Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
06/27/2016
Beijing's Consuming So Much Water The City's Sinking
Beijing is consuming so much water it's causing the city to sink at an extreme rate. A new study using satellite imagery and radar technology confirmed the ground level is sinking each year by roughly 4 inches. Beijing doesn't have enough water to begin with. It's the fifth-most water stressed city in the world. Meanwhile, two-thirds of the water the city uses comes from the ground.
■Class discussion: Where else is so much water being pumped out of the ground that the land is sinking? What major US auquifers – underground water supplies – are being pumped out faster than they are being replenished? How many of the world’s people are facing severe water shortages?