SOIL CALCIFICATION: ARAL SEA VIDEO HERE
BEFORE VIEWING
How can human activity modify the hydrological cycle (the way water flows through the environment)? Think in terms of water catchment, storage and distribution.
Can you think of an example in your area where human-induced changes have affected the flow of water in the environment?
AS YOU VIEW
This clip contains lots of archival footage. What decade or era do you think it comes from? What evidence supports your answer?
What were the goals of the development plan for Central Asia? What environmental and technological changes were made?
Identify the short-term and long-term environmental impacts that have been experienced as a result.
AFTER VIEWING
The Aral Sea is located within the Central Asian steppe. Find out about the characteristics of the steppe biome.
On a world map, show the location of other steppe landscapes.
Explain why the narrator describes the landscape as the 'hungry steppe'? Is this reference accurate? Justify your answer with information about the characteristics of steppe soils.
NEXT STEPS
Find out where cotton grows naturally. What conditions does it thrive in? How do the water requirements of cotton crops compare to that of other crops? Based on your research, how would you describe the decision to develop a cotton industry in this region?
EXTRA VIDEO-- Not the one that goes with the questions beside it.