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Polar bears

♠ Go to this web page:

if the link below doesn’t open the page with the article “living on thin ice”, copy and paste the link .

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/mar/04/climatechange.activists

I. POLARS BEARS AND CLIMATE: 

♠ paragraphs 1 and 2 : 

Find information to fill in the gaps: 

Today, the words “polar bears” are often combined with the 2 words “____________ ________”. This animal has become a symbol used to ________ against ___________  _________. Pictures of bears are often used by ____________. 

During the past weeks, when opening a _____________ or a __________ page, we could often see _____________ of bears on sea ____________. 

II. A THREATENED SPECIES ▲ A species, 2 species 

Answer the questions. 

♠ paragraph 3:”The new threat…” 

Is the ice melting a new threat for bears? □ yes □ no 

What was taken into consideration in December? 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

Whose idea is it? 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

What is now admitted after years of denial? 

It is the admission of……………………………………………… 

♠ paragraph 4:”Then, at the beginning…” 

What is the IPCC?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

According to the IPCC, what is rising and what is disappearing?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

Is it too late to invert the process of sea rising? QUOTE THE TEXT

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

III. PHOTOGRAPHS 

♠ At the top of the page 

Look at the photograph and describe it briefly. What does it symbolize?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

♠ paragraph 6:”One photograph in particular…” 

What is a cub? 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

How do the viewers first feel in front of this photograph? 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

Are we right to think that the 2 bears are going to die on that ice floe? 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

♠ paragraph 9:”Elsewhere, images of…” 

What do the initials WWF stand for? 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

♠ paragraph 10:”The fate of the polar bears…” 

According to the WWF, which indication is given by what is happening to polar bears? 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

IV. BEARS, ICE AND FOOD 

Right or wrong? 

♠, paragraph 12”The polar bear has …” 

· In order to survive, bears need a lot of meat.  R W 

· A polar bear must be in the sea to kill. R W 

♠ paragraph 13”Easy to sell…” 

· In 2004, scientists thought that sea ice in summer would have disappeared at the end of the 21^st century. 

 R W 

· Some scientists believe that ice in summer will have disappear in the 2050s. R W 

V. THE FUTURE 

Answer the questions. 

♠ paragraph 20”Norris says that…” 

Can the WWF tell when polar will disappear? 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

♠ last paragraph “But not all…” 

If all the bears die, what would be the only possibility for the future generations to see polar bears? 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ice melting

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/photogalleries/global_warming/photo3.html 

I-PICTURES OF A WARMING WORLD.

First click on the first picture on the left hand side. Read the part entitled Montana’s Glacier National Park. 

■ How many glaciers did the park have when it was created in 1910 ?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

■ What about now? What is the difference between 1910 and now? 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

■ Why are many freshwater glaciers shrinking?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

■ What is the information given about Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

■ What is the effect of that on local population?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Learn more about Global Warming? Read “fast facts about global warming” at the bottom of the page. 

Earth is already showing many signs of worldwide climate change.

Read the text and fill in the chart. 

Since 1880
20th century’s last two decades (1980-2000)
By 2040, maybe earlier

II.CLIMATE CHANGE : PICTURES OF A WARMING WORLD.

Time to go back to the first page. Now click on the 5^th picture on the left hand side. 

■ Where is Male ?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

■ Is Male in danger ? Why ?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

■ What is Male’s response to this threat ? 

□ Cars are now forbidden in the city.    

□ International meetings about global warming are organised there every year.

□ building a seawall                              

□ Nothing can de done.

Now have a look at the related stories and focus on this one :

Arctic Melting fast ; May Swamp US Coasts by 2099. 

Fill in the blanks with the given information.

   The four year study involved more than ___________________. The study concluded that in Alaska, Western Canada and Eastern Russia, average temperature has  ______________  as much as _____________ degrees Celsius in the past _____ years, nearly twice the global average. Temperatures are projected to ________   ____________ degrees Celsius over the next hundred years. The rising temperatures are likely to cause the melting of at least half __________________ _________ by the end of the century.

The Inuit confronted to global warming

!!! Remember: one Inuit, two Inuit (no '-s' in the plural) !!!

I. DISCOVER THE INUIT:

♠ Go to this web page:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1104241,00.html

Read the part entitled “Arctic Dwellers” and find information to fill in the gaps:

“The word “Inuit” means ............................. . It is the name of the ............................. people of .... ................ . We can oppose it to the word “......................”, meaning “.............................................”, which is considered derogatory.  The Inuit live in the Arctic parts of 3 regions: ....................., ........................... and ................... . To survive , they rely on  ..................... and ......................... whales and seals. In recent times, Inuit have been fighting against ..............................  ........................ to their homelands.”

II. WHAT PROBLEMS ARE INUIT POPULATIONS FACED WITH ?

1)WILDLIFE AND THE LANDSCAPE

♠ Go to this web page:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/photogalleries/global_warming/photo3.html

Read the short article below the photo and make a diagnostic of the problem:

Of which environmental phenomenon are the Inuit experiencing the effects? What does it threaten?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Can you give at least 3 examples?

-……………………………..

- ……………………………..

- ……………………………..

- ……………………………..

♠ Now, go to this web page:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/05/070515-inuit-arctic.html

Read the part entitled “Changing land” and continue your diagnostic of the problem:

What are the names of the two Poles?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

What is special about the Poles?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

What will probably happen before the end of the century?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2) THE INUIT THEMSELVES

♠ Go back to this web page:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1104241,00.html

Look at the title and at paragraph 7: more than the wildlife, who is also being killed by global warming? What animal are the Inuit compared to?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Can you quote a forceful sentence at the end of paragraph 8, showing that the Inuit consider themselves in the same position as the wildlife?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

III. FIND OUT ABOUT ONE SOLUTION THE INUIT HAVE FOUND TO CONFRONT THE PROBLEM:

♠ Stay on the same web page and read paragraphs 1 to 4:

What did the Inuit do in 2003 when the article was written?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

For what reason(s) did they sue [poursuivre en justice]  the USA and the Bush administration?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

IV. WHAT ABOUT OTHER SOLUTIONS ?

♠ Now, go back to this web page:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/05/070515-inuit-arctic.html

Read the paragraph before the last paragraph. What other possible solutions are mentioned to fight against global warming?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The issue of the Kyoto protocol.

Go to this web page and answer the questions: 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4269921.stm 

I. WHAT IS THE KYOTO PROTOCOL  ? 

♠ Read the part entitled « What is the Kyoto Protocol? » and create a definition of the Protocol:

« It is an international ................................. that was ..................... in 1997. It is based on the principle that industrialized countries should ............. their ......................... gas emissions. Gas emissions are thought partly responsible for the .................... ...... ....... ................ .  Global warming is .......  ............  .....  .................   ................. which may have catastrophic consequences for life on Earth.» 

Can you find the name of 2 of the gases  targeted by the Protocol? 

-…………………………….. 

-…………………………… 

II. COLLECT MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE PROTOCOL: 

♠ Read the part entitled « When did the Kyoto Protocol come into force? » and find information.

Make full sentences! 

Which countries did not ratify the Protocol? 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

The protocol was agreed in 1997. However, it came into effect in 2005 only. Why? 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

♠ Now, look at the part entitled « When did the US pull out? »:

In what year did the USA pull out of the Protocol? 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Who was the US president at the time? 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

What reason did he give? 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

♠ Find in the article at large:

Can you give the name of two developing countries which signed the Protocol? 

-…………………………….. 

-…………………………… 

III. HAS THE KYOTO PROTOCOL BEEN SUCCESSFUL ? 

♠ Read the part entitled « Have the targets been achieved? » [!!'target' = objectif]:

According to the article, have the targets been achieved or not? Give two examples to back your answer. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

WHAT ABOUT OTHER POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS ? 

♠ Read the parts entitled « What is emissions trading » and « Are there alternatives? » and answer the questions:

What is « emission trading »? Find a definition in the text. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

According to what you understand, tick a box to say if the following sentence would be possible: 

« In 2002, France bought 20 pollution credits to Kenya. » 

-possible

- impossible

What other solution is evoked in the article? 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

We will first try this webquest with pupils!

Congratulations!

You've just become a specialist about global warming.

Now share your knowledge with your group.

                                   

You are going to work in teams of 3 or 4 people. For the moment each of you will focus on one theme but you will have to share your information with your group and work together on a final project.

The 4 themes are: the Kyoto Protocol, the Inuit, Ice Melting and the Polar Bears

So now, go to the menu and click on your theme!

étape 1: vous allez devoir remplir le questionnaire qui vous est fourni. C'est seulement grâce à ces informations que vous pourrez envisager l'étape 2.  Ce travail devra être rendu et sera évalué.

étape 2: à partir de ces informations, vous devrez créer en groupe des articles pour alerter l'opinion publique de la situation actuelle. Chaque groupe aura un "spécialiste" pour chaque thème et le but est de mettre en place des stratégies pour convaincre. Ce travail sera noté.

étape 3: félicitations! Votre travail a attiré l'attention de la BBC! Vous La chaîne vous accorde une minute d'antenne pour convaincre un maximum d'auditeurs que sauver la planète est l'affaire de tous.

TASK 1: collect information on the web                                                            

TASK 2 : use this information to create an article to raise awareness about one issue