Contextualization

Hello, young geographers! Are you ready to embark on an incredible journey through the world of extractive activities? But what are these activities? Well, extractivism is a term used to describe the collection and exploitation of natural resources found on land, in water, and even in the air. These resources can be minerals, plants, animals, and even energy sources, such as oil and coal.

Now, you must be wondering: 'Why study about this?'. The answer is simple: extractive activities play a fundamental role in our society and in how we interact with our environment. They provide many of the products we use in our daily lives, such as the paper we use to write, the oil we use for cooking, and even the air we breathe!

Introduction

In our daily lives, we use various products that are the result of extractive activities, and often we don't even realize it. Have you ever stopped to think where the paper we use to draw or write comes from? It is made from cellulose, a material extracted from trees. And plastic, where does it come from? It is produced from oil, a substance found underground.

Extractive activities are present all over the world, but the way they are carried out varies according to the region and the resource being collected. For example, oil extraction, which is a very important activity for many countries, is carried out through complex structures called oil platforms, which are installed in the sea. On the other hand, mineral extraction, such as gold and iron, can be done through mines, which are open cavities in the ground.

But, not everything is perfect when it comes to extractive activities. Despite being very important for our society, they can also have negative impacts on the environment, such as deforestation and soil and water contamination. Therefore, it is essential that we learn more about these activities and how they affect our planet, so that we can seek more sustainable ways to use our natural resources.

So, are you ready to embark on this adventure? Let's discover more about extractive activities and their role in our society and on our planet!

Practical Activity: 'Exploring Extractive Activities'

Project Objective

The objective of this activity is to encourage research, teamwork, and creativity among students, while helping them better understand the concept of extractive activities and how they affect our environment.

Project Description

Each group of students will be responsible for choosing a product that we use in our daily lives and researching the natural resource from which it is made. Students should also investigate how this resource is extracted and what the environmental impacts of this extraction are. Based on this information, they should create a 'museum' of the natural resource, presenting their findings in a creative and interactive way.

Necessary Materials

• Internet access or books for research
• Paper, pencils, markers, glue, scissors, magazines (materials to create the 'museum')
• Shoebox or another container to assemble the 'museum'
• Natural resources (if possible), such as samples of rocks, leaves, seeds, etc. (optional)

Step by Step

1. Group Formation: The teacher will form groups of 3 to 5 students.

2. Product Selection: Each group must choose a product of their interest. It can be anything we use in our daily lives: paper, plastic, cooking oil, sugar, etc.

3. Research: Students should research the natural resource from which the product is made. They should find out where this resource comes from, how it is extracted, and what the environmental impacts of this extraction are.

4. 'Museum' Planning: Based on the collected information, students should plan how they will present their findings. They can create drawings, posters, models, etc. They can also use natural resources (always in an ethical and sustainable way) to enrich the presentation.

5. 'Museum' Assembly: Students should assemble the 'museum' inside the shoebox. They can use paper, magazines, samples of natural resources, and anything else they find necessary for the presentation.

6. 'Museum' Presentation: Finally, students should present the 'museum' to the class. They should explain about the chosen product, the natural resource from which it is made, how this resource is extracted, and what the environmental impacts of this extraction are. The presentation should be creative and interactive, involving all group members.

7. Final Reflection: After all presentations, the class should reflect on what they learned from the project. How do extractive activities affect our environment? What can we do to use our natural resources more sustainably?

Remember, the most important thing is to have fun, learn, and share knowledge! Good luck, young geographers!