The identification, extraction, diffusion, and utilization of natural resources, renewable and non-renewable, represent a core geographic concept; access to, and development of, resources drive economic trends that, in turn, influence demographic, government, and military policies. Interestingly, the value of natural resources varies across time and geographic location - what is a vital resource today may not be a vital resource in the future. In addition, non-renewable resources that are high in demand may drive national and international policies that have significant impacts on the global community. Finally, access to and availability of resources represents a major driver of social development.
In this unit, learners will work in small teams to solve a problem related to resource development, including resource extraction and use. With the support of the instructor, learners will generate a wiki that contains information related to understanding the problem in greater depth as well as potential solutions to the problem. Resources for this instructional unit will be available through the web and should take approximately six hours to complete.
By the end of the 8th grade, the student should be able to describe worldwide distribution and use of resources and identify reasons why people have different views regarding resource use.
Enabling Objectives:
Describe and analyze world patterns of resource distribution and utilization.
Describe the consequences of the use of resources in the contemporary world
Evaluate different points of view regarding resource use.
Identify the role of technology in resource acquisition and use.
Explain the critical importance of energy resources to the development of human societies.
Instructional Unit: Geography Standard 16
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Overview
The identification, extraction, diffusion, and utilization of natural resources, renewable and non-renewable, represent a core geographic concept; access to, and development of, resources drive economic trends that, in turn, influence demographic, government, and military policies. Interestingly, the value of natural resources varies across time and geographic location - what is a vital resource today may not be a vital resource in the future. In addition, non-renewable resources that are high in demand may drive national and international policies that have significant impacts on the global community. Finally, access to and availability of resources represents a major driver of social development.
In this unit, learners will work in small teams to solve a problem related to resource development, including resource extraction and use. With the support of the instructor, learners will generate a wiki that contains information related to understanding the problem in greater depth as well as potential solutions to the problem. Resources for this instructional unit will be available through the web and should take approximately six hours to complete.
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Objectives
Terminal Objective:
By the end of the 8th grade, the student should be able to describe worldwide distribution and use of resources and identify reasons why people have different views regarding resource use.
Enabling Objectives:
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Resources
Instructor's Guide
Web-based Resources
Supplemental Resources
Handouts
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Recommended Instructional Events
1. Introduce the Overview of Collaborative Problem Solving and conduct the Class Activity .
2. Form learner teams and present teams with an Operational Outline Structure and atribute learners with Group Worksheet.
3. Introduce and review Problem that learners will solve. Review resources available to teams and brainstorm preliminary solutions as a class.
4. Learners, within teams, identify and assign roles.
5. Teams engage in collaborate, iterative problem solving Process .
6. Teams decide on final solution to problem. Individually, in a Discussion Forum, learners reflect on what they have learned as well as challenges of collaborative problem solving.
7. As a class, groups evaluate identified solutions according to Evaluation Guidline and Solution Rubric.
8. The entire class, merged as a single group, participates in a Closure Activity.
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