1. Introduction
STOP ! Watch this first:
Apocalypse Now (1979) produced/ directed by Francis Ford Coppola. is a visual masterpiece that is both surrealistic and symbolic of the horrors of war as epitomized by the Vietnam War.
The Mekong River is the 12th longest river in the world at about 4180km. It is believed to run from Tibet, through China’s Yunnan province, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea. Scientists believe that the source of the Mekong River is located in the Jifu Mountains in China’s Qinghai Province, near the Tibetan border at an altitude of about 5,200m.The entire river is known as the Meigong in Chinese and Mènam Khong (Mother of all rivers) in both Lao and Thai. In Vietnamese it is the Cửu Long Giang or Sông Cửu Long (nine dragons river), but is also popularly known as the Mê Kông. The Mekong has more than 1,200 different species of fish, more than any other river system besides the Amazon and the Congo. It also yields more fish with an annual harvest inclusive of fish farms, of about 2 million tonnes.
Did you Know….
The Mekong River has a number of peculiar features. For instance, unlike most rivers that flow in a single direction all year round, the Tonle Sap, a tributary of the Mekong that runs through central Cambodia does otherwise. For half the year, it flows south-east towards the South China Sea but with the increased run-off caused by the monsoon rains, the river reverses its course, flowing north-west into the Tonle Sap lake. When the rains abate and the water level falls, the river reverts to its earlier course, flowing into the sea.
2. SOCIAL SCIENCES
The earliest known civilisation in the Mekong Delta was the 1st century Indianised-Khmer kingdom of Funan while the last great state was the Khmer empire of Angkor. Interestingly, excavations at a place called Oc Eo have yielded coins that came from as far afield as the Roman Empire. The first systematic exploration of the Mekong began with the French Mekong Expedition led by Ernest Doudard de Lagrée and Francis Garnier. The expedition ascended the river from its mouth to Yunnan between 1866 to 1868. Their chief finding was that the Mekong had too many falls and rapids to ever be useful for navigation. The upper course is characterised by rapids and waterfalls and there are endless jagged reefs and shifting sandbars during the dry season especially beyond Phnom Penh. The monsoon season gives rise to many rapids, which become a formidable obstacle such as that of Si Phan Don, or “Four Thousand Islands”, in what is now southern Laos.
Activity
1. Mekong River Timeline: (A) Conduct research into a brief history of river, (B) Create a timeline and highlight a number of significant events & (C) In groups, choose an event to research and report on. The groups should share the findings with the class. The report should include the following: (i) Write-up of event & (ii) illustration of event
2. The River Runs Through It: (A) Create an enlarged image of the river, (B) Explore the route taken by explorers and identify key river features that marked the river’s course & (C) Explain how these features were formed and why they impeded the progress of explorers such as the French Mekong Expedition.
Extended Activity: Investigative Enquiry
Throughout history, floods, volcanoes, and earthquakes, have caused various important centers of civilization to self-destruct and disappear. (A) Conduct research on cities and places (1 per group) that have succumbed to such natural disasters, (B) Briefly report on the state of the city and way of life before the disaster, the impact of the disaster on the city/ place and what has happened to it now & (C) Write a group report and present your findings.
Resources
Title: Ancient civilizations
Author: Don Nardo (ed.)
Publisher: San Diego, Calif.:Greenhaven Press, c2002.
Call number: Y 930 ANC Title:
Title: Dangerous planet: natural disasters that changed history
Author: Bryn Barnard
Publisher: New York : Crown Publisher, c2003.
Call number: J 363.34 BAR
Title: Mysteries of lost civilizations
Author: Anne Millard
Publisher: Brookfield, Conn.: Copper Beech Books,1996.
Call number: Y 930 MIL
Title: The Mekong, turbulent past, uncertain future
Author: Milton Osborne
Publisher: New South Wales: Allen & Unwin, 2006.
Call number: 959.7 OSB or RSEA 959.7 OSB
Title: Mekong, the last river
Author: Kenji Aoyagi
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : Cadence Books, 1995.
Call number: 959.7 AOY
Mekong
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0832554.html
3. SCIENCE
The Mekong River is rich in fishery resources. This abundance stems from the river’s seasonal ebb and flow. During the monsoon season, the size of the floodplains increases by as much as 10 times, dramatically increasing the habitat area for fish. As the floodplain is actually forested, there are much more nutrients in the form of rotting leaves for the fish to feed on. As such, many species in the Mekong have evolved to take advantage of this. According to researchers the river has more species of giant fish than any world river most notably the Giant Mekong Catfish.
In addition, a phenomenon known as the Naga Fireballs can be seen in Nong Khai province, Thailand. From time to time, glowing balls rise from the Mekong River and rise several hundred metres before disappearing. Local villages attribute the phenomenon to Phaya Naga, a mythical serpent living in the river.
Activity
1. Explore how fish such as the Giant Mekong Catfish have evolved in their breeding habits to take advantage of the monsoon floods. Provide other examples, if possible.
2. Find out how living creatures have evolved over the years to adapt to changing climates and conditions. Provide 2 examples.
3. Discuss the possible cause of the Naga Fireball phenomeon. (Clue- explore similar phenomenon such as St. Elmo’s Fire) Is this fact or fiction?
Extended Activity: Godzilla-phenomenon
In recent years, there has been a phenomenon of fishes and animals growing to gigantic porportions. Scientist are at a loss to explain why this is happening. Is this a holdover from the ancient dinosaurs days as some believe or does this herald a new dawn in Darwinism? What are some of the possible reasons to explain this phenomenon?
History of Giant Mekong Catfish: http://www.geocities.com/zoomfishing/History.html?200614
Hogzilla: http://www.minifarmhomestead.com/thisandthat/hogzilla.htm
Resources
Title: At the water’s edge : fish with fingers, whales with legs, and how life came ashore but then went back to sea
Author: Carl Zimmer
Publisher: New York : Touchstone, 1999.
Call number: 599.938 ZIM
Title: Adapting to the environment
Author: Fulvio Cerfolli
Publisher: London : Cherrytree Books, 1998.
Call number: Y 591.4 CER
\"Art of Seeking\" 