Investigation 2: What is happening to the Aral Sea?

The module "What's Up With Earth's Water Resources?" addresses issues that are of fundamental importance to life. Four case studies (a coastal bay, an inland sea, a river, and mountain snow pack) investigate water resources important to millions of people in North America, Asia, and Africa. Each investigation focuses on the physical nature of the resource, how humans depend upon the resource, and how human use changes the resource creating both problems and opportunities. In Investigation 2 students work as teams of NASA geographers using satellite images to measure the diminishing size of the Aral Sea. They analyze and interpret graphic and tabular data about the causes of the shrinking Sea and its effects on habitat, resources, and people in order to report their recommendations for improving this resource for future use.

9-12 Module 1 Investigation 2 in .pdf format

Investigation 2 Student Materials in .pdf format