Geography at key stage 3 (Year 9)

Unit 23: Local action, global effects
Section 4: Why is Antarctica a fragile environment?

Objectives

Children should learn:

to select and use secondary sources of evidence
to communicate appropriately
to identify how conflicting demands on an environment arise
how and why attempts are made to plan and manage environments
to evaluate the effect of environmental planning and management on people, places and environments
to explore the idea of sustainable development and recognise its implications for people, places, environments and their own lives

Activities

Outcomes

Children:

Why is Antarctica under threat? What is a world park? How can Antarctica be conserved and managed to sustain its environment ?

Provide pupils with a range of resources that require careful interpretation, eg map, photographic and video evidence, textbooks, to suggest an answer to the question Why is Antarctica important and how is it used by people?
Ask pupils to draw annotated sketch maps and diagrams of Antarctica and its landscape.
Plan a role play to present a case for developing and exploiting the mineral resources of Antarctica. Organise pupils into groups to research and present the case on behalf of various groups, eg a mining operator, government official from a less economically developed country (LEDC), member of Greenpeace, scientist with special interest in the ecology and environment, government representative opposing development, tour operator, United Nations representative.
Ask pupils to produce a report to the United Nations outlining the importance of Antarctica as a world park and which describes and explains different strategies for protecting its fragile environment. The report may be substantial and well structured, coming towards the end of year 9. It builds on report writing in previous units, and headings and topic sentences may be identified for weaker writers. Tone should be formal, objective and impersonal. Pupils' attention should be drawn to the specific features of formal writing, eg passive verbs, third person, abstract words. Remind pupils of the correct use of punctuation, eg full stops, commas, brackets, semicolons and dashes.
Ask pupils to consider how global warming may affect Antarctica and to discover what may happen as a result. Ask them to consider what part they may be able to play as individuals to reduce the threat.

interpret information from a range of sources and transform it to show the landscape of Antarctica
identify, describe and explain the most appropriate strategy for managing Antarctica
describe how and why responsible action at a local level can be beneficial at a larger scale
write a well-structured, impersonal formal report, drawing upon skills practised in earlier units

Points to note

Homework activity: ask pupils to imagine they are a scientist working at one of the bases in Antarctica or a fieldworker on the ice floes and to write a diary about their experiences.
Citizenship: this activity provides pupils with an opportunity to reflect on the world as a global community and the political, economic, environmental and social implications of this.
More able pupils may be asked to write role cards for others to use.
Language for learning: this activity provides pupils with an opportunity to organise content into a whole piece with the relationship between points/paragraphs clearly signalled, eg therefore, nevertheless, and to use correctly full stops, commas, brackets, semicolons and dashes. Remind pupils of earlier work on formal writing, eg unit 18 'The global fashion industry', unit 15 'Crime and the local community', unit 6 'World sport'.
Science: links with materials and their properties - possible effects of burning fossil fuels in the environment.

Safety

all off-site visits must be carried out in accordance with LEA and school guidelines

Sections in this unit

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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.


	1. What leisure activities are located on and by the river?
	2. How are rivers used and misused by people?
	3. What is a national park?
	4. Why is Antarctica a fragile environment?