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Overview:
Water is an all-important resource for human and other life. On the vast Eurasian continent, access to water is of vital importance. In some inland areas, human and physical processes have further limited the quality and supply of water. This lesson plan uses China's water issues as case studies to examine the delicate balance between using resources to improve the standard of living for citizens and preserving resources to protect natural biodiversity and environment. Students will conduct their own case studies on important water resources, such as the Aral Sea in Central Asia, to see how those resources have influenced the life cycles of countless generations of people and the flow of people, commerce, crops, and life in distinctly different regions in Asia.
This lesson is one in a series developed in collaboration with The Asia Society, with support from the Freeman Foundation, highlighting the geography and culture of Asia and its people.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, history, social studies, economics, science
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 6: "How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions"
Standard 7: "The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface"
Standard 14: "How human actions modify the physical environment"
Standard 15: "How physical systems affect human systems"
Time:
Three to five hours
Materials Required:
Objectives:
Students will
- describe the impact of bodies of water on people and cultures;
- research and analyze the current and future ecologic and geographic health of a body of water;
- develop a report that outlines, from a scientific and geographic perspective, what should be done to protect and preserve the water quality, surrounding air quality, and quality of life for people living beside or in close proximity to a body of water; and
- present the report and recommendations to a mock United Nations panel investigating water issues.
Geographic Skills:
Asking Geographic Questions
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:
Ask students to describe an environmental problem associated with a body of water. Accept all responses and write them on the board. If possible, encourage students to identify a local environmental problem. If students need prompting, explain that problems with bodies of water can include pollution, water flow, water quantity, catastrophic events, etc.
Explain to students that over the next several classes, they will be working in teams to conduct in-depth research into a problem with a body of water in Asia. They will then role-play the positions of researchers, scientists, community members, and world leaders to effectively evaluate the impact of the problem on the community. Then, students will present their findings to a mock United Nations panel for evaluation. Finally, students will present their findings to people actually involved in the decision-making process associated with their issue.
Show students the online BBC report "The World's Water Hotspots." Read to them the text from the China hotspot. Ask the students:
- What is the primary problem?
- Who are the primary people affected? Are they affected in a positive way or in a negative way?
- Who are the secondary people affected? Are they affected in a positive way or in a negative way?
- What are the positive consequences of the projects?
- What are the negative consequences of the projects?
Explain that they will be using these questions as a starting point for researching their water issues before presenting their findings to the panel.
Development:
Research
Divide students into groups of five. Explain that each student will be given a role in solving the issue. Tell students that when trying to solve an environmental problem, it is very important that all sides of the issue are represented. Their job is to research the perspective of the person they are representing. The roles are
- local member of the community affected by the environmental issue;
- local community leader;
- scientist;
- geographer; or
- representative from the national government.
Assign each group of students one of the following water hotspots to focus on during their investigation:
- Aral Sea (Central Asia)
- Ganges River (India)
- Tigres-Euphrates Rivers (Central Asia)
- Manavgat River (Turkey)
- United Nations Panel
The group assigned to the United Nations Panel should read briefly about each of the water issues and then develop a list of questions that can be used to promote deep discussions and authentic learning during the presentations.
The groups assigned to the water issues should begin their research by reading the information on the BBC report. Each student in the group should keep notes on their own copy of the Water Briefing Paper Template (PDF, Adobe Acrobat Reader required) to take notes from the perspective of their assigned role. Students should continue their research online using some of the sites listed in the Related Links section of this lesson.
Team members will be expected to conduct research using primary and secondary resources, databases, maps, and a wide variety Web sites, books, and articles.
Students should start by using National Geographic's MapMachine Student Edition and One-Stop Research, plus an academic Internet search engine, such as Teoma.com, to answer the questions on the Briefing Paper about their assigned body of water.
Presentation
Following the research phase of this project the groups should plan a presentation for the UN panel. These presentations should present each team's findings, analysis, and assessment of the current status or health of their assigned body of water. Additionally, each team should present recommendations concerning any issue included in their presentation. The presentations need to be outlined and organized around a theme to educate and help the panel members fully understand the issue.
Finally, as individuals and teams, students will deliver their presentations to the panel. Presenters should offer background and historical information that educates the panel about the body of water and environmental trends and changes. They should also report on the current status of the sea or river and make specific recommendations that address real issues (current and/or future) that face the nations and people who live near, depend upon or are affected by that body of water.
Closing:
Once the presentations and discussions have ended, lead a summative review of what students learned during the research, analytical, and presentation phases of the project. Ask questions that allow the students to use high-level thinking skills to synthesize new knowledge and explain what they have learned to their classmates. Additionally, interject specific textual passages and/or quotes from the scientific and geographic communities that will allow the students an opportunity to compare and contrast their own views with those held by leading authorities representing public and political entities.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Extending the Lesson:
The United Nation's Cyberschoolbus frequently has ongoing projects for classes to participate in such as the Pumped Up for Peace project. Check out the Cyberschoolbus site to learn about this and other projects related to environmental and water issues around the world. Related Links:
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