Shan Yi bio-gas village

Learning areas

Geography, SOSE, Economics: years 9–10

Outline

This unit utilises an extract from Michael Caudle’s Business in Asia about a Chinese village where standards of living have improved after the introduction of the simple technology used to generate bio-gas (methane). These activities would complement other work about appropriate technology, enterprising behaviour or rural life in general.

Materials required

Students require access to copies of the extract Shan Yi bio-gas village. They could read it on screen or from printed copies.

Activities

The extract consists of source material, interspersed with suggested student activities. In summary, the activities suggested are:

1. There is a simulation in which students are asked to assume roles as aid workers and make suggestions about how to improve the quality of life in Shan Yi as it was in 1982.
2. There is a set of questions which can be used as writing tasks or for class discussion. They relate to information given about changes to Shan Yi after 1984.
3. A debate is suggested about whether bio-gas is appropriate technology for Australia.
4. Students are asked to write as members of the village management committee about the achievements in Shan Yi.
5. There is a simulation in which students plan ways of marketing Shan Yi’s surplus produce.
6. Students are asked to write as newspaper reporters about Shan Yi.

Extension activity

The Ashden Awards for sustainable energy website has several relevant case studies from India and one from China as well as a film about the Shaanxi Mothers Federation which has installed plants that produce bio-gas for cooking in 1,300 rural households in Shaanxi Province.