Background Knowledge
BEFORE YOU BEGIN, let’s check what you already know...
- What is “negative environmental impact”?
Use the “Learn” & “Links” at the site here to find out more.
- What is an “urban area”?
- How can you be “environmentally sensitive”?
See what some kids are doing here.
- What is an “environmental footprint”?
Find out more here.
- Visit this website here to find out more about “environmental footprint” and
take
the challenge to measure your ecological footprint
Do the Ecological Footprint worksheet located here or at the bottom of this page.
START THINKING ABOUT HAVING A SMALL NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT...
- the least negative impact on a sensitive environment includes:
Activity
USE THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE COLLECTED ABOUT "ENVIRONMENTAL FOOT PRINTS" AND USE A DRAW OR PAINT PROGRAM TO CREATE AN ILLUSTRATION OF “SMALL NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.”
Save your work, or hand it in for evaluation. Want a hint as to what an excellent drawing would include?
What’s important to remember about the drawing |
Weak Performance |
Satisfactory Performance |
Strong Performance |
*includes all of the above points |
*fewer than half of the above points illustrated |
*about half of the above points illustrated |
*all of the above points illustrated |
*clear demonstration with words & pictures showing small negative environmental impact |
*unclear images and/or demonstration of understanding |
*satisfactory demonstration of understanding of the illustrated points |
*excellent demonstration of understanding |
WHAT DOES A CITY NEED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FOR ITS PEOPLE?
HOW CAN A CITY’S NEEDS HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT?
HOW CAN A CITY REDUCE ITS NEGATIVE EFFECTS AND EVEN IMPROVE THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT?
Use your answers and hints from the last activity to brainstorm ways that a city could reduce its negative environmental impact, and/or ways that the city could improve the surrounding environment. For this activity, useing paper, paint, word, or this online tool create a mindmap. (the following is an example)
HOW CAN A CITY REDUCE ITS NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE FOLLOWING PARTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT TO IMPROVE THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT?
THE BIG IDEA!
You will work on the following map of a fictitious wilderness area.
You will determine best placement (least negative environmental impact) of a new city in this area.
You will need to give good reasons for where you put your city and justify your choice in chart form.
CHALLENGE
Your mining company has just discovered a valuable mine in an area 25 km west of the edge of the map. The mine could provide hundreds of jobs and bring wealth to the area. In order to make the mine accessible to its workers, a city will need to be built in the area covered by your map.
Your job is to decide where to build the city. You need to find a location that will provide for the housing, businesses and educational needs of the residents, and at the same time, you need to consider the impact your city will have on the surrounding environment. Place the city so as to have the least negative environmental impact.
NEED A HINT WITH HOW TO JUDGE “THE BEST”?
Click here for "The Best Of" mini challenge.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN, HAVE A LOOK AT HOW YOU’LL BE EVALUATED
What’s important to remember |
Weak performance |
Satisfactory performance |
Excellent performance |
* You need to justify the placement of the city |
1 supported reason for justifying placement |
2 supported reasons justifying placement |
3 supported reasons justifying placement |
* You need to state how the city’s placement will have an impact on the environment |
Declares 1 potential risks to natural environment |
Declares 2 potential risks to natural environment |
Declares 3 potential risks to natural environment |
* You need to state how the city can ensure protection of surrounding environment in the future |
Plan includes 1 or no ways to provide protection of the natural environment |
Plan includes 2 ways to provide protection of the natural environment |
Plan includes 3 or more ways to provide protection of the natural environment |
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MAP:
The map contains the following elements:
- a river that runs west to east
- a two-lane highway that follows along the same direction as the river
- railroad tracks on the opposite side of the river to the highway
- deciduous forest to the south of the river
- coniferous forest to the north of the river (1/3 of the forest burned in a fire five years ago, but this area is seeing some new growth)
- rapids in the fastest flowing part of the river
- a small lake which has been created due to Spring overflow of the river – it sometimes dries up in the late Summer, but will fill again in the Fall
- a marshy area to the south of the lake
SURPRISE ELEMENTS:
- the coniferous forest is home to a pair of White-headed Woodpeckers (endangered)
- the marsh shelters some Northern Leopard Frogs (endangered)
- last month, a pair of Flammulated owls (nocturnal) were seen swooping across the highway toward the deciduous forest (endangered)
- ecologists working in the area have determined that there is some Mountain Holly Fern growing between the highway and the river. The Mountain Holly Fern is protected under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA).
TAKE THE CHALLENGE BY CLICKING HERE!
When you are finished the challenge fill out the self evaluation sheet located below.
All the documents in the lesson can be found here in either editable or printable format.
Ecological Footprint
Judging Environmental Impact
Self Evaluation