Drawing Connections: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Videos
Grades3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
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Provided by National Park Service
What it is
- This video discusses the preservation of the Gachado Line Camp building in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, which was built over 100 years ago to house people working in the Desert Southwest.
- The video describes how preservationists are coming up with innovative ways to protect this one-room adobe structure from the changing environmental conditions brought about by climate change.
Teaching tips
Prerequisites:
- The phrase "make do" is significant in this video, so consider pre-teaching this term and its relationship to the word improvise.
Classroom Implementation:
- Use this video in addition to a unit or lesson about erosion.
- Prior to watching the video, build background knowledge on this topic by asking students to discuss times they have had to make do when they didn't have the materials they needed.
Differentiation:
- Consider pausing the video after the description of how Adobe was made to ensure that students understand what Adobe is and how it is eroding.
Extensions:
- Students use clay to recreate the work that preservationists are doing to study the effects of erosion on the structures.
- Have students discuss parts of their own history or the special things in their lives that they want to preserve.
Related Resources:
- Other similar resources include this Jill Pelto watercolor and this video about preserving historic structures in New Jersey.
From the scientist review
The video illustrates how climate change has threatened Adobe structures (locally-made buildings from plant-based materials and clay) and outlines how adaptive measures to reinforce them with new materials can mitigate climate change impacts. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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