Acknowledgement: The model for this Website and its JavaScript have been adapted from "Searching for China". The authors of this site have sought and gained permission to adapt the above model and JavaScript to develop a site for an assignment for a Masters level subject at the University of Southern Queensland. To use this site for purposes other than that stated above, permission must be sought from the author of "Searching for China" and the authors of HawkQuest.

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• building a pipeline from the Ord River Dam in the Kimberlys in Western Australia to the southern States of the continent
• reducing the water quotas for irrigators
• reducing the amount of pollutants and nutrient load pouring into the river system by using runoff dams, reducing the use of pesticides/herbicides and redirecting sewage currently being discharged into the river system
• developing huge storage areas to capture and store large amounts of water during times of flood.

 

With the current El Nino effect causing widespread drought across Australia, the need to find a solution to this problem becomes more and more pressing, and economically viable.

In China, the Three Gorges Yangtze River project has been undertaken to address water resource and energy issues. This project is the largest of its kind ever undertaken and is expected to supply much of China's future needs. There is, however, growing concern and opposition, both within and outside China.

The Question/Task

The Australian government has come under enormous pressure recently to look at ways in which Australia can be "drought proofed". The current drought has forced many farmers from their land and into welfare. So desperate is the situation that private individuals have formed a group known as "Farmhand" to assist farmers affected by the drought. This group are also developing and promoting long term strategies designed to drought proof the Australian agricultural industry.

It is widely rumored that Farmhand are considering the idea of farming icebergs from Antarctica. Spokesman for the group Alan Jones, a well known radio and sporting personality, has on many occasions criticized the Federal Government for not doing enough towards this recurring problem.

Fearing further criticism, the Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the National Party, John Anderson has asked your group to prepare a report into the viability and complex issues that surround this controversial proposal.

• Who owns Antarctica?
• What effect on the Antarctic ecology (if any) would removing large icebergs have?
• What might the climactic effects be?
• WouldAntarctica's indigenous wildlife be impacted?
• How would you transfer melted water from a moored iceberg to the head of a river system?
• Could activity of this kind produce significant pollution that could impact on scientific experimentation that is currently taking place in Antarctia?
• What are the historical perspectives and what does history tell us about Antarctica?

 

Developing an understanding

So that we can all have a shared understanding of the issues posed by this quest, the following activity will allow you and your teammates to develop a broad knowledge base of Antarctic issues and icebergs.

The button below takes you to the introductory activity:



Introduction | Quest(ion) | Background | Individual Roles | Group Process | Feedback | Conclusion | Evaluation

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Individual Roles

The Antarctic continent ownership is divided up between a number of countries and possess some of the most pristine wilderness left on earth. It is for these, and other reasons, that the proposed exploitation of its resources poses difficult and complex questions and issues. Your group report requires each of you to undertake one of the roles below and explore the issues from that perspective.

In the end you will need to negotiate the outcomes of the report from your role's specific perspective and come up with a document that is representative of the group.
Remember, your report will be presented to the Deputy Prime Minister.

If your team consists of eight members then you should each take a role. If there is more than eight then some of you may need to share a role. If you have less than eight then some of you will need to adopt more than one role.

When you are investigating, make sure that you adopt the persona of that role and interact with you group members in that persona. This makes it more realistic and lots of fun.

Below you will find a dossier containing more details about your role and some suggested links to investigate. The dossier also assists you to create an action plan that will be automatically formatted into your own special report (note: To have the report automatically generated your browser must be able to use Javascript).

If you are ready, click on the role below, then complete the activities in your dossier.

Now that you have all researched your your role and become an expert from that perspective, you are ready to work towards your final group report.

While this may sound easy, it's not--you will need to represent your role faithfully and it is unlikely that your teammates will always agree with your position. Consensus is the key and a tolerance of differing points of view. Learn to listen--think about where your team members are coming from and attempt to reach agreement through mutual understanding and negotiation. The answers are not simple because the issues are real and complex.

Now that you are ready to begin the group report click on the group report button below and begin.

1. Look for a chat room or discussion board relating to the details of your report--it might be an Antarctic Website or even the Farmhand site--choose at least three different places.
2. Make sure that all of your group has proofread the report--there is nothing more embarrassing than presenting a document that is full of errors and mistakes.
3. Prepare an introduction for your e-mail or letter providing a background to your request.
4. Send the report off with the accompanying e-mail or letter to the places you have selected.
5. Write a succinct group report that details the feedback you receive from your reviewers and submit that to your learning facilitator/teacher via e-mail.