EXPLORING THE CONFLICT BETWEEN NATURAL RESOURCE EXPLOITATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BASED on ECUADOR'S NATIONAL PARKS

Ecuador is home to two very unique and different natural environments facing increasing pressure from human exploitation, the Galápagos Islands and the forests of the Amazon Basin. The Galápagos Islands are currently managed as a National Park with stringent tourism regulations designed to minimize the impact of human visitors. Lessons for this portion of the unit plan will direct students to examine the geological, oceanographic, and climatic reasons for the development of the islands into a unique laboratory for the study of evolution, and to consider the challenges to the preservation of the unique natural island ecosystems in the face of exploitation by colonists, tourists, and commercial fisheries. Ecuador’s Yasuni National Park is home to a myriad of native and endemic plants and animals. Exploitation of the lowland forests by mining, logging, and petroleum industries threatens the future of the forests and the biodiversity associated with them. Using an interdisciplinary approach, students will complete activities exploring topics such as biodiversity, weathering and erosion, soil development, black and white water river systems, and the role of plate tectonics in the development of the Amazon Basin. Assigned readings from books such as Savages by Joe Kane and Collapse by Jared Diamond and from current articles drawn from both the popular and scientific press combined with written student response papers will be used to motivate student thinking. Students will also research indigenous groups such as the Huaorani and describe how modern exploitation of the forests has affected their culture and sustainable lifestyle. The lessons of this unit will be designed to enhance the curriculum of both high school earth science and environmental science courses, while making relevant connections to topics taught in high school humanities and social science courses.