A2. Inquiry: Investigating Physical Features and Processes
Specific Expectations
A2.1
formulate questions to guide investigations into the impact of natural events and/or human activities that change the physical environment (e.g., the social, political, economic, and environmental impact of natural events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, drought, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, or tsunamis; the economic and environmental impact of industrial pollution on a river system; the social, economic, and environmental impact of agricultural practices; the social, political, economic, and environmental impact of land-reclamation projects; the political, economic, and environmental impact of transportation systems), ensuring that their questions reflect a geographic perspective
- What impact did this earthquake have on this city? How did it affect the people, their homes, schools, and businesses? What political impact did the disaster have on the city, and on the country in which it is situated? Was the economic impact felt only within the city, or was its reach regional, national, or global? In what ways did the damage caused by the earthquake affect the natural environment?
A2.2
gather and organize data and information from a variety of sources, and using various technologies, on the impact of natural events and/or human activities that change the physical environment, ensuring that their sources reflect more than one perspective (e.g., data and information as well as online maps on climate change from the International Panel on Climate Change and the United Nations; digital representations showing changes to a river system as a result of irrigation, data on agricultural productivity on irrigated lands, and information from wildlife advocacy groups on the impact of the loss of wetlands; data and information from the U.S. National Hurricane Center on the number and severity of hurricanes over the past few years, documentaries on the impact of Hurricane Katrina, and photographs of New Orleans before and after the hurricane)
- Where might you locate photographs of the same region taken over a long period of time to help you to assess the level of drought in that region? What additional information or data would you need in order to explore the impact of the drought?
- How might you find out about various ecotourism operators and their practices? Why is it important not to rely solely on information from tourism operators when conducting your investigation?
- What are some sources of information and data on extreme weather occurrences in the past ten years and their relation to climate change?
A2.3
analyse and construct maps as part of their investigations into the impact of natural events and/or human activities that change the physical environment, with a focus on investigating the spatial boundaries of the impact (e.g., construct a map showing sources of pollution along a river system and the communities that rely on the water source; analyse thematic maps to help them determine the interrelationship between soil erosion and loss of habitat in some parts of the world; select appropriate data for a GIS online map that shows areas that may be affected by rising sea levels)
- What types of maps could you use to help you understand the social and economic implications of earthquakes?
- What kind of map might you create to show the spatial boundaries of air pollution from a coal-fired electrical plant? How might this information help you understand the political implications of air pollution?
- What types of information would you need to include on a map showing the impact of tourism on an ecologically sensitive region?
A2.4
interpret and analyse data and information relevant to their investigations, using various tools and spatial technologies (e.g., analyse photographs and thematic maps to determine the impact of invasive species in Australia; interpret graphs, charts, and/or diagrams in order to extract data on changes in agricultural production and population patterns as a result of long-term drought in Africa; interpret information from GIS to determine potential population shifts in response to rising sea levels)
- Why might it be helpful to use a decision-making template when you are analysing various perspectives on your topic?
- What type of information can you extract from this GIS map? Does it support the information from your other sources?
- What do these photographs tell you about the size and flow of this river? What are the main differences between the earlier and later photos? What are the social and economic implications of what you see in these photos?
A2.5
evaluate evidence and draw conclusions about the impact of natural events and/or human activities that change the physical environment
- What did you find out about the social, environmental, and economic impact of long-term drought in Ethiopia? Why is this problem so difficult to solve?
- What social and economic impact does ecotourism have on different groups of people? What impact does it have on the environment? Do you think ecotourism ought to be more widely developed? Why or why not?
A2.6
communicate the results of their inquiries, using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., climate, land use, landforms, vegetation, drought, flood, climate change, agriculture, ecotourism, land reclamation) and formats appropriate for specific audiences (e.g., an editorial outlining the impact of increasing settlement on a floodplain and arguing for or against increased settlement; an oral presentation or photo essay for a specific audience about how the construction of a dam affected a river system; a newspaper article for the local or school paper on the impact of pollution on their local community)
- Which presentation form is best suited to an audience made up of your peers? Why? Would this format be appropriate for a presentation at a community meeting?
- How might you use photos or charts in your presentation? How might you use these elements to give your audience a sense of the complexity of the impact of climate change?