Minds On
Farming the opportunities of our environment
Bob Mitchell, a farmer just outside Ottawa, Ontario, has found a way to grow tomatoes year-round in a changing environment. Access this video entitled “Climate Watch Shorts: Moving Farming Indoors” to learn more about Bob’s story.
As you explore Bob’s story, consider how he responds to the challenges of the changing environment and consider the following questions:
- What are some short-term effects of this response to farming tomatoes in Ontario?
Press ‘Short-term effects’ to reveal the definition of this term.
- What are some long-term effects of this response to farming tomatoes in Ontario?
Press ‘Long-term effects’ to reveal the definition of this term.
Record your thoughts orally, digitally, in print, or use a method of your choice.
Use this activity to determine whether the following effects would be considered short-term or long-term effects of indoor farming. Select the correct answer.
Student Success
Environmental impact
Do you think that Bob Mitchell’s SunTech Greenhouses will have a positive or negative effect on the environment? Why?
Action
Responding to challenging environments
The physical environment can present challenges and opportunities to humans.
The following carousel of images and descriptions provide some examples of the ways in which people have responded to challenging environments.
For each example, determine if this response might have a positive or negative impact on the environment and if so, what might that be?
Press 'Hint' to explore possible factors for environmental impacts. Also consider how communities that live in the area might be affected.
Record your thoughts using the organizer or another method of your choice.
The Hoover Dam was built in the 1930s to control the Colorado River, which flooded often. The image shows the river in the distance and a large concrete wall that is built into the rock wall. There is a road to the side of the top of the dam and a walkway for pedestrians.
This image shows a commercial irrigation system built on farmland. An irrigation system is built to help keep crops watered in times that have less rainfall, or in areas where the ground is not wet enough to yield crops. This irrigation system has a large hose with many areas for water to spray a good distance and at a strong quantity. It is watering a dozen rows of crops on either side of the hose.
This image, posted in Architect Magazine by Dian Zhang, shows a three-storey office building that is covered on the outside by carbon fabric that is resistant to earthquakes. It appears like a spider web, with hundreds of long wires that are affixed at the top of the building and in the ground.
This is a structure that was built to move workers, equipment, and cages in Butte, Montana, near the Top of the World Trail System in Montana’s Copperway. The structure is made of steel bars and beams. It is open, about 100 metres tall, and includes a pulley system with many strong wires.
This is an image of a sign that appears outside of an Indigenous land reserve on the Amazon River in Brazil. The sign appears on a wooden fence post. On the inside of the reserve there are a few one-story structures and lamp posts in front of a forested area. This area is a protected space with no trespassing allowed.
This is an image of a tourist riding on a camel in a desert in India. He is smiling for the camera. There are other tourists in the background, some also on camels, others walking in the desert. Around the world, many tourist companies use areas of natural beauty as a tourist destination.
Complete the Impact on the Environment Chart in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document.
| Response to challenging environments | Positive impact on the environment | Negative impact on the environment |
|---|---|---|
| Hoover Dam | Controls flooding in the area | Construction of the dam disrupts the ecosystems in that area |
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Impact on the Environment Chart.
These examples of responses to environmental challenges are complex. For some of these responses, there is both a positive and negative impact to the environment, such as building dams.
For each response to an environmental challenge, select the corresponding impact.
Digging a little deeper
You will now have a chance to choose one of these responses to challenges or opportunities presented by the environment and dig a little deeper into the response.
You will be creating an informational piece for another geography class, with the goal of teaching them the information that you have uncovered in your investigation. Consider this piece as you engage in your inquiry.
Use the interactive checklist, or a method of your choice, as a guide while you work through your investigation.
The topics that you can explore are:
- tourism industry
- building dams or levees
- nature preserves
- irrigation systems
- building industry around resources such as mines
- hydroponic farming
- another response that has not been mentioned
My investigation process:
I gathered and organized information about the following:
Reflection questions
Choose one of these reflection questions to respond to using a method of your choice:
- What did you learn about this response to challenges that surprised you?
- What did you learn about this response to challenges that you found disheartening?
- What did you learn about this response to challenges that gave you hope?
Consolidation
Creating your informational piece
You have learned that responses to environmental challenges can have positive and negative impacts on the environment, and those impacts can be short-term or long-term. Use the information you have learned to select the correct answers in the following interactive multiple-choice activity.
Your turn!
Add two more questions to this interactive activity where the correct response will be “All of the above.”
| Question | Option A | Option B | Option C | Option D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All of the above | ||||
| All of the above |
Complete All of the Above Questions in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document.
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the All of the Above Questions.
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next 4 sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel...
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.