Bibb County is an area with limited industrial development. In the face of current economic conditions there is a lot of political pressure to bring new industry to the area. The Cahaba River is the last free flowing river in Alabama. The issue at hand is how to develop industry without unduly impacting the biodiversity of this river. You have been selected to join a team dedicated to addressing the possible evolutionary impact that increased industrialization would have on the river's ecosystem.
Teams will consist of 3 team members - each with a specific assignment. The goal of this assignment is the production of a non-biased analysis of the economic versus ecological cost of the industrialization of the Cahaba River. Expected Outcomes: 1) Increased community awareness of local economic and natural resources; 2) Development of possible action plans for community leaders to consider; 3) Acquire the skills necessary to sort fact from fiction when dealing with websites; 4) Take an active part in the development of the community; 5) Use the web in conjunction with older technologies (books/magazines/newspapers etc) to develop an accurate analysis of a real world issue
Each team will consist of a) an historian b) a biologist and c) an economist. The role of the historian is to study the historical use of the Cahaba River and the land around it. This usage should then be compared to that of other rivers in the area. The role of the biologist is to study the current ecology of the river and pinpoint any threatened habitat and species. The economist will research current and proposed industrialization around the river. The team will then combine their information to produce an actionable plan for increasing economic development with minimal to no negative impact to the river.
The project consists of 3 parts - the first is a written report. A list of references with appropriate citations is manadatory, Copies of interviews must be presented in the appendices with their signatures as proof of permission.
The second part of the project is to prepare a video presentation to communicate the team's findings. Each team will present their production to the class. The class will then choose the presentaton which will be shared with the Bibb County Chamber of Commerce.
The third task requires each group to prepare an article for the local newspaper.
These sites have been selected because they will give you a launch pad for your investigation. You will be expected to add your own websites to this list as you find those that are most useful to you.
With the approval of school administration, team findings will be presented to the area Chamber of Commerce. It is hoped that the class presentation will impact the decisions facing community leaders as they determine how to improve the local economy without damaging an irreplacable natural resource.
This project will be graded as follows:
1) 60 points for content
2) 20 points for writing standards and
3)
20 points for presentation