Activities
Activity 1
On a map of China, trace the course of the Yangtze River from its source in Tibet to its delta east of Shanghai. Locate the cities of Chongqing, Fengdu, Wanxian, Wushan and Yichang. Find the site of the Three Gorges Dam at Sandouping northwest of Yichang. Make notes about what the map tells you about these places. Use other sources of information such as encyclopaedias and websites to add to your notes.
Activity 2
Working in pairs, and using what you have learned from the programme and your own research, make a chart showing the benefits and drawbacks of the Three Gorges Dam. Assign a positive or a negative value to each item, on a scale from 5 (high benefit) to —5 (high cost), and try to make a cost-benefit calculation.
Compare your notes and results with another pair in your class. Which items did you value differently? Why?
Activity 3
Working in groups, imagine you are one of the following:
- residents
- farmers
- business and industry
- environmentalists
- historians
Discuss the benefits and opportunities the new dam will bring to you, as well as the disadvantages. When you have worked out your position, present your arguments in a debate with the other groups. When everyone has had their say, take a vote to find the majority view.
Activity 4
Imagine you are one of the following people:
- a farmer
- an archaeologist
- a business person
- an older person
- a person living in the city of Chongqing
- a flood survivor
- a local politician
- an unemployed worker
Write a letter to your township or neighbourhood office or to a local newspaper outlining your view of the Three Gorges Dam, and how it will affect your life.
Activity 5
Discuss how these issues would be addressed if they arose in your own society. Think of a recent major project that has generated controversy in your own country (for example, a motorway extension, a new airport runway, or loss of countryside to roads, housing or development). Who has a say in these developments? Are there any differences in the way the decisions would be made, and the effect of opposing views? What factors determine these differences?
Activity 6
Use the ‘development compass rose’ (see the Introduction section of these Net Notes) to organise your knowledge. Are your answers to the questions on the diagram any different after watching the programme? Why?
