Transcript Asian Carp Case Study - Dearborn High School

Asian Carp Case Study
The Asian Carp - An Exotic Species
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Exotic species are living things that
find a new home in a place where
they did not exist before.
The Asian carp pose a large threat to
the Great Lakes because of their size
and ability to eat large amounts of
food.
They can seriously damage the
Great Lakes ecosystem, resulting
in loss of organisms and
biodiversity, destroying various
food webs, and impacting
economically on important fish
species that people use for food.
Asian CarpVideo Clip
Migration towards
The Great Lakes
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In the early 1990’s, the Asian carp escaped
into the Mississippi River from a lab which
studies about fish when the labs became
flooded.
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The Asian carp have made their way
northward.
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Currently, the carp have been found near the
Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal that
connects the Mississippi River to the Great
Lakes and have been sighted approximately
40 miles from Lake Michigan.
The Chicago Ship and
Sanitary Canal
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It is over 100 years
old.
 It is a very important
shipping link from the
Great Lakes to the
Mississippi River.
 Some barges use this
canal to transport
goods.
Your Role
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Imagine that you work for the Chicago
department of public works.
 You have received many complaints from
people about the possibility of the Asian carp
coming through the Chicago Ship and Sanitary
Canal, but you also have heard business
officials discuss the importance of keeping the
canal open for shipping.
 Should you close down the Chicago Ship and
Sanitary Canal to protect the Great Lakes from
the Asian carp?
Your Task:
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Slide 1: Title (The Chicago Ship and Sanitary
Canal Report) with names of the authors.
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Slide 2: State your position! Should you close
down the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal to
protect the Great Lakes from the Asian carp?
Justify why you should or why you should not
close the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal.
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Slide 3: What are some other possible solutions
that could be used to stop the Asian carp from
entering the Great Lakes?
Sentence Starters
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Slide 2: I believe that we (should close down)
or (should not close down) the Chicago Ship
and Sanitary Canal to protect the Great Lakes
from the Asian Carp because ______________.
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Slide 3: Some other possible solutions that could
be used to stop the Asian Carp from entering the
Great Lakes are ________________________.