Environmental History
"Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." George Santayana's words ring true, especially in the realm of environmental science. Mankind has made a series of mistakes, some disasterous, as we grapple with our own population growth, technology, and increasing demand for resources.
Environmental History Interactive Timeline
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Purpose: This is a worksheet to accompany the interactive environmental history timeline written by Dr. William Kovarik, a professor at Radford University. This activity is a great way to introduce students to some of the environmentally significant time periods and events as our civilization has grown.
Essential Concepts: Environmental history, Rachel Carson, environmental movement, industrial revolution, Theodore Roosevelt, silent spring, progressive era.
Environmental History Research Project
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Purpose: This is a research project also based on the interactive environmental history timeline written by Dr. Kovarik. Small groups of students are assigned different eras and time periods, which they research and present to the class.
Essential Concepts: Environmental history, Rachel Carson, environmental movement, industrial revolution, Theodore Roosevelt, silent spring, progressive era.
Environmental Disasters of Modern History Research Paper
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Purpose: Often, one of the best ways to teach the importance of a concept is to show what can happen when everything goes awry. This project assigns each student a major environmental disaster. The students will construct a report and/or presentation explaining what exactly happened during this event, how it was handled and cleaned up, and what lessons were learned from it. Most of these disasters occur sometime between the advent of the industrial revolution and present day.
Essential Concepts: Environmental history, environmental disasters, invasive species, global warming, ocean acidification, coral reef bleaching, hurricanes, air pollution, water pollution, nuclear meltdown, radiation, food poisoning, industrialized agriculture, malaria, Mad Cow Disease.
