What are the causes and effects of ENSO?
Contributed by Sarah Bednarz
Geography, Texas A&M University. Author Profile
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This NASA Mission Geography module focuses on the evidence for global climate change. In the specific activity on ENSO, students role play policy makers deciding how to allocate Peru's resources to manage for possible ENSO related problems.
introductory undergraduate course in human geography often taken for general education credit
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
map analysis skills
How the activity is situated in the course
activity toward end of class; I concentrate on the role play rather than the ENSO/science part
Content/concepts goals for this activity
effects of climate events on human systems
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
map analysis, synthesis of evidence to draw conclusions
Other skills goals for this activity
oral presentation skills and group collaboration
Description of the activity/assignment
This module from NASA Mission Geography focuses on how prediction can help reduce ENSO's tragic human consequences. Scientists from around the world are involved in forecasting with computer models and sophisticated measurements, how ENSO affects various countries. These scientists are increasingly being asked by policy makers and political leaders to help them plan and manage for the effects of ENSO. In this activity, students play the role of a policy maker in Peru. First, they determine what sort of ENSO variation is occurring. Then the must decide how to allocate Peru's resources to manage for possible weather-related problems.
Determining whether students have met the goals
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