Young People, Old Country: Secondary Extension Activities The Past Speaks To Us: Vietnams History Should The Mekong Be Dammed? Casuarinas And Sand Dunes: A Case Study In Sustainable Development Vietnam: A Nation In Change

Secondary Unit 2 - SHOULD THE MEKONG BE DAMMED?

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Major Themes
Place and space, Resources, Natural and social systems
Students have to gather evidence to make a decision about how the Mekong River should be used by different nations.

Outcomes

• analysing a variety of views on the use of resources;
• predicting the consequences of implementing particular plans.

To explore additional ideas and resources for using this unit from Vietnam - Young People, Old Country: Secondary, click on the following:

Teaching Ideas | WWW Links | Annotated Bibliography

Teaching Ideas

Here are some further ideas and activities for using the Resource sheets contained in this unit.

Resource Sheet 4 The Mekong River's journey

• Number those paragraphs which give a description of part of the Mekong River, and have students create a series of grids on the map - matching the description to the map.
• Have students identify the issues raised in this description of the Mekong River's journey.
• List the uses of the Mekong River at different places and for different countries.

Resource Sheet 5 Development on the Mekong
Have students list the key points made: what are the positive and negative elements of development, with what effects?

Resource Sheet 6 Vietnam's Mekong Delta
Have students create graphic representations of the ideas in the first two paragraphs - such as these:

Underline or isolate and write on the board the key words in the final paragraph, such as here:
Reduced flow as a result of upstream developments would lessen the flooding of the delta and result in less deposition of silt which is required for rice production. Reduced flow would also lead to the undesirable silting up of the rivers and channels of the area, and would stop the flushing out of salt from the naturally saline soil. It would also harm the mangroves in the area, which are essential for fish life, an essential part of the local economy. It would also stop the encroachment of salt from the South China Sea.
Have students create a mental map or flow chart to show the connection among these key words.

WWW Links

http://www.mekongriver.org/
http://www.irn.org/programs/mekong/
There is a lot of information on the Mekong River on the internet. Most of it is opposed to development, and could provide additional materials to 'flesh out' some of the role play information provided in this unit.

http://www.mrcmekong.org/
The website of the Mekong River Comission, which comprises representatives of Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam and the Yunnan Province of China.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/bbing/stories/s10623.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ockham/stories/s162033.htm
Transcripts of Radio National programs which look at various development issues related to the Mekong River - good for 'fleshing out' some of the various interest positions taken in the role plays.

Bibliography
Downie, Sue 1993, Down Highway One - journeys through Vietnam and Cambodia, Allen and Unwin, Sydney
A family's journey through modern (early 1990s) Vietnam. Good stories, descriptions and musings on the meaning of their experiences.

Hoskin, John and Hopkins, Allen W 1991, The Mekong, Post Books, Bangkok
Beautiful photos accompany a comprehensive text on the history and course of the Mekong River.

Kalman, Bobbie 1989, The Land, People and Culture (series) Crabtree Publishing, New York
This series covers the land, culture and people of Japan, Vietnam, Canada, India, Mexico and Peru. A set of 3 books covers each country. Well indexed, with a glossary of activities, easy to read information, and beautiful colour photographs.

Kamm, Henry 1996, Dragon Ascending, Arcade Publishing, New York
A general overview of Vietnam's history, concentrating on the modern period.

Passage To Vietnam 1996, Against All Odds, New York
With over 400 photographs of life in Vietnam today, this CD Rom is an excellent visual record of the country. Available for Macintosh and Windows.

Storey, Robert and Robinson, Daniel 1995,Vietnam: a travel survival kit, Lonely Planet Publications, Melbourne
An excellent overview of the history and cultures of Vietnam, as well as detailed descriptions and travel information.