The Galapagos Islands

A Multi-disciplinary WebQuest for Middle and Secondary School Life Science Classes

Designed by

F. Sean Gorman

Introduction

The Big Question

Process
         Roles
              Scientist
              Tour Operator
              Creature(s)

Project

Grading Rubric

Teacher Information

Credits

OOPS!  I wanted frames after all!     Click here

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You have been exposed to the web over the past few years while looking up facts, chatting with friends, or just passing away the time.  Now you are going to look at the web in a different light.

Just what is this place known as the Galapagos Islands?  Is it simply a place with very old tortoises and some strange looking finches?  Is it simply an ecosystem that has remained, until very recently, very much as it was when Charles Darwin first set foot on it, or is it so very much more?

In this quest you will team up in groups of three and explore the history and science of the Galapagos Islands.  You will research the 'why' of the position your team takes when presenting your solution to the BIG question.   You will need to evaluate the quality of the sources you will be citing so that you have a solid, defensible position for your view of the islands' ecofuture.

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To what degree and how should the Galapagos be protected from further encroachment from man?

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Using the following resources, you are to answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the Galapagos Islands.  Use this exploration wisely, because it will provide many insights into the islands, the politics, and the ecology.  This information is necessary for what is to follow!

Galapagos - A Virtual Tour

Charles Darwin Research Center

Resolutions and treaties concerning the Galapagos

Charles Darwin and the Beagle

Discovery Channel: Galapagos
Video and web site are quite valuable tools.

National Geographic, Galapagos: Paradise in Peril. April 1999.

Smithsonian, IMAX Takes Us Undersea in the Galapagos. October 1999.

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The primary questions you are to answer follow:

1. Why are there so many different scientific fields so interested in the Galapagos Islands; specialties such as: biology, ecology, geology, marine science, and medicine.
2. If there have been introduced species, when did they first appear and how?  Has there been continued introduction of such foreign species? 
3. What are three non-endemic species affecting the habitat of the islands' today?
4. What are the reasons that introduced species are so feared on the islands?
5. What has been the impact of humans on the islands' flora and fauna?
6. Under ideal conditions what would you want to see as rules for human access to the fragile ecosystem?  How should research be carried out and who should control access?
7. Under real world conditions, as of today, what would you propose as rules to minimize the impact of continued human intervention on the island.

Use the following sites to develop your ideas and arguments:

Cyber Field Trip

Galapagos History and Cartography

Animals of Note:

• Giant Tortoises
• Tortoise Mortality
• Land Iguanas
• Dark Rumped Petrels
• Marine Iguana
• Darwin's Finches

The Marine Reserve Future

Special Laws & Laws Directed Toward Scientists

Galapagos Management Plan

Can the Galapagos Survive? Time Magazine article

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Answer the following questions in full paragraph style, providing the necessary justification for your position.  These answers are not to be affected by concerns over what the scientists or animals might think.  When your group begins to answer the 'BIG Q', compromise and compensation may temper your position.

You are to answer the following questions:

1. There are a set of rules currently in place for visitation.   Are these rules sufficient to allow you to develop your business and at the same time protect the fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos?
2. What are travel considerations for tourists?
3. What tours would impact the islands the least and still provide the tourist with a rich and rewarding experience?
4. Should souvenir hunting be permitted?  Why?  What would be the most appropriate souvenir to bring back?
5. What are some regulations, not already in place, that the local government might impose to further protect the islands?
6. Might the government ban all tourism on the island?  How might you convince the government that a ban would be detrimental to the islands in the long run (consider tax revenue and tourist dollars in your argument)?

Use the following sites to develop your ideas and arguments:

Cyber Field Trip

International Galapagos Tour Operators Association

Park Description and Rules

Discover Galapagos - A Tour Guide

Whale Watching Tour Information

Can the Galapagos Survive? Time Magazine article

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Use the following questions to guide your discussions:

1. What adaptations have you made while living on the islands?   Look at this question over tens of thousands of years not simply during your lifetime.
2. Why do you think you turned out the way you did? 
3. Will you change any more over the next 10,000 years?  If you think so, in what way?  If no change is anticipated, why?
4. Do you think you might be different if you were connected to the mainland instead of being on a remote island?  Why?  How might you be different or not as the case may be?
5. Has man's interest in the islands changed your way of life for the better, for the worse or it really doesn't seem to matter?   Why do you feel that way.
6. How have the introduced species affected your existence?
7. Identify 6 animals indigenous to the Galapagos and provide a short overview of their existence.  Include at least three endangered or threatened species.

Use the following sites to develop your ideas and arguments:

Cyber Field Trip

Creature Features:

• Giant Tortoises
• Tortoise Mortality
• Land Iguanas
• Dark Rumped Petrels
• Marine Iguana

Galapagos Islands

Invader Species

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Check the BIG 'Q' again so you are focused on the real question.

The Bargaining Table Resolution

The Scientist shall approach the bargaining table with a plan for a total ban on further intrusion on the fragile ecosystem. 

The Tour Operator shall approach the bargaining table with a policy of removing any restrictions on increased tourism.

The Creatures shall approach the bargaining table with the fear that any more introduced species or further encroachment by man would bring irreversible harm to the island's habitat and habitants and this cannot be permitted.

Recognizing the sensitivity of the Galapagos to outside influences and the need for man to research, enjoy, and exploit (to some degree) these islands; your group is to propose a "Fair Use" policy that all countries are to sign and abide by.  This document must be a distillation of all the needs and wants expressed by each of the concerned roles. It should represent an equitable compromise by all members, and represent the best use today, and protection for the future, of this unique ecosystem.  The Galapagos' ecofuture depends on you!

. . . or is this simply the starting point?

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You have worked as individuals gathering information to become the expert in your role, and you have worked as a team to develop an understanding of the fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands and how best to preserve and research it.  Do not let the research you have accomplished languish through lack of use.  Take a stand and write to whomever you think will be able to carry forward your point of view.  You probably know more about the Galapagos and its very unique position in the evolutionary record than many of the people charged with the protection of the islands. 

Don't waste this knowledge . . .
go save something!

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Teacher Page
or here's some 'stuff
you might want to know!

This page will always be under some kind of construction
as this WebQuest evolves (ouch!).

This quest is designed to address and develop the following Standards of Learning (Virginia):

BIO 1  The student will plan and conduct investigations in which:

• hypotheses are formulated based on observations;
• conclusions are formed based on recorded quantitative and qualitative data;
• validity of data is determined;
• alternative explanations and models are recognized and analyzed;
• appropriate technology is used for gathering and analyzing data and communicating results; and
• research is used based on popular and scientific literature.

BIO 2  The student will investigate and understand the history of:

• scientific explanations of the development of organisms through time;
• causative agents of disease; and
• the collaborative efforts of scientists, past and present.

BIO 8  The student will investigate and understand how populations change through time. Key concepts include:

• examining evidence found in fossil records;
• investigating how variation of traits, reproductive
• strategies, and environmental pressures impact on the
• survival of populations;
• recognizing how adaptations lead to natural selection; and
• exploring how new species emerge.

BIO 9  The student will investigate and understand dynamic equilibria within populations, communities, and ecosystems. Key concepts include:

• interactions within and among populations including carrying capacities, limiting factors, and growth curves;
• succession patterns in ecosystems;
• the effects of natural events and human influences on ecosystems; and
• analysis of local ecosystems.

Benchly, P. (1999, April). Galapagos: Paradise in peril. National Geographic, 195, 2-31.

Ross, J.F. (1999, October). IMAX takes us undersea on the Galapagos. Smithsonian, 30, 52-64.

This WebQuest is a modification of a template available from The WebQuest Page.  Thank you  Bernie Dodge!!