Can People Save the Land?

Apr 20 2011

Source: janskier

Summary Information

Keywords:

soil conservation, arable land, erosion, desertification, scarcity

Topic:

Earth Science

Target Grade (Ages):

Grade 8 (Ages 13-14)

Estimated Time Required:

2-3 hours

Diversity Indicators:

All learners

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LESSON

Goals and Prerequisites

Goals:

To examine the relationship between land preservation and human behavior
To illustrate successful approaches to reversing desertification

Prerequisites:

Students should have an understanding of:

Sustainable grazing, logging, and/or mining
Public land management
Human impact on natural resources
Soil composition
Forest Regeneration

Instructional Objective(s)

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Explain the unintended consequences of harvesting natural resources from an ecosystem
Identify natural and human activities that impact the cycling of matter and the flow of energy through ecosystems
Compare over time the impact of human activity on the cycling of matter and energy through ecosystems
Explain how the climate in regions throughout the world is affected by seasonal weather patterns, as well as other factors, such as the addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and proximity to mountain ranges and to the ocean
Describe how human activities have changed earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere, as well as its populations of plant and animal species
Assess how the natural environment has changed since humans have inhabited the region
Explain that people respond to incentives to preserve scarce resources.

Instructional Resources

Background:

Before teaching this lesson, the teacher should be familiar with the concepts of:

Economic concept of "the Commons"
Sustainable grazing, logging, and/or mining
Public land management
Human impact on natural resources
Soil composition
Forest Regeneration

Assets may be viewed at the end of the written segment or throughout the lesson at the teacher's discretion.

Materials:

Teacher Erosion Project Instructions
Erosion Student Handout
Research Rubric
Role Play Activity Rubric
Computers with Internet access
Headphones
Classroom projector
Screen

Erosion Student Handout (DOCX)

Research Rubric (xls)

Role Play Activity Rubric (xls)

Teacher Erosion Project Instructions (docx)

Procedure:

Teacher Introductory Narrative

I would like you to think about two very different countries. One you have heard about a lot on the news, Haiti. It is a Caribbean island that is almost completely devoid of trees. According to a recent UNESCO report:

The island's coastal plains, where the bulk of agricultural activity normally occurs, are bordered on one side by mountain slopes which are denuded of trees by the production of charcoal (the country's main source of domestic energy)… As well, the uncontrolled exploitation of land resources results in excessive erosion and sedimentation in the watershed areas as well as along the coastline, where such practices in turn affect the development of coastal resources. The pressures of industrial development and increasing tourism are likely to increase in the near future.

The other country is the Dominican Republic, also in the Caribbean, but it is a lush tropical island with extensive trees and forests. From 1992 to 1999 the Dominican Republic was among the fastest growing economies in the world, registering annual GDP growth rates in excess of 6 percent. (See: http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/wid/pubs/DominicanRepublic_Economic_Snapshot_Dec2005.pdf)

What are some possible reasons these two countries could be so different? (Discuss with students.) Perhaps you might be surprised to learn that these two countries are physically part of the same island!

Procedure

Follow Erosion Student Handout (and/or use Teacher Erosion Project Instructions.)
Role Play Extension (See Extension section below.)

Extensions

Role Play Activity

Students will be assigned to groups of 4-5. Students will assume the roles of stakeholders in the problem of desertification:

Head of Family
Community Members
Government Official
Group Spokesperson

Students will discuss the problem of desertification. They will create a list of alternative approaches and concrete suggestions based on the perspective of their character. The findings will be shared with and discussed by the class.

Current and Historical Map Comparison Activity

Obtain free PDF maps from US Geological Society, both current and historical. Have students compare maps and document changes in land use and human encroachment on the land.

Assessments and Rubrics

Research Rubric (xls)

Role Play Activity Rubric (xls)

External Resources

U.S. Government report on Haiti: www.unesco.org/csi/act/haiti/project7.htm
USAID report on Dominican Republic: www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/wid/pubs/DominicanRepublic_Economic_Snapshot_Dec2005.pdf
Voice of America 2-minute video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mUhtFe2ApE
AlJazeera report on food crisis in Sahel region: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmcEC7N9L_M&feature=related
AlJazeera News report on Niger, with some political overtones: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhrWCGllku4
http://www.greenfacts.org/en/desertification/index.htm#4
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/desertification/
New York Times article about desertification reversal in Niger: www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/world/africa/11niger.html?pagewanted=all
US Geological Society (Topographic, geologic, hydrologic and other maps of quadrangle areas, counties, states, the US, other countries, the world, the Moon, planets. Includes maps from non-USGS sources like USDA Forest Service, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Bureau of Land Management, and others): www.usgs.gov/pubprod/maps.html

Credits

Original Lesson Plan by Jan Weber, MBA, MA

RESOURCES

Original Resources

Erosion Student Handout (DOCX)

Rubrics

Research Rubric (xls)

Role Play Activity Rubric (xls)

Worksheets

Teacher Erosion Project Instructions (docx)

Contributed Resources

Contribute a Resource

Click the button above if you would like to contribute a resource to this lesson.

STANDARDS

Click here to add Standards

New Jersey State Standards

Standard Type: State New Jersey

New Jersey State

Earth Systems Science - Biogeochemical Cycles

5.4.12.G. Compare over time the impact of human activity on the cycling of matter and energy through ecosystems
5.4.12.G.Assess (using maps, local planning documents, and historical records) how the natural environment has changed since humans have inhabited the region.

Your rating

Average: 4 (1 vote)

Comments

John Tracey

Permalink

April 27, 2011 - 8:14pm

Excellent, this will really

Excellent, this will really work well in my class

mfrank78

Permalink

April 27, 2011 - 8:14pm

Thank you for the large list

Thank you for the large list of resources/links

Jeanne

Permalink

April 27, 2011 - 8:14pm

This is an activity that I

This is an activity that I can use in my class, even though my students are younger.

kscolari

New York, New York, United States

Permalink

March 17, 2012 - 5:48pm

Showed that human Impact is not always negative

The focus for this lesson is very interesting and shows students that there are ways that people can make a difference toward making their community more sustainable. Though we encourage students to do their part to make their lives and their communities more sustainable, it often seems that they have the feeling that they cannot make change in this area. TThe erosion student handout and the article about Niger also required students to link the Earth Science topics to a current issue, which makes the topics more applicable. Even if students cannot directly relate to these topics, with this example they are able to see the causes of desertification, and by giving students this concrete example of how the people of Niger were able to reverse desertification through their own actions, students can be empowered. I like that you had students role-play and assume different points of view in order to explore the issue further and develop their own suggestions. I would have liked to see students be required to come up with more of an action plan so that they have to think through all of the criteria and contraints present and how their suggestions meet them and would be implemented. Overall, I really like this and plan to adapt some of your ideas into my own lessons that focus around sustainability.

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Excellent, this will really

Thank you for the large list

This is an activity that I

Showed that human Impact is not always negative

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Keywords:

Target Grade (Ages):

Estimated Time Required:

Diversity Indicators:

Tab Wrapper

Goals:

Prerequisites:

Background:

Materials:

Procedure:

Original Resources

Rubrics

Worksheets

Contributed Resources

Comments

Excellent, this will really

Thank you for the large list

This is an activity that I

Showed that human Impact is not always negative