Geography Background

When Human-Environment Interactions Go WrongNicole von Prisk

Glenn F. Burton Elementary GESD

Key References

The first incident was the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska on March 24, 1989. Captain John Hazelwood allowed his tanker to run aground on Bligh Reef and dump 11 million gallons of crude oil into the pristine waters of Prince William Sound, fouling 1,300 miles of Alaskan shoreline. Hundreds of thousands of animals died, including grey whales, orcas, sea otters, fish, sea birds, and mussels (Irons, Kendall, Erickson, McDonald, & Lance, 2000) .

1. Neary, D., Ffolliott, P., & Stropki, C. (2009). Desertification and other ecological impacts produced by the historic rodeo-chediski wildfire of 2002, arizona, usa. Geophysical Research Abstracts, 11, 841-842.

2. Irons, D.B., Kendall, S.J., Erickson, W.P., McDonald, L.L., & Lance, B.K. (2000). Nine years after the exxon valdez oil spill: effects on marine bird populations in prince william sound, alaska. The Condor, 102(4), 723-737.

3. Lenart, M. (2006). Collaborative stewardship to prevent wildfires. Environment, 48(7), 9-21.

4. Payne, R.K. (2009). Poverty does not restrict a student's ability to learn. Phi Delta Kappan, 90(5), 371-373.

In a low socio-economic elementary setting, I have found through my teaching experience that Social Studies-including Geography, is not given allotted instructional minutes. This is because Reading, Writing, and Math performance on AIMS is what drives the curriculum. Sadly, studies on poverty show that these are the children that will be less likely to have situational life experiences outside of the classroom that will translate into being educationally enriching in a formal setting (Payne, R.K. , 2009). If children need a background in Geography to be responsible, environmentally conscientious adults, who will teach them if we do not? In this circumstance, the integration of Geographic content into Reading, Writing, and Math is the only plausible solution.

A sound background in geography is a necessary tool for our children and students to have. It could prevent the next “accidental” environmental disaster. Human-Environment interactions are going to happen. Without background knowledge in Geography, it is impossible to develop a respect and appreciation for our environment. Without this respect and appreciation, these interactions can be devastating to the environment. To accomplish this goal, teachers occasionally will need to be resourceful and find opportunities to expose students to more geography than merely map skills, through the integration of content.

Introduction In My Classroom

Cougar Pride

School Wide

People impact the environment. It is impossible to live on Earth’s surface and not leave some sort of a mark . In the Five Themes of Geography, this is referred to as Theme III: Human-Environment Interaction. In this theme, one learns that people interact with, adapt to, and modify their environment. Not every interaction and modification of the environment has negative effects. Often those human-environment interactions are done with the intentions of sustaining resources or actually protecting the environment. Sometimes however, the interaction is quite destructive.

Consequently, the demand a person makes on nature is referred to as his or her ecological footprint. A person’s ecological footprint is essentially the measure of how fast a person consumes resources and produces waste compared to how fast nature can absorb that waste and generate new resources to replenish those used. Ideally, an individual’s ecological footprint is small enough to not make a significant stain on nature. Occasionally individuals come along however, whose ecological footprints are so incredibly large that the environment is left reeling and stumbling to recover from the extreme annihilation, waste, or consumption.

The Rodeo-Chediski FireThe next horrific event was the Rodeo-Chediski fire in the central part of Eastern Arizona. Leonard Gregg, an out-of-work, part-time firefighter intentionally started the Rodeo Fire on June 18, 2002. Valinda Jo Elliott, a vending machine servicer that became stranded in the forest, “unintentionally” started the Chedeski fire on June 20, 2002. Both fires combined to become the monster Rodeo-Chediski fire. Almost half a million acres of National Forest and Apache woodlands burned over 20 days (Lenart, 2006) .

Why is it important to have a background in geography? Without this, it is impossible to become environmentally conscientious. People cannot cherish and protect something that is unknown to them. A person with a background in geography will have the necessary tools to avoid causing an accidental environmental catastrophe. Recent environmental disasters have been caused by individuals that unknowingly created such a magnitude of destruction that the environment and surrounding communities are still recovering years later (Neary, D., Ffolliott, P., & Stropki, C., 2009).

Conclusion

The Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill

Apache-Sitgreaves Forest

5 years after the fire

Prince William Sound, Alaska

Cleanup efforts

Oiled grey whale-dead

Oiled otter

Exxon Valdez

Burning in Hop Canyon

Burning by Show Low

Apache-Sitgreaves Forest