En géographie, les élèves travaillent sur les mers et océans dans la mondialisation. On peut aborder ainsi l’Arctique, comme exemple d’espace convoité et menacé. Organiser une simulation du Conseil de l'Arctique permet de saisir la multiplicité des acteurs impliqués et des enjeux liés à la maîtrise et à l'exploitation de cet espace.
Niveau : Terminale
Thème 1 : The Arctic Ocean : appropriation, protection and freedom of circulation (global and regional scale)
What geopolitical and economic issues arise in the Arctic Ocean ?
What strategies are the actors deploying to exploit and protect the Arctic Ocean ?
Objectifs :
Notions : Global warming, constraints, natural resources, Cold Rush, new sea routes, EEZ, bordering states, Arctic Council, TNC, NGO, Natives, Indigenous tribes, social issues, ecological issues, sustainable development
Objectifs de compétences en DNL Histoire géo |
Objectifs langagiers en anglais |
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PROPOSITION #1
ACTIVITES
A - Recherche par groupes de 2 ou 3 et production d’un support numérique
The Arctic is the area within the Arctic Circle, a line of latitude about 66.5° north of the Equator.
1) The Artic, a particular area
a. Constraints and vulnerable ecosystem
b. The Artic Council, a specific governance
c. Which borders ?
2) The Artic, a highly strategic area
a. A militarized area: the example of Russia
b. Many natural resources
c. New sea routes
3) The Arctic, an area to protect and preserve
a. The impact of global warming and pollution
b. Tourism, a chance or a curse?
c. How to preserve arctic ecosystem?
B - Conflict and geopolitical issues in the Arctic
Choose one suggested character and use the different resources to prepare for a role play/debate in a meeting at the Arctic Council
Canadian politician
Issues to think about:
- Defence of national sovereignty
- Fishing, tax, shipping and smuggling laws
- Cost of mandatory ‘ice-breaker’ ships
Managing Director of Russian oil company
Issues to think about:
- Potential for collaboration with other national oil firms
- Cost of exploration for oil
Russian politician
Issues to think about:
- Economic impact
- Potential for exploitation of natural resources – nickel, iron ore, phosphate, copper, cobalt main market is China
- Cost of mandatory ‘ice-breaker’ ships
Norwegian cruise company
Issues to think about:
- Potential for tourism
- Consider the Search and Rescue capability of the area being visited
- The infrastructure of the area and the possibility of evacuating a boat safely and quickly
US shipping company
Issues to think about:
- Possibility for new shipping routes (Trans-arctic)
- Impact on transit time and fuel costs
- Increased access to regional resources
- Development in localised shipping for resource extraction and tourism
- Any environmental impacts
Indigenous community representative
Issues to think about:
- Thawing permafrost impact on infrastructure (buildings, roads and pipelines) in Alaska and Siberia
- Opportunities with industries such as mining, ship building
- Impact on fishing
- Social and economic changes
- How important is it to maintain a traditional way of life
- Will you community still be able to hunt whales and seals
- How can communities work alongside large business?
Environmental organization
Issues to think about:
- Environmental impacts
- Global warming – good for Greenland?
EVALUATION
Sont évalués :
- Le travail de présentation (recherches, problématisation, structure et support numérique)
- La présentation orale par groupe s’appuyant sur un support numérique (oral préparé à l’avance) ;
- La participation orale dans le débat (collectif) au sein de l’agence de conseil (oral spontané) ;
BIBLIOGRAPHIE / SITOGRAPHIE
Sites généralistes
https://discoveringthearctic.org.uk/
https://www.uarctic.org/media/12397/Arctic_of_regions_vs_globalized_Arctic_Lassi_Heininen_kcM6i.pdf
Russie
https://www.euronews.com/2021/05/20/what-is-the-arctic-council-and-what…
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57156839
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz3WcZjcZgE
National Geographic : https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/arctic/
Tourisme
https://polarconnection.org/sustainable-arctic-tourism/
PROPOSITION #2
ACTIVITES
- Tirage au sort par les élèves des groupes et explication générale de l’activité à l’aide de la fiche jointe.
- Travail en salle informatique de quatre heures (ce qui correspond à deux semaines, c’est-à-dire deux séances de DNL et deux séances de professeur section euro LV)
- Le Conseil de l’Arctique se fait sur deux séances supplémentaires (la 3e semaine) où le jury est constitué par les deux enseignants.
DOCUMENTS ET OUTILS MOBILISES : Documents (websites) visibles sur la fiche élève par groupe
EVALUATION
Evaluation en co-jury avec l’enseignant de section euro LV
Sur 10 points, le professeur de DNL évalue le contenu ( rich and appropriate content) et la conviction
Sur 10 points le professeur de LV évalue la forme et la conviction également avec trois grands items : convincing arguments without reading/proper language/pronunciation
BIBLIOGRAPHIE / SITOGRAPHIE :
PROPOSITION #3
Activities :
You are to participate to the first executive meeting during the Russian Chairmanship (2021-2023) of the Arctic Council, in Moscow, next winter 2022.
In order to do so, you are to form a group of 2 or 3 students and to incarnate one of the following actors, involved in the Arctic. You will make a short presentation (3 minutes each) during which you will present to the guests your vision of the Arctic and your prospects. You may display a powerpoint if it helps your presentation.
Groups :
- Members of the Russian government, including Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, actual Foreign Minister,
- Maersk, the Danish shipping company,
- Inuit people, members of the Nunatsiavut government,
- Greenpeace, the NGO,
- Gazprom, the Russian supplier of natural gaz.
Help :
To help you in this task, each group will receive a text and a short video. That should help to give you a good start on your work.
Sources :
(Maersk – article from The Independent – Sept 18th 2018 - « Container ship crosses Arctic route for first time in history due to melting sea ice »)
(Inuit – article from Arctic Centre, University of Lapland - « Arctic indigenous peoples » : https://www.arcticcentre.org/EN/arcticregion/Arctic-Indigenous-Peoples)
(Greenpeace – « Save the Arctic » USA : https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/issues/protect-the-arctic/)
(Gazprom – article from worldoil.com « gazprom launches full-scale development in Yamal peninsula »)
(Russia – article « recap of the Arctic Council’s ministerial meeting 2021 in Reykjavik »)