Students will learn what wetlands are, where they are found, and their value to humans, animals, and the environment. As industrialization spreads and climate change intensifies, China's wetland resources continue to shrink and students will analyze the effects of industrialization on China's environment.

Through this lesson, students are able to explore the impact oil extraction, logging, and mining have on communities across the globe, including how indigenous people respond. Students will also be able to reflect on the policies, both domestically and internationally, governing the industry and determine if they are sufficiently "green."

This lesson plan is designed as a guide that offers different ways to engage your students in the article "Fractured Lands" by Scott Anderson, published by The New York Times with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. In "Fractured Lands," Anderson explores the modern Middle East through the eyes of six individuals, tracing their lives from the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq through the Arab spring, up to the present day. While these people come from different countries, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds, their interlinked narratives provide a window into a turbulent region and help the reader understand the macro-narrative of modern Middle Eastern history. Throughout "Fractured Lands" Anderson raises questions about leadership, governance, identity, dissent and the consequences of history, which enrich our understanding of current events and may also help us better anticipate the future.

In this lesson, students will learn what wetlands are, where they are found, and their value to humans, animals, and the environment. As industrialization spreads and climate change intensifies, China's wetland resources continue to shrink and students will analyze the effects of industrialization on China's environment.