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Mapping the Darién Gap

Topic

  • Environmental Science
  • Human Population & Impacts
  • Conservation
  • Scientific Skills & Literacy
  • Science as a Social Process

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Scientists at Work

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:10:35
Saved By
14 Users
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View in Spanish

Description

This video describes how Indigenous communities from the tropical rainforest of Darién, Panama, use drones to map their lands. The communities use these maps to protect their territories from outside incursions and to design sustainable land-use plans.

The Darién Gap is a remote tropical forest that has been home to Indigenous people for thousands of years. As pressures from outside human development encroach on the forest, these communities are protecting their land using a cutting-edge tool: drones. Through a partnership with a nonprofit organization, the Rainforest Foundation, they map their community boundaries to secure land titles, create sustainable land-use plans, and monitor their forests against logging and ranching.

The accompanying “Student Worksheet” incorporates concepts and information from the video.

An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.

Student Learning Targets

  • Examine research practices.
  • Develop scientific explanations and justify claims using evidence.
  • Describe how mapping can inform sustainable development of protected lands.
     

Estimated Time

One 50-minute class period to complete the associated handout.

Key Terms

drone, indigenous people, land incursion, sustainable land use

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria. Video files meet criteria. Spanish files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 05.03.18
Date Updated 06.15.20

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2.A, HS-LS2.C, HS-LS2-2, HS-ESS3.C, HS-ESS3-4; SEP4, SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

ENE-4.A, ENE-4.B, SYI-2.A, SYI-2.B; SP1, SP2, SP4, SP6

IB Biology (2016)

C.3, C.4

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 5.2, 5.15, 5.17
Learning Objectives & Practices: EIN-2.B, STB-1.E, STB-1.G, SP2, SP7

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

1.1, 1.4, 2.2, 3.3, 8.2

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9-12.7, WHST.9-12.1
Math.S-ID.3, Math.S-IC.1; MP2, MP5

Vision and Change (2009)

CC5; DP2

Materials

Student Worksheet (PDF) 497 KB
Transcript (PDF) 218 KB
Student Worksheet - Español (PDF) 519 KB
HD (M4V) 406 MB
HD (WMV) 333 MB
SD (M4V) 91 MB
SD (WMV) 90 MB
Spanish Dub (Español) (MP4) 174 MB
Transcript - Español (PDF) 263 KB

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