Introduction to the Human Dimensions of Global Change

Unit 1: The Driving Forces of Global Change
Answers to Activities

Activity 1.1: How Many Automobiles?

The answers to this activity will vary depending upon the geographic area chosen for consideration. Use the example questions and answers provided in the Instructor’s Guide to help initiate class discussion and to calculate totals for your geographic area.

Activity 1.2: Where Does My Water Come From?

Results for this activity will vary depending upon the location for which students choose to trace their water source. Overall, the project should be evaluated on the thoroughness of the investigation and the clarity (and creativeness) of its presentation. The following items should be included in the students’ written or poster presentation, regardless of the site they choose:

an identification of the physical source of their water supply, such as a reservoir, river, aquifer, or other source.
a detailed description of the path that the water takes from the source to the tap, including the distance, the method of travel, and any important points along the way (transfer stations, pre-treatment facilities, or storage towers/tanks). A well-researched project would also include a description of what has been added or removed from the water supply.
a detailed description of the path that waste water takes from the drain to its ultimate disposal, including the distance it travels, the method of travel, and important stops along the way (waste water treatment facilities). A well-researched project would also include a description of what has been added or removed from the water supply.

Activity 1.3: The Water Bill

If the instructor chooses to collect the students’ calculations of personal daily water usage, they should be evaluated as to whether most activities have been included and whether the calculations are correct. Results will vary among students.

In the responses to the questions on the worksheet, students should (1) compare their daily water consumption to the average daily consumption in other countries, (2) include a list of daily activities that they would keep or give up if they were forced to live on the amount of water that a person uses in Mozambique, and (3) list several indirect uses of water which have not been accounted for in their estimates, such as water used to grow vegetables or produce meat for their consumption, water used to produce the paper they are writing on, etc.

The optional activity could be assigned as “extra credit” in order to encourage participation.

Activity 1.4: Crystal Clear Water

Option 1
This activity should be evaluated on the following criteria:

the accuracy of the drainage basin delineation
the extent to which students have identified, located, and characterized the land uses within the basin
a two- to three-page essay which explains the types of land use activities in the basin and the impacts that these uses have had on land cover within the basin.

Option 2
The product of this activity (a proposed land-map for a drainage basin) should be evaluated on the following criteria:

has the water supply been correctly identified?
has the drainage basin been correctly delineated?
have all land uses been proposed on the map?
do the proposed locations of the land uses appear to minimize impacts to the water supply?

Option 3
The essay that students will write for this activity should be clear and concise, and describe the ways in which land use activities within the drainage basin may affect the water supply and the water quality. There may be both positive and negative impacts. For example, industrial uses within the drainage basin may provide considerable employment for the community, but may also increase water demand and release toxics into the water supply. Students should also consider how the demand for water affects the landscape and land cover of the area. For example, some areas may rely on reservoirs created from dams that have flooded significant amounts of vegetated areas.

In your final evaluation of the projects, consider the skills of the class and their familiarity with this type of exercise. Introductory classes or classes in which students have not been exposed to maps or the concepts of land use and their impacts will require a bit more flexibility than those who are more advanced. See Notes on Active Pedagogy for additional suggestions on grading students’ written work.