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III. Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources
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Distribution, Ownership, Use, Degradation
Centralia, Pennsylvania: Underground Mine Fire
This is an interesting site that gives the history of an underground mine fire that started in 1961 and is still burning. The fire, smoke, fumes, and toxic gases still come up though the back yards, basements, and streets. Most of the residents have moved on. The fire threatens nearby towns to this day. The site has many pictures and links to other information and personal stories.
 Centralia, Pennsylvania: Underground Mine Fire
USGS Data for Total Water Use by State
I do an extensive water resources lab that makes use of real data. My students are asked to calculate the per capita total water use for each state and rank the ten highest and lowest water consumers. They are then asked for patterns that they observe about water use. Why are some of the states on their list ranked where they are? What does this tell you about water use and consumption in various parts of the country? What states use more ground water than surface water? Why? Are there states in the drier parts of the USA that use more surface water? Where does it come from?
USGS Data for Total Water Use by State
New Jersey Drought Information
New Jersey Climatic Data
I also do a local component that compares the average rainfall and reservoir capacity. (I live in New Jersey, but all states have similar web sites for actual data.) Two useful sites are New Jersey Drought Information and New Jersey Climatic Data. Some assignment questions include: Evaluate the average rainfall in New Jersey using the 1895-1999 rainfall data. How are we doing this year, so far? How does the data relate to the average temperature? Is there a relationship? How does the pattern of El Nino and La Nina fit? Students then have to measure our watershed from topographic maps and evaluate the amount of runoff that can be expected to collect in our reservoir system. Finally, they must describe the treatment of water from the reservoir and the distribution system.
New Jersey Drought Information
New Jersey Climatic Data
Major Biomes of the World
This site from the University of California at Berkeley is a good, simple introduction to biomes. I have used it as an introductory assignment and a review assignment. There are five areas to explore: aquatic, desert, forest, grassland, and tundra. Each of these is then broken down into smaller subdivisions. Aquatic, for example, is broken down into fresh water and marine. Fresh water is further described as ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands. The marine biome is likewise broken down into smaller zones, as are all the other biomes. I give my students a chart that lists the biomes down the left margin, and across the top are the categories they must use to describe the biome. Categories are rainfall patterns, climate, soils, plants, and animals. This is a good assignment to tie together ideas for the physical earth, soils, and ecosystems chapters.
Major Biomes of the World
Can China Feed Itself?
I have used this Web site with an assignment that asks students to look at the long-term effects of rapid population growth in relation to food supply. I start with the summary questions and charge the students to pick a topic and work backwards through the details of the problem. They are asked to take into account biophysical, climatic, hydrological, demographic, social, economic, and political factors. This is done in mid to late April and acts as a partial review for many of the topics covered during the year. During the lab periods, teams of students give a 10 to 15 minute oral report that must relate material from at least three other chapters. Good discussions usually follow.
Can China Feed Itself?
Suggested Web Sites
The Teachers' Corner contains links to suggested Web sites. The College Board neither endorses, controls the content of, nor reviews the external Web sites included here. Please note that following links to external Web sites will open a new browser window. If you discover a link that does not work, please let us know by sending an e-mail to apctechsupport@collegeboard.org.
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