Project Booklet
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GEOGAPHERS OF THE WORLD S3 GEOGRAPHY WESTER HAILES EDUCATION CENTRE Contents 1. Japan 2 2. Antarctica 5 3. Italy 16 1 Japan Key information: • Continent: Asia • Ocean: Pacific Ocean • Country type: chain of islands (4 large and over 6800 small islands) • Capital City: Tokyo • Language: 11 spoken languages (Japanese is the main language) • Population: 126, 672, 000 Landscape: • Japan is a series of volcanic islands • Three quarters of Japan is mountainous • The remaining quarter is made up of basins, plains, oceans and lakes • As it is a chain of islands, Japan is surrounded by the sea • Japan’s highest mountain in Mount Fuji which is 3776m high Climate Spring Spring is warm, and the winds are calm, but from around mid-June the country enters a month-long rainy season. Summer Japan's summers are usually sunny, and in most parts of the country the intense heat and humidity forces people to keep their homes and workplaces air conditioned. Autumn 2 Many tropical storms develop in the Pacific that turn into typhoons by the time they reach Japan. The country's south-western districts get most of the typhoons, which can cause great damage with the rain, strong winds, and landslides. Winter Winters on the Sea of Japan side of the country are usually quite snowy, but the Pacific Ocean side is relatively warm and free of precipitation. This is due to the currents that flow into Japan and the ridge of mountains running down the country. Natural Hazards • Japan lies on the boundary of many tectonic plates • This is why Japan experiences so many earthquakes and tsunamis • Local governments within Japan have adopted disaster-prevention measures and have designated “danger zones” within particular towns and cities, including Tokyo • Schools and businesses have practice evacuation drills several times a year • The last big earthquake and tsunami was in 2011 • To prevent future disasters, scientists are working to develop better ways to predict earthquakes more accurately and design buildings that are more resistant to earthquakes WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oArd_9uZOnE TASK 1. Research the Japan 2011 earthquake and tsunami 2. Collect information on: • When did it happen • Where about • What happened • What was the impact on the landscape • What was the impact on the people • What help were they given after the disaster • How much did the recovery cost Population • Japan has a relatively large population, made up mainly of people of Japanese origin • Very few people migrate (move) to Japan 3 • Japan currently has one of the highest life expectancies in the world (85.52 years) • Japan has a problem with an ever-increasing elderly population and shrinking birth rate • This puts a huge amount of pressure on those of working age • It has been suggested that by 2065 Japan’s population will shrink by one third • The government are currently offering incentives for women to have more children, keeping people working longer and reviewing their welfare system • They do not want to encourage large scale immigration to Japan TASK • On the internet, google CIA World Factbook • On the drop down menu, select Japan • Scroll down and open the information on ‘people and society’ • Collect key information and write it in your jotter: o Size of the population o Birth rate o Death rate o Population distribution o Life expectancy o Years at school QUESTIONS 1. Using the population pyramid, analyse Japan’s population a. Thinks to include: i. Number of males and females ii. Number of people in the three main population categories (young dependents, economically active, elderly dependents) iii. Overall population structure 2. How does Japan’s population structure link to the physical landscape of the country? 3. What things influence the population? 4. Can anything be done to change this? PROJECT • Choose an aspect of Japan (culture, landscape, population, climate, natural hazards…) that you are interested in learning more about • You the internet and this booklet to do some research on your chosen topic – take detailed notes 4 • You are going to use this information to create a presentation/poster/leaflet Antarctica Location Antarctica Key information: • Antarctica is the most southern continent • It is completely surrounded by the Southern Ocean • 98% of Antarctica is made of ice which is roughly 2km thick • It is a cold desert – really cold temperatures and very little precipitation. It is also very very windy!! • The longest river is called the Onyx • The largest lake is called Vostok • The continent is divided into two by the Transantarctic Mountains Climate • As Antarctica is a cold desert, temperatures remain very cold all year • They have very little precipitation (rain/snow) • Watch the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GH-2Wke3do) and take notes on the extreme climate 5 Climate change in Antarctica • Temperatures on the west coast of the Antarctic peninsula rose by nearly 3°c during the second half of the 20th century – about 5 times the global average. • Almost 90% of glaciers have retreated since 1960. • Although it’s not predicted that the massive Antarctic ice sheets are likely to melt completely, even small-scale melting would raise global sea levels, and cause flooding around the world. • The ocean surrounding the continent also support masses of the world’s sealife – including 15 species of whale and dolphin, and five species of penguin. The nutrient- rich waters encourage blooms of tiny plankton, the basis of the ocean food chain. These species are in great danger due to the rising temperatures and melting ice. WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLGgILUqbcc TASK: • Read the arguments presented by ‘Sidney Suit’ and ‘Laura Leaf’ on the next few pages • Decide which argument you agree with most • Using the ‘thinking hats’ sheets, write down your ideas against each ‘hat’ on your worksheet (page 10) • Create a poster highlighting your key arguments using the information your group has generated under the ‘hats’ for your chosen person (Sidney or Laura) 6 Laura Leaf says: “Let it be!” “At the moment, the Antarctic Treaty determines what people can or cannot do on the continent, but there is always a risk that governments will abandon the treaty. Discussions on opening up Antarctica for mining resources like coal and oil, or using it for a dumping ground for waste should never happen. The ban on these activities must be permanent. Antarctica is too precious – it should have guaranteed protection for another thousand years, not fifty. Scientists from over 25 countries have already proved the importance of Antarctica in learning about life on Earth, both present and future. It is an essential place for measuring changes in the global climate and air pollution, yet no scientist can be certain about the impact of human activity in generations to come. That’s why it’s best to use ‘the precautionary principle’ for any decisions over Antarctica’s future – to play safe rather than be sorry later. In 1985, scientists working for the British Antarctic Survey discovered the hole in the ozone layer. Since then, there has been an international effort to stop the causes of this life-threatening environmental problem. With improvements in technology, who knows what else we will discover so we can take action before it is too late. For example, soon there will gigantic telescopes at the South Pole to explore our atmosphere like never before. I want to see the Antarctic Treaty as only a starting point. The Treaty’s rules and regulations should be tightened up so that in the future: • Satellite technology will track illegal fishing boats to stop them even entering Antarctic waters. • Stricter controls on tourism will prevent damage from the growing number of visitors rather than dealing with the problem afterwards. • All Antarctic research stations will be powered by renewable energy sources like solar energy and wind. 7 • New rules will govern ‘bio-prospecting’, Antarctica’s newest industry. As a World Park owned by everybody, bio-prospector companies that create new medical treatments and products from life in Antarctica will make them cheap and available to anyone that needs them. So my view of Antarctica’s future is keep it as it is today, except with better management and tighter controls to guarantee lasting protection for this special place. 8 Sidney Suit says: “Dig it up” “Most people couldn’t care less about Antarctica and know little about it. Some might have seen a TV programme about one of the heroic explorers like Shackleton, but they know little about the scientific research that goes on there, or how beautiful it is. To most, it’s like another planet - a cold, distant place, home to penguins. For them, signs of global warming and the gradual destruction of the last clean environment on Earth are easy to take. If only they knew. The value of Antarctica in money terms is as big as it gets - as a source of fish and squid, a new frontier for tourists or to use the treasure trove of minerals that may lie beneath the ice and the surrounding seas. In Antarctica, anything is possible. In the future, global companies could become more powerful than governments. In many ways they already are. Oil and mining companies will be some of the most powerful, and most are driven by profit. If there’s money to be made in Antarctica, technologies will be found to deal with the conditions. It is also easy to see a future where these companies will pressure governments to give up the Antarctic Treaty and let mining and drilling go ahead. I am certain that the future will see increased commercial activity in Antarctica, and I don’t think this is necessarily bad.