Recreation on the Aswan High Dam
Recreation on the Aswan High Dam
What you get from recreation on the
Aswan High Dam
map of egypt
Introduction
The use of a case study can bring a subject alive and allow for in-depth analysis and evaluation. In this lesson, students will study the controversial history and impact of the building of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt in order to investigate several ecological concepts. Their culminating activity will take the form of a team presentation that outlines a solution to one of the environmental problems caused by the dam. In the process of this lesson, they will also be forced to evaluate Internet sources for accuracy.
Subject:
Biology
Topics Covered:
Ecology, Environmental Science
Grades:
9-12
Student Lesson URL:
http://lovgren1.homestead.com/student.html
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Standards
Addressed
Science Content
Standards for California Public Schools
Grades: 9-12
Life Science:
Ecology
"6. Stability
in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. As a basis for
understanding this concept:
- Students know biodiversity is the sum total of different kinds of organisms and is affected by alterations of habitats
- Students know how to analyze changes in an ecosystem resulting from changes in climate, human activity, introduction of nonnative species, or changes in population size."
- Recognize location of Aswan High Dam and other key locations on map of Egypt.
- Evaluate Internet sources for accuracy.
- Evaluate the changes in the Nile ecosystem as a result of the building of the Aswan High Dam.
- Collaborate in a team to formute a possible solution to one of these changes.
Introductory Activity
Activity
#1: Cybertour of Aswan
The first thing
that students must do is become familiar with the geography of Egypt and
the city of Aswan. Students will accomplish this goal by taking a
"cyber tour" of this area. While they take their tour, they will
need to take note of the some of points of interest along the way.
Use the questions provided on the activity site for this purpose.
Activity
#2: Gathering Information
In this activity,
students will gather information about the history and resulting impact
of the building of the Aswan Dam. They will be placed in teams of
four to five students and be assigned an article from the Internet.
They will use questions provided on the activity site to guide their inquiry.
Once each member
in each group has finished their article and write-up, the class will discuss
the information that they found. Students should add new information
learned during the discussion to their worksheet. Students will realize
that the information that they gather will be different based on their
sources-- introducing them to the idea of bias.
Activity
#3: Evaluating Your Source
After the class discussion, students should
realize the importance of getting information from more than one source.
Students will take the article that they were assigned in Activity #2 and
evaluate it for Accuracy, Relevance, and Bias using questions provided
in the site.
Culminating
Activity
At the end of this
project, students will collaborate with a team to formulate a possible
solution to one of the environmental problems resulting from the building
of the dam.
- This will take the form of a team presentation to the class explaining their assigned problem and resulting solution.
- The presentation must include visual aids and be effective enough to convince the class of its feasibility.
- Students will be required to ask each team questions to determine whether the solution would be effective.
Assessment
Assessment will include evaluations of
the following:
- Pre-test and Post-test
- Activities
- Culminating Activity
Rubric for Culminating Activity:
| Area: | Score: 0 | Score: 1 | Score: 2 | Score: 3 |
| Explanation
of Problem |
Not clearly stated. | Clearly stated,
not discussed. |
Briefly discussed. | Discussed in terms
of impact on Aswan. |
| Explanation
of Solution |
Not clearly stated. | Clearly stated,
not discussed. |
Briefly discussed,
evidence provided to back up solution. |
Solution discussed in
detail, evidence provided, impact on Aswan included. |
| Visual Aids | None provided. | Provided, but
not relevant. |
Relevant, but not useful to presentation. | Relevant and increase
understanding of presentation. |
| Delivery | Difficult to Hear;
no eye contact. |
Voice level low to
normal; some eye contact. |
Voice level normal; eye
contact made consistently. |
Voice level normal;
eye contact made consistently; team members are interested in response of audience. |
| Collaboration | Only one team
member has a role in the presentation. |
Some team members do not
have a role
in the presentation. |
All team members have a role; some members have a greater role than others. | Each team member has an equal role in the presentation. |
| Audience
Questions |
Team members are unable to answer audience questions. | Team members are able to answer some audience questions. | Team members answer all audience questions. | Team members are able to answer all audience questions thoroughly. |
Students had great improvement from pre-test to post-test. (Graph not available.)
Web
Resources & Supplementary Materials
Introductory Activity
Activity #1:
Cyber-tour of Aswan
Web Sites:
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/
http://www.egyptguide.net/tourism/touristic/facts/geography.html
http://touregypt.net/Map02.htm
http://www.aswanguide.com/
Enabling Activities
Activity #2:
Gathering Information
Web Sites:
http://www.us.sis.gov.eg/calendar/html/cl100197.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/flood/deluge.html
http://umich.edu/~kelseydb/Exhibits/AncientNubia/PhotoIntro.html
http://www.ee/lists/infoterra/1997/07/0042.html
Activity #3:
Evaluating Your Source
(Use same web sites from Activity #2.)
Culminating Activity
Topic
#1
Topic
#2
Topic
#3
MaryRose
Lovgren 
Paradise
High School
Paradise, CA
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dancing hamsters to contact me!
Last Revised:
08/17/2000