courses of the river
Key Learning Elements Knowledge /
Concepts
♦ Basic operation of water cycle
− The major processes of water cycle, e.g. evaporation and
evapotranspiration, condensation, precipitation, surface runoff, infiltration, throughflow
− Brief description of the operation of water cycle
♦ River basin as a system
− The major inputs, processes and outputs of a river basin
♦ Fluvial erosion, transportation and deposition — types, characteristics and resultant landform features
− The major erosional, transportation and depositional processes of a river
− The major landform features at the upper, middle and lower courses of Chang Jiang (e.g. river valley, waterfall, flood plain, delta)
♦ Fluvial erosion and deposition at different courses of the river
− The different characteristics of the erosional and depositional processes at different courses of the river
− The reasons for such differences
♦ The impact of river on human activities
− Examples: the importance of Chang Jiang in irrigation and transportation, and the impact of flooding
Skills ♦ Identify landform features produced by fluvial erosion and deposition in photos and maps
♦ Observe landform features produced by fluvial processes during field trip
♦ Draw diagrams to illustrate the formation and characteristics of one fluvial erosional feature and one fluvial depositional feature with the aid of annotated diagrams, photos and other information or data
♦ Use appropriate forms of presentation (e.g. tables, diagrams, statistical charts) to list and explain the similarities and differences of erosional landform found at different courses of a river based on the velocity and discharge as well as the size and shape of load at the upper, middle and lower courses of the river
♦ Draw longitudinal profiles for different river courses Values/
Attitudes
♦ Appreciate the beauty of nature
Case Study Chang Jiang
Issues
Climatic Anomalies
Global warming has been one of the major agenda of the Earth’s Summit for the past decade. Scientists have been giving warnings on the negative impact of global warming if the situation fails to improve. It is thus essential to find out the causes of global warming and in turn initiate international cooperation in tackling the problem. In addition to understanding more about global warming, it is also hoped that students could appreciate the importance and be aware of the difficulties in achieving international cooperation.
This issue can be integrated with the theme ‘climate’ and is also related to the study of the issue ‘the choice of power’.
Key Question: Global warming—who should be responsible?
♦ What is global warming? In what ways are Hong Kong and China affected by global warming?
♦ What are the causes of global warming? Are industrialized countries the only ones to blame? What is the role of the individual in causing global warming?
♦ What can be done to alleviate this problem? Why are some countries so reluctant to cooperate in combating the problem? How can we do?
Food and Hunger
The problem of food shortage has been troubling nearly one-third of the world population.
There are varied views on the occurrence of famine, some saying that it is mainly the result of natural hazards while others stress the human-induced causes. There are also queries on the effectiveness of international aids to alleviate the problem of famine, claiming that they are just worsening the situations. Through the study of this issue, students can understand the existence of contrasting views in many real life situations and try to make their own judgments based on the information they have collected.
This issue can be integrated with the theme ‘agriculture’ and is also related to the study of the theme ‘climate’ and the issue ‘natural hazards’.
Key Question: Why are there famines and can international aids really help?
♦ What is “famine”? Where do most famines occur? What are the similarities found in countries frequently affected by famine?
♦ Why are there some regions having surplus food production whereas other regions are suffering from famine? Is famine a natural or human-induced disaster?
♦ Can international aids help those countries affected by food shortage and famine effectively or are they just doing bad jobs with good motives? Why should we bother about the famines in other countries or regions?
Natural Hazards
Natural hazards have been part of the life of many people. However, its impact on human beings tends to vary greatly at different places. Many people still prefer to live in hazard-prone areas even though the effect of natural hazards has been catastrophic.
Through investigating earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, students should be exposed to the complex decision-making process of human beings and be able to appreciate and respect the rationale behind varied choices made by different people on the same situation. In addition, students can apply what they have learnt in the theme
‘landform and endogenetic processes’ to real life situations.
This issue can be integrated with the theme “landform and endogenetic processes”.
Key question: Is it a rational choice for the people to live in hazard-prone areas?
♦ Are there any spatial patterns of the occurrence of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis? Why are there such patterns?
♦ What are the catastrophic effects of the above natural hazards? Why are the less developed areas more vulnerable to natural hazards than the more developed areas?
♦ Why do people still live in hazard-prone areas? Is their choice rational?
Sustainable City
The environmental quality of Hong Kong has aroused increasing public attention in recent years. One of the discussion foci has been the way to maintain economic prosperity and vitality of Hong Kong on one hand and to uphold the environmental quality of the city on the other. Students are expected to gain a better understanding of the concept
“sustainable development” and the possible ways of developing Hong Kong into a sustainable city through this issue. They should also be aware of the cost of such development and have an opportunity to make their own value judgment.
This issue can be integrated with the theme “city” and also includes some of the knowledge and concepts of the theme “climate” and the issue “the choice of power”.
Key question: Can Hong Kong be developed into a sustainable city?
♦ What is a sustainable city? What are the characteristics of such a city?
♦ How can we turn Hong Kong into a sustainable city? What are the roles of individual citizens and the Hong Kong SAR Government?
♦ What are the costs of developing Hong Kong into a sustainable city? Is environmental degradation a necessary evil for economic prosperity? How should we choose?
The Choice of Power
Power has been an influential factor in affecting the location of industry in China.
However, the distribution of fossil fuels in China, in general, does not match with the location of the major industrial zones. In studying this issue, students would be confronted with the choices of relocating the industries to the major sources of power and the development of alternative power supply. In reaching their own conclusion, students would be able to understand more about the power and industrial problems of China and the pros and cons of developing alternative power supply.
This issue can be integrated with the theme “industry”.
Key question: How can China maintain a balance between the use of power in industrial development and environmental conservation?
♦ Where are the major supply regions of fossil fuels in China? Where are the major industrial regions in China? What are the problems caused by such distribution pattern?
♦ Should China's industry move towards the sources of power supply in the central and western parts of the country or should alternative power supply be developed in the south and the east? What are the pros and cons of each of the measures?
♦ What is the impact of using coal, nuclear fission and hydraulic power for the generation of electricity on the environment? What are the advantages and disadvantages of thermal power, nuclear power and hydroelectric power?