Sunday, September 29, 2019

Monday, September 30. 2019

Today's schedule is A-AG-BCD

A Block Physical Geography - Okay, so because of the Climate march on Friday (way to go and make some noise, by the way), we will continue with Thursday's work on earthquakes. I'll show you some video and then you'll have a series of questions to complete from the Geosystems text (14, 15, 16, & 19 from p. 412).

B Block Human Geography - Okay, so because of the Climate march on Friday (way to go and make some noise, by the way), we will continue with Thursday's work on renewable and non renewable energy sources connected to development.

C/D Blocks Environmental & Social Science - Okay, first things first. Your final assignment is to participate in a round table discussion about what a renegotiated Colorado River water compact should include, today. This is a discussion not necessarily a debate, so listening is really important.
Listening is an essential skill and an important element of any discussion. Effective listeners don't just hear what is being said - they think about it and actively process it. So,

  • Be an active listener and don't let your attention drift. Stay attentive and focus on what is being said.
  • Identify the main ideas being discussed. 
  • Evaluate what is being said. Think about how it relates to the main idea/ theme of the discussion. 
  • Listen with an open mind and be receptive to new ideas and points of view. Think about how they fit in with what you have already learned. 
  • Test your understanding. Mentally paraphrase what other speakers say. 
  • Ask yourself questions as you listen.
  • Take notes about things to which you could respond or that can be added to your knowledge. 

If you find it difficult to participate in seminar discussions, set yourself goals and aim to increase your contribution. An easy way to participate is to add to the existing discussion. Start by making small contributions: agree with what someone has said or; ask them to expand on their point (ask for an example or for more information); prepare a question to ask beforehand; answer question(s) put to the group; provide an example for a point under discussion; or disagree with a point.

Remember, instead of states you will be representing "user groups" (agriculture, municipalities, power generation, recreation, environmental organizations, Indigenous governments).

We will first ask each group to explain their point of view (how you use water, what you need and why) and then we will ask you to try to find a solution to increasing demand and dwindling supply.

For the second part of the round table (find a solution to increasing demand and dwindling supply), consider the following questions:
  • What re-allocation schemes are feasible (doable)?
  • What changes regarding allocations and water rights should be made?
  • How would these changes impact other stakeholders?
  • Are all the many uses of the Colorado River compatible? If not, what should the priorities be and why?
  • Are there fair ways to move water from one use to another?
During the remaining time we'll begin work on your first project of the year.
Water is our most precious natural resource. It is essential to life on Earth, for human populations and all other living organisms, for the survival of natural environments and ecosystems. It is also vital to human economic activity and industry. It is a finite resource insofar as there is a fixed amount of cycling and recycling on planet Earth. And this set amount is under constant threat of mismanagement, overuse and pollution, effectively reducing its availability, while worldwide demand for it increases. Like other natural resources, water is unevenly distributed around the globe, thus leading to unequal access to it and competition for it.
Poor management of this resource allows rivers and lakes to become squalid dumping grounds for wastes ranging from untreated sewage, mine leachate, chemicals and other industrial discharges to the contaminated fecal, pesticide and herbicide run-off from agriculture. Groundwater supplies are also subject to contamination, overuse and mismanagement. Global warming threatens regional water supply, but increases the demand for this resource. There is a world water crisis.
The UN Department for Policy Co-ordination and Sustainable Development believes that water should be seen as: 1) a vital element, necessary for survival; 2) a natural resource, of economic value; 3) an environmental resource, of common heritage to all, and 4) a cultural and spiritual resource.

So, if clean water is a scarce resource that could be considered a commodity and has also been deemed both a natural and a human right, what can be done to ease and even eliminate the conflict associated with clean water? You or you and a partner will need to research a case of water conflict around the world. Your task is to use available resources to answer the following questions, to be displayed on a poster board:


  1. Why is there a crisis over water in your area? What social and environmental factors do you think are contributing to the water crisis? What are common factors that go along with the water disputes, such as political instability, social unrest, economic downturn, heavy unemployment, civil warfare, etc.? 
  2. Who are the “players” or "stakeholders" in this conflict? What are their motives and interests in the water dispute?
  3. What is the water source in question (river, aqueduct, canal, watershed, tributary, reservoir, dam, etc.)? How large is the water source, and how large is the area through which the water source flows? Approximately how many people use this waterway as their main source of water?
  4. Where in the world and in the country and/or region is the water source? Identify the waterway on a map, and highlight areas of the map involved in or affected by the issues in dispute (locations of villages, industries, crops, next closest water source, other water sources, country/clan borders, etc.).
  5. How would the water source be affected by different outcomes of the water dispute? Use different colors or a symbol to indicate how the water source would be diverted, dammed or re-aligned. How would the items you highlighted in the previous question be affected by these changes?
  6. How, if at all, would this water conflict be resolved? What is the current state of the dispute, if it is ongoing? What are solutions to the water crisis? Can you come up with ways that would provide the basis for a water-sharing plan?

Posted by Geo Teacher at 2:26 PM

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