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Overview:
One of the growing debates of the 21st century is how to help the earth sustain the economic growth, expansion, and pressure we are exerting on its natural resources.
This lesson will examine the conflict between development and the environment, and the attempts for a sound compromise. Using estuaries as a case study, students will be encouraged to consider the interaction between environmental and economic demands, and to seek a balance that will protect both the estuarine habitat and economic growth.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, economics, biology
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 11: "The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth's surface"
Standard 14: "How human actions modify the physical environment"
Standard 18: "How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future"
Time:
Two to three hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Wall map of the United States, North America, or the world
- Blank Xpeditions outline map of the United States
- Writing and drawing materials
Objectives:
Students will
- learn about the environmental and economic importance of estuaries;
- consider the conflicts that arise because of the many uses of estuaries;
- research a specific estuary and the problems and solutions that have developed around it; and
- suggest compromises that might be made in order to protect both estuaries and economic development.
Geographic Skills:
Asking Geographic Questions
Acquiring 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:
What do the Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound, and Breton Sound have in common? They are all estuaries, but also major transportation and economic zones in the United States. Near each of these estuaries is at least one large metropolitan area, such as Baltimore, Washington D.C., Seattle, or New Orleans.
In small groups, ask students to review these Web sites and discuss the questions that follow.
National Geographic: Geography Action! 2003—Habitats
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Department of the Navy: Habitats—Estuaries
EPA: National Estuary Program
Estuaries.gov: About Estuaries
IRPT (Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals)
NOAA: Coastal Services Center—How Much is This Beach Worth?
Restore America's Estuaries
Save the Bay: People for the Narragansett Bay
Environmental issues:
- What are the specific ecological characteristics of estuaries (e.g., brackish water or low species diversity)?
- What kinds of plants and animals live in estuaries?
- What kinds of human activities impact estuaries (e.g., fishing, transportation, mining, dredging, or recreation)? What are their specific effects? Are they all negative?
- From an environmental perspective, why should we care what happens to estuaries?
- What impacts might over-harvesting fisheries have upon the estuarine ecosystem?
- What are some of the signs that an estuary is in trouble as a habitat?
Economic issues:
- How might proximity to major cities impact estuaries?
- What kinds of professions are dependent upon estuaries in some way? Be specific.
- Which economic activities depend upon the ecological sustainability of estuaries?
- From an economic perspective, why should we care what happens to estuaries?
- To what degree should economic activity dictate the outcome of estuaries? Is it when costs to improve the ecosystem exceed that of the profits earned from the transportation, fishing, and mining?
Closing:
Bring the class back together and discuss what students have learned about estuaries. Do they feel differently after their research than they did before? In other words, are there students who initially felt that it was not important to protect the delicate ecosystem of estuaries but now feel differently? Are there others who did not realize that the economy in many regions depends upon estuaries, and now understand that nature and human activities must find a way to work in balance?
Suggested Student Assessment:
Using what they have learned in their research, have students work in pairs and choose an estuary from the EPA's National Estuary Program map. Ask them to do further research in the library or on the Internet to find out more about the estuary they chose. They should also color in the area they are studying using an Xpeditions blank outline atlas map of the United States.
Ask each pair to write two articles with contrasting points of view. One article should argue the importance of preserving and restoring the estuary, and the other should emphasize the importance of economic development in the same area. Students don't need to divide the tasks completely—they can work together to write both articles, as long as each article is convincing in its point of view. They should highlight specific issues that affect the estuary they have chosen to study.
Have students share their articles with each other and discuss the following questions:
- What are the common issues that seem to emerge from the discussion of their articles?
- What are the middle ground solutions? Did students find examples of ways in which opposing views about estuaries were integrated into positive solutions for all involved?
Extending the Lesson:
- Have students form small groups and engage in debates about the issues in this lesson. Each person in the group might take on a different role; here are some examples:
- Environmentalist
- Politician
- Government official in state's tourism department
- Miner
- Commercial fisherman
- Due to the complexity of the estuarine environment, large political influences may be involved to determine what is best for local estuaries. Have your students speak to local political and non-governmental (i.e. non-profit organizations) and see what is being done to protect (and restore, if applicable) the environmental quality of local estuaries. This same activity can be applied to watersheds, if students do not live near an estuarine environment.
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