation Powerpoint 9b. Deforestation Management Solutions in Malaysia's Peninsula Selective Logging in Malaysia: "Wider World" Textbook, pg. 238-240 9c. Managing Deforestation in the Amazon: Greenpeace, Sustainable Rainforest Rubber, and Surveillance Why do we need these solutions? In your table describe the who, what, where, when, and how of stopping deforestation |
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UN REDD+ Program: Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (in developing countries)
9d. The last strategy for managing deforestation is the UN-REDD+ program. This is a program led by the United Nations which focuses on managing deforestation in developing countries. The UN wants to manage deforestation because forests are a carbon sink - meaning they store carbon emitted from the atmosphere and reduce the global warming effect. Watch the videos below and complete the following tasks.
First Video:
- WATCH the first video below through once without recording anything.
- WATCH the video A SECOND TIME and record all the countries in the 'global south' participating in the program
- RECORD ALSO who, what, where, when, and how, and two new columns: how much, and how will it work
Second Video:
- WATCH the second video below through once without recording anything.
- WATCH the video a SECOND TIME and DECIDE whether UN-REDD+ is sustainable.
- Write a short paragraph describing WHY or WHY NOT. We will discuss in class...
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Topic Three: Climate Change
10. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT: CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING
10a. The Greenhouse Effect Video: What Are the Three Greenhouse Gases? What Happens with the Sun's Rays Fall On Earth? What is Global Warming? Why is it Occuring? 10b. Human Vs. Natural Causes PPT 10c. Complete the Two Tasks Below: a) Sort Natural and Manmade Causes into Two Columns b) Draw and label the Greenhouse Effect Diagram 10c. Excellent Interactive Review: What's Really Warming the World? |
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11. THE CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBAL WARMING
11a. Watch James Balog, National Geographic Photographer, investigate climate change in documentary "Chasing Ice"
- is climate change real? how do we know?
- why did J.B. find it necessary to photograph ice?
- what is E.I.S., where does it operate and what are its goals?
- why did Balog create the E.I.S?
- name and describe two consequences of climate change
- why is the E.I.S. important in our present and in history?
- what is calving?
- why do some have trouble understanding climate change?
11b. Complete this Climate Change Interactive from Channel One News and answer the following questions:
a) Where has the earth been warming the most over the past 114 years?
b) What country is the biggest emitter of carbon today and how much do they produce? Where have carbon emissions actually decreased?
c) How much carbon emissions does the whole world produce?
d) Where has the Arctic ice melted the most (ie: which areas of the Arctic)?
e) How much did sea levels rise between 1997 and 2006? Between 2006 and 2014?
11c. Sketch a comic strip of the following scenario using the second Climate Change Interactive: Geography Rubric
Two scientists in a lab are having a debate about the natural versus human causes of climate change.
It is your task to complete a Graphic Comic Strip of at least 8 columns depicting this debate.
Comic must include:
detailed facts (see below), colour/shading, and title.
- Earth's Orbit
- Sunspots/Solar Storms
- Volcanoes
- Greenhouse Gases
12. CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
12a. Just like James Balog and his images of melting ice caps, we can see images of change throughout the face of the planet. Have a look at NASA's Images of Change (there are over 300!) for an idea of more about what we can expect from the planet.
12b. The consequences of climate change are many and could be disastrous for humans (and the planet)! See the 20 Deadliest Effects of Global Warming to find out just what we can expect. Record all 20 consquences under one of these headings: HEALTH, NATURAL HAZARDS, WEATHER, HUMAN ACTIVITY, and ANIMAL LIFE. For each of the 20 consequences record one fact about the consequence to help you remember.
12c. For the Caribbean and S.I.D.S such as the Maldives, the immediate consequences of climate change will be more drastic than other countries. Read the articles below to come up with a list of what exactly the Bahamas can expect from an increase in temperature. You can work in pairs and skim articles to get the most detail, telling your partner what to write.
Climate Change Impacts and the Bahamas
Rising Sea Levels in the Bahamas
Bahamas Government on Impact of Climate Change
12. CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
12a. Just like James Balog and his images of melting ice caps, we can see images of change throughout the face of the planet. Have a look at NASA's Images of Change (there are over 300!) for an idea of more about what we can expect from the planet.
12b. The consequences of climate change are many and could be disastrous for humans (and the planet)! See the 20 Deadliest Effects of Global Warming to find out just what we can expect. Record all 20 consquences under one of these headings: HEALTH, NATURAL HAZARDS, WEATHER, HUMAN ACTIVITY, and ANIMAL LIFE. For each of the 20 consequences record one fact about the consequence to help you remember.
12c. For the Caribbean and S.I.D.S such as the Maldives, the immediate consequences of climate change will be more drastic than other countries. Read the articles below to come up with a list of what exactly the Bahamas can expect from an increase in temperature. You can work in pairs and skim articles to get the most detail, telling your partner what to write.
Climate Change Impacts and the Bahamas
Rising Sea Levels in the Bahamas
Bahamas Government on Impact of Climate Change
The Island President
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13. CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS:
13a. Solutions: Adaptation and Prevention PPT 13b. Carbon Capture and Storage: Take the Quiz! You've heard about carbon capture and storage, but how much do you really know about the developing technology that seeks to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuels? 13c. Bahamas Environmental Policy on Climate Change - Here! " The Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas accepts the findings of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and of other expert scientific bodies, that global temperatures are increasing due to the release of so-called “greenhouse gases” (GHGs) into the atmosphere as a result of the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities..." |
14. UN Climate Change Conference (Paris) Role Play
Our final climate conference encompasses everything we learned in this unit, put to good use in a simulation of a simple UN Conference on Climate Change. Students are assigned a country to represent and must complete a two minute speech which meets a set of criteria. They must be knowledgeable enough about their country so they can speak further in class. They must understand the measures their country has taken to combat climate change since the last meeting in Copenhagen in 2009 and previously, the Kyoto Protocol written and ratified in Kyoto, Japan 1992.
14a. Please see the Rubric for UN Climate Change Conference Here.
14b. The REAL 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference COP21 Nov.30 - Dec. 11, 2015
Read the Articles below and answer the following questions:
China Says it Will Cut Power Emissions
Which Countries Are Doing the Most to Stop Global Warming?
Use the slideshow (1 to 6) to complete the following
Christie Again Speaks Out on Climate Change
Our final climate conference encompasses everything we learned in this unit, put to good use in a simulation of a simple UN Conference on Climate Change. Students are assigned a country to represent and must complete a two minute speech which meets a set of criteria. They must be knowledgeable enough about their country so they can speak further in class. They must understand the measures their country has taken to combat climate change since the last meeting in Copenhagen in 2009 and previously, the Kyoto Protocol written and ratified in Kyoto, Japan 1992.
14a. Please see the Rubric for UN Climate Change Conference Here.
14b. The REAL 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference COP21 Nov.30 - Dec. 11, 2015
Read the Articles below and answer the following questions:
China Says it Will Cut Power Emissions
- What has Beijing been experiencing this week? How might this motivate China at the conference?
- What two targets has China promised?
Which Countries Are Doing the Most to Stop Global Warming?
Use the slideshow (1 to 6) to complete the following
- Without new action on carbon emissions, which countries will emit the most in the future?
- Which countries have pledged to cut the most emissions?
- Which countries stand to emit the most even with pledges?
- Which countries have the largest average carbon footprint per person?
- Provide a summary on what measures this country will take to reduce their emissions.
- Will this be enough? Why or why not?
Christie Again Speaks Out on Climate Change
- What three things does Christie argue should be done at the conference?
- What does Christie argue should be 'honoured and built upon' in the post-2020 era?
- What is the ultimate goal of the COP21 meeting?
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