Conclusions in the Classroom

1. Arctic Alaska as a Thematic Unit Corey Merrell Canyon View High School Introduction Conclusions in the Classroom Reasons to Drill in Northern Alaska Further oil development will add millions of dollars to state economy and local schools. Oil dividends have allowed Inupiat Eskimos to finance cultural traditions that are helping to bring back a sense of cultural identity. An added 24 billion barrels of oil would decrease America’s dependency on foreign oil. In today’s falling economy, the extra oil could provide as much as $1.4 trillion in revenues to oil companies, workers, and federal tax coffers. There is not much risk to the environment. Better technology limits the potential for another devastating disaster and wildlife numbers have actually increased since the discovery of oil in 1968. Alaska’s North Slope is a perfect geographical study because it mixes elements of culture, environmental conservation and preservation, and local and national economics. More importantly, this theme provides a case study which most students will be unfamiliar with, but which is a general enough topic that students can identify important patterns that cover culture, the environment, and economics. After studying this topic the students will better understand issues where they live and be able to interpret differing points of view to make their own educated opinions that will allow them to become better global citizens. Teachers need to present this thematic unit in an unbiased manner so that the students are allowed to develop their own opinions about a heated topic. When the information has been presented, have the students write a persuasive essay explaining their opinion about how the North Slope should be handled in the future. Students need to know that their opinions will not matter in the grade they receive. The most important objective is that they have enough information from each varying standpoint that they are able to take a stand and learn how to relate a broad, natural resource related issue to a similar topic where they live. Geography Background Community Working Together to Harvest a Whale Comparison of Alaska and ANWR to America Alaska’s North Slope has many competing elements that draw national attention. North Slope is home to about 8,000 Inupiat Eskimos There is approximately 24 billion barrels of recoverable oil The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the National Oil Petroleum Refuge-Alaska on the North Slope is home to countless animals that rely on the habitat for reproductive grounds and is considered to be some of the most valuable wilderness in the United States. Competing claims from interest groups that represent or have claims in Alaska argue about what will happen to northern Alaska. This is an excellent format for students to weigh competing claims and formulate their own opinions about the situation. Competing Claims Reasons not to Drill in Northern Alaska ANWR is simply too important as an untouched wilderness to be disturbed. Dependency on foreign oil will not decrease with the extra 24 billion barrels of oil. Excess income has negative social impacts on the Inupiat villages and is increasing the rate at which the Eskimos are losing their cultural identity. Additional oil from the North Slope would only delay America’s conversion to alternative fuels and would continue to add greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. There is the potential for another devastating environmental catastrophe like the oil spill of the Exxon Valdez in 1989 which killed millions of animals and cost billions of dollars in clean-up. Caribou around the Prudhoe Bay development structure Key References Arctic Culture Borneman, Walter R. Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2003. Houseknecht, David W., Bird, Kenneth J. (2006). Sizing Up Oil on Alaska’s North Slope. Geotimes, 51(11), 24-27. McCabe, Thomas R. (1994). Assessing Values of Arctic Wildlife and Habitat Subject to Potential Petroleum Development. Landscape and Urban Planning, 28(1), 33-45. Reinfried, S. (2001). Curricular Changes in the Teaching of Geography in Swiss Upper Secondary Schools: An Attempt to Develop Skills for Lifelong Learning. Journal of Geography, 100(6), 251-260. Added to the drama between competing oil interests and environmental conservationists is the concern for the Inupiat Eskimo. The North Slope’s indigenous population has depended on a subsistence lifestyle and has now been handed unimaginable wealth as oil continues to pay enormous dividends. The newfound money is providing the Inupiat with luxuries like cars, convenience stores, and satellite television, all of which are contributing to a growing sense of cultural identity. The other major concern here then, is how will the culture continue to be affected by further oil development. Oil Fields on Alaska’s North Slope Migration routes of birds that use Alaska’s wetlands as nesting grounds.