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Overview:
Contemporary curricula strongly emphasize the study of tropical rainforests. However, much of Earth's tropics consists of less familiar habitats such as tropical dry forests, tropical deciduous forests, and spiny desert, all of which differ markedly from the tropical rain forests. Mark Olson, a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, is a botanist whose research is focused on the endangered vegetation of the world's dry tropical habitats.
In this lesson, students will learn about Olson's efforts to identify extinct or nearly extinct plants, and consider the issues surrounding conservation efforts in a variety of contexts. Students will compare the perspectives of those who are most intensely involved in both wildlife conservation and agriculture, and form an opinion as to what might be done to reconcile their conflicting priorities. Students will research two sides of a specific issue and construct arguments supporting specific viewpoints.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, social studies, science
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 6: "How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions"
Standard 8: "The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface"
Standard 14: "How human actions modify the physical environment"
Time:
Three to four hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Writing materials
- World map
Objectives:
Students will
- learn about the life and work of Mark Olson;
- explain how Olson's cultural and life experiences influence his perceptions of plants and plant study;
- identify the cultural and experiential influences on people's perceptions of tropical regions and their plant life; and
- compare and contrast information on conservation and agriculture to form an opinion about how to resolve a specific conflict over plant preservation.
Geographic Skills:
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Answering Geographic Questions
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Bring a plant to school, and tell students to imagine that this is the last existing specimen of this plant on Earth. Ask students for their reactions to your statement, and record their responses on the board. When everyone wishing to share their thoughts has done so, initiate a discussion of students' reactions. Tell students that in this lesson they will learn about a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, Mark Olson, and his work on the study and conservation of near-extinct plant species.
Development:
Introduce students to Mark Olson by having them watch a brief interview video and then read a profile of his life and work.
Ask for students' reactions to the information they saw, heard, and read about Olson. Does his career choice sound like something they would like to do? Why or why not? Ask students to identify ways in which Olson's early life, education, and cultural experiences influenced his talents and his career choice.
Activity 1:
Show students a copy of the world map from the Xpeditions Atlas by using an overhead or LCD projector. Highlight the world's tropical region on the map. Have students visit Mark Olson's images of dry tropical habitat to learn about the plants and animals that live there.
Activity 2:
Have students read the article Scaring Up "Ghost Plants" in Mexico. The article describes some specific expeditions he undertook to find rare plant species. Draw students' attention to Olson's search for slipper spurge, or Pedilanthus tomentellus, and his description of the inadvertent destruction of the species as farmers pulled it up to plant their crops. Ask students whether restrictions should have been placed on these farmers to prevent the total loss of the species, and whether such regulations would be justified in the situation described. Do they think the farmers considered the effects of their actions? Why or why not?
Activity 3:
To learn more about the pressures and competing interests between local human populations and wildlife, have students read Agriculture, Biodiversity Protection Must Co-Exist in Conservation, Study Says. Students should look for examples of conflicting needs and create a chart to show how conservation issues can have different effects on different actors in a conflict—humans, animals, and plants.
Have students meet in small groups to discuss the issues raised in their research. Have them consider the ways conservation efforts may conflict with industrial or agricultural needs—particularly the immediate economic needs of populations in areas considered vital by conservationists.
Activity 4:
Challenge groups to relate the issues they have discussed to an issue of local interest (e.g., manufacturing vs. air quality, coal mining vs. natural resource preservation, commercial forestry vs. the protection of endangered species, development vs. the preservation of open space, etc.). Give the groups time to conduct research on one of these local issues and identify the multiple perspectives inherent to it.
In their research, students should attempt to remain as objective as possible, and look for evidence to support each of the multiple perspectives inherent to their chosen issue. When they have finished collecting evidence, instruct students to prepare a series of editorials for their newspaper—each one advocating a particular perspective they have examined.
Closing:
Allow each group to present its set of editorials by reading them aloud. Ask them to identify the conflicts they faced when formulating their perspectives. Summarize the concepts of balancing short-term costs and benefits with long-term ones (e.g., economic, cultural, etc.). Be sure to consider the influence that people's cultural- and life-experiences have on their perspectives.
Suggested Student Assessment:
As students prepare and deliver their speeches, look for evidence of their understanding of the key concepts.
Extending the Lesson:
- Have students contact conservation or industry groups to gather more perspectives on the issue they selected. The conservation groups in "Related Links" have contact information students can use to write letters or email for further information. When students are satisfied with their research and able to form a strong opinion in favor of one perspective or another, have them write letters to their editors, or a state or local legislative body, taking a position on the issue.
- Have students explore National Geographic's Nature and Conservation resources to find a conservation issue they would like to explore further. Have students choose an issue on which to do an independent study and present their findings to the class. Work with students individually to define study and presentation parameters.
Related Links:
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