Note: Teacher’s notes are in red.

Students will gain understanding of the interdependence of the people and other elements within watersheds; learn to balance geopolitical issues of water use; and engage in the democratic process. (The lesson may take three or four class periods.)

Your Mission
“Get ready, get set, go!” River conservation isn’t a race, at least not the kind in which you compete against other athletes. Protecting rivers is a race against time, and it’s a race we all need to “run” together. The sooner you get started, the better. So, get ready, get set, go!

Subjects: Geography, Social Studies

Relevant U.S. National Geography Standards: 14, 15, 16

Materials

• Student handout: “To Dam, or Not To Dam?”
• Student handout: “Characters in Geographia”
• Student art handout: “The State of Geographia”
• (Download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files.)

Get Ready . . .
If students aren’t familiar with the river system diagram, have them review it, and briefly discuss watersheds. (National Geographic Society)

What does “saving” a river mean? Because every river is different, there can be as many ways to save rivers as there are rivers. To protect your interests in your river, it’s important to understand watersheds and the interdependence of people and elements within them. As population increases, so does the demand for fresh water. If you can identify and understand the positive and negative aspects of changing the environment, you can help develop solutions that benefit everyone concerned.

Many real-life situations that involve pollution and issues of water use create political, social, and economic problems within a watershed. In this activity you’ll focus on an imaginary river whose pollution and water-use problems echo real-life scenarios.

. . . Get Set . . .
Give students copies of the three student handouts. Cut apart one copy of the character descriptions so that each description is on a separate slip of paper. Assign a pair of students to each role, and give each pair their character description. Each pair will research and role-play that character.

To research their character online, students can link to student Web sites for this activity, and to the “Big Dams, Big Dilemmas” activity.

If students don’t have access to a computer, you can print out information from:

• Related Student Web Sites for this activity
• Related Educator Web Sites for this activity
• “Big Dams, Big Dilemmas” Student Web sites
• “Big Dams, Big Dilemmas” Educator Web sites

The day before the debate, allow each pair of students two or three minutes to present their character’s viewpoint to the class. The teacher or a student should facilitate the meeting. Afterward, have students display any visual materials.

If you have access to a lectern, put it at the front of the classroom for the debate. Give students five to ten minutes to propose specific strategies, and list all of their ideas on the board. Then open the floor for a half hour of debate and discussion. Speakers can briefly present arguments for or against any of the ideas listed on the board. They may present new evidence to support or reject any of the ideas, and they are welcome to form or announce alliances. No one may speak unless he or she has the floor; the teacher or a designated student should moderate. When the debate is complete, have all students vote on the options.

You and another student will play the role of one of the people who live near the Mishimarkee River, in the state of Geographia. The governor of Geographia has proposed that a dam be built on the Mishimarkee. (Download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files.) Your team, along with the other characters in this fictional scenario, will debate the pros and cons of building the dam. Your goal will be to reach mutually beneficial solutions for everyone concerned.

First, research your character, using general conservation information, and information about dams. You may create charts, graphs, maps, or other visual displays to help others understand your character’s point of view. (Read the descriptions of the other characters, too, since you’re allowed to ally with other characters during the debate.)

To prepare for the debate, read the scenario and study your character, then consider questions such as:

• What exactly does your character want? Does he or she want the dam? Why or why not?
• What is a reasonable plan for you to obtain what you want?
• How can you persuade others to go along with your plan?
• Where are you willing to compromise?
• People throughout Geographia are concerned that cleaning the Mishimarkee River could raise taxes and lower food and energy production. Is there more than one way to pay for the water treatment that’s needed upstream?
• Are there ways to limit environmental damage from the use of pesticides?
• Can both sides of one issue work for environmental protection without putting people out of work?

. . . Save Your River!
Knowing how river systems work, being aware of issues, and having concern for your river—all these are important. But the most important thing of all is to...

Take Action—Geography Action!
If students want to monitor a local river, Building Environmental Education Solutions (BEES) has guidelines. Students can add their data to BEES’ online database and compare their results with those of other students. (Building Environmental Education Solutions, Inc.)

Students can take part in “Save Our Streams,” a grassroots river conservation program that’s been monitoring water quality for more than 30 years. Click on “Stream Doctor.” (Izaak Walton League of America)

Choose from a menu of activities you can do at home, at school, in your community, or on your computer. Online, you can test your conservation management skills in a Watershed Game or locate your watershed address and learn the status of your river’s health. Or pay your river a visit and do a macroinvertebrate count, an indicator of river health. Or stencil “Do Not Dump” on a storm drain. If you’re concerned about a river in your state, write to your congressman or senators. You can find the Congressional Directory here. (National Geographic Society) (National Wildlife Federation)

Whatever you decide to do, tell us about it! Fill out the Geography Action! survey, and learn what other students are doing for rivers!

“Mishimarkee River” activity adapted from “Guard That Watershed,” in the 1992 Geography Awareness Week’s teacher’s handbook. © 1992 National Geographic Society. Illustration by Barbara L. Gibson.

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Photographs (left to right): Thomson River, Longreach, Queensland, Australia, by Roff Martin Smith; Australia, by R. Ian Lloyd

Illustration (right): Dragonfly, copyright Corbis

© 2001 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.