Should the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam be built in Para, Brazil?

Task: Write a magazine article exploring the issue.

You should include the following:

1.  An Introduction to the place and issue

·  Where is the proposed site of the dam?

·  What is the purpose of the dam?

·  The dam is located within the Amazon Rainforest - how does the ecosystem operate naturally (without human interventions) e.g. food chains (especially think about specific things that would be disrupted by the building of a dam)?

·  Why is the rainforest special and worthy of protection?

2.  The views of the people / organisations in favour of the dam being built.

·  Give a range of different people’s opinions in favour of the dam

·  Why do they believe it is a good thing?

3.  The views of the people / organisations against the dam being built

·  Give a range of different people’s opinions in opposition to the dam

·  Why do they believe it is a bad thing?

4.  Consequences of the dam for the environment

·  What might the benefits of the dam be on the environment? E.g. renewable power

·  What might the negative consequences for the natural environment be? E.g. fish / river system, tropical rainforest, flooding, water supply, National Parks.

·  Consider the sustainability of the scheme – in what ways could it be considered sustainable/unsustainable?

·  Do these environmental effects lead to any other consequences?

5.  Your own view and reasons why you believe this.

·  Explain whether or not you think the dam should be built. You must justify your view (explain why you think that way).

·  If you disagree with the dam, what might a more sensible/sustainable solution be?

·  If you agree with it, is there anything you would change in the current plans to make it more sustainable (meeting the needs of people and the environment into the future)?

Please limit your work to one double page spread

Avatar director, James Cameron, meets the Kayapo whose livelihoods

will be threatened by the construction of Belo Monte.

Marking scheme

Level / Descriptor
4 / ·  I can use secondary research to aid my investigation
·  I understand that people can both improve and damage the environment.
·  I can offer my own views about environmental change in the Amazon and I can understand that other people may hold different views to me.
·  I understand that physical and human processes can change the Amazon and I can explain how these changes affect the lives of people living there.
·  I can describe the human and physical characteristics of the region studied.
·  I can use some geographical words in my work.
5 / ·  I can select relevant information from secondary sources of evidence to investigate the issue.
·  I have thought carefully about how to present this work, including relevant images, maps, graphs and diagrams where appropriate.
·  I understand some ways in which human activities have caused/could cause the environment of the Amazon to change.
·  I recognise a range of views that people hold about this issue.
·  I demonstrate an awareness of sustainable development.
·  I can use a range of geographical words in my work.
·  I include conclusions to summarise my findings.
6 / ·  I can select a range of information to investigate the issue.
·  I recognise how conflicting demands on the environment (i.e. the Amazon) arise.
·  I appreciate the values and attitudes, including my own, of different approaches to environmental change.
·  I can describe and compare sustainable and other approaches to managing environments.
·  I present my findings in a coherent way and use appropriate methods and vocabulary to reach conclusions that are consistent with the evidence.
7 / ·  I can evaluate information from a range of sources to investigate the issue thoroughly and accurately.
·  I can recognise that human actions, including my own, may have unintended environmental consequences and that this can lead to conflict.
·  I can appreciate that the environment and the places where people live can be affected by actions and events in other places.
·  I use accurate vocabulary and begin to reach substantiated conclusions.
8 / ·  I can select a wide range of information and skills and use them effectively and accurately.
·  I can explain how the interaction between people and environments can result in complex and unintended changes.
·  I can describe a range of views about environmental interaction.
·  I can analyse different approaches to developing places and environments and explain the causes and consequences of environmental change.
·  I can present well argued summaries of investigations and reach substantiated conclusions.