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Overview
Essential Purpose
This module provides students with a case study of a major human modification to the environment, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China. Many of the important issues facing modern society are the consequence – whether intended or unintended – of human modifications to the physical environment. Environmental modifications have economic, cultural, and political implications for most of the world's people, and therefore it is important for students to understand the reasons for and the consequences of human modifications to the environment. The goal of this module is to have students analyze of the costs, benefits, and impacts of the Three Gorges Dam.
The Yangtze River
National Geography Standards
The Geographically Informed Person knows and understands:Places and Regions
- Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places
- Standard 14: How human actions modify the physical environment
- How physical systems affect human systems
- Standard 18: To apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future
State/Local Standards
States should align these modules to their own state/local standards as appropriate.
Essential Questions
- Why do humans modify their environment?
- What are the physical and human characteristics of dams?
- How do physical changes affect human systems?
Essential Content
Places, Regions, LocationsPhysical Systems
- Human Characteristics of Places
- Physical Characteristics of Places
- Places change
Human Systems
- Environment
Environment and Society
- Development
- Economic Impact
- Land Use
- Transportation System
- Environmental Impact
- Human-Environmental Interactions
- Technological Change
Essential Skills
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Geography Skills
- Asking Geographic Questions
- Acquiring Geographic Information
- Organizing Geographic Information
- Analyzing Geographic Information
- Answering Geographic Questions
- Issues analysis
- Taking a position
- Gathering, organizing, and interpreting information related to the position taken
- Presenting conclusions to those with both similar and different positions
- Analyzing each position and making a decision
- Writing a justification
Summative Assessment
This summative assessment and scoring guide should be reviewed with students prior to using the activities in the module. Students should do the assessment after the activities have been completed.Essential question addressed in the assessment:
- How do physical changes affect human systems?
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Prior Knowledge
Problem
Role/
Perspective Product
Criteria
for an Exemplary Response
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Now that you have learned about why people build dams; have studied the cultural, economic, and environmental issues involved in the distribution of water; and understand that developing nation's perspectives are not necessarily shared by other nations, you are ready to think about the advantages and disadvantages building a dam such as the Three Gorges Dam. The World Commission on Dams, a commission created by the World Bank, has been asked to review some major dam projects from around the world. The Three Gorges Dam (TGD) on the Yangtze River is the focus of one of the case studies and will be reviewed for the social, economic and environmental costs and benefits. The commission plans to investigate the pros and cons of building the TGD. Read the Letter of Invitation. You are requested to play the role of a member of the World Commission on Dams. In this capacity, you must submit your findings in the following format:
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Scoring Guide