Land Use Lesson 4 : Reflecting on How the Land Is Used

1. Vocabulary development.

Remind students that some words have more than one meaning. For example, game can mean an amusement; it can also mean wild animals killed for food. Horn can mean a noisemaker on a car or bike; it can also mean a hard structure projecting from an animal’s head.

If students are unfamiliar with the term values, you will need to spend some time developing their understanding of the term. The following is one method for doing so.

Value is another word that has two meanings and both meanings are important in this lesson. One meaning of value is what a person believes to be right, important, or good. Explore this definition of value by asking the following questions:

In a democracy, an important value is freedom. What might be another important value to people who govern themselves? [Many answers are possible: participation, education, or compassion for others.]

Bethany’s family volunteers every week at a homeless shelter. All the members of the family help by cooking, serving food, or playing with children at the shelter. What values are important to Bethany’s family? [Helping others, compassion, and service.]

DeRon’s parents do not allow him and his brother to play video games or watch TV on school nights. When they have finished their homework, they play board games with their parents. What does DeRon’s family value? [Education, hard work, and family togetherness.]

If appropriate, ask students to compose questions like the ones about Bethany and DeRon’s families, drawing on their own family experiences or the experiences of families they have read about in books. When they have created their questions, they could take turns asking them to classmates and answering their classmates’ questions.

Explain that another meaning of value is worth, especially economic worth. If we get something on sale, we might say it was a really good value. If someone owns a piece of land, we might ask what the value of the land is, meaning how much money they could get if they sold the land. However, the land might also be important to them because of their personal values; if the land is outside the city and trees grow on it, that land might be important to them because they believe nature is an important value. In this lesson, students will explore both ways in which the term value is important in thinking about land use.

2. Analyze case studies of individuals using the land.

Use a think-pair-share to ask students to name their favorite place. Be prepared to or record these on a sheet of paper. Allow time for a variety of responses. Tell students that a person’s favorite place may tell a lot about their values— what they believe is right, important, or good. For example, if a person’s favorite place is the library, what might be some of their values? [Perhaps learning and quiet.] If a person’s favorite place is the forest, what might they value? [Perhaps nature and peace and quiet.] Save the favorite place information since you will use it again in the review.

Tell students that people’s values influence how they view land use. Students are going to have the opportunity to look closely at some case studies of values and land use.

Organize the students into four groups and give each group one of the readings; all students should also have a highlighter and a copy of the student activity, Analyzing Land Use Readings.

In their groups, students should read their case study and use the highlighter to identify the values that influence how the individual in the case study viewed land use. Ask each group to complete the Analyzing Land Use Readings student activity worksheet.

Depending on your students’ experience working in groups, you may create jigsaw groups to share information about the case studies; these groups of four should include one student from each of the original four groups. Each student should share information about their case study with the group; students should complete the handout for all four case studies based on information from others in their group.

As an alternative, you may have the four groups share information in a large group, so that you can clarify and expand on the information reported, ensuring that all students have a grasp of all four case studies. (See the answer key for the Analyzing Land Use Readings.)

The readings are also included on the MEECS Land Use audio CD for listening. The class may read along in each of the readings or may focus on listening. If students listen to the readings, then they may continue the steps as if they had first read them.

If your students are unfamiliar with any of the four places depicted in the readings, the PowerPoint presentation included on the MEECS Land Use CD can be shown for a good visual of these places.

3. Discuss the values that people attach to each land use.

Conduct a class discussion of the values that people attach to the different land uses in the readings. You may use the following questions to stimulate discussion:

What are the values of each person?

[A Farm in Michigan: Farmer values the land for growing crops, enjoys working with animals, values farming as a way of life.]

[A Visit to Seney NWR: Geographer: values conservation and natural areas; studied in college to prepare for a job that would be enjoyable; values wetlands, animals, and plants living in that habitat.]

[A Visit to Comerica Park: Students value organized sports, such as baseball, and the satisfaction they get as spectators; they value the newness of the park and the alternatives it provides for recreation and entertainment.]

[Using the Forest in Many Ways: Conservation Officer values the natural environment, values the ways that people and the natural environment may interact, and values the wise use of resources for economic development.]

How might a person’s cultural background affect their views of the land?

[A Farm in Michigan: Farmer’s family tradition is agriculture and the farmer continues to honor and value farmland.]

[A Visit to Seney NWR: Geographer was raised in Marquette, an urban area, and values the natural setting available at the wildlife refuge.]

[A Visit to Comerica Park: Young people in a large metropolitan region hear about and observe changes in sports team, recreation parks, and organized athletic events. This is determined by their knowledge of the baseball park and enthusiasm to visit. It is similar to the enthusiasm for theme parks.]

[Using the Forest in Many Ways: Conservation officer was active in the out-of-doors as a child and believes the natural resources should be used but protected. This value reflects a cultural tradition that is well established in Michigan.]

How do people’s values affect the impact they have on the land? 

[People who have considerable positive experiences with the natural environment may feel more comfortable and be reluctant to make major changes. They value the out-of doors, recreation, and nature. People who value land as a resource to be used, such as in built environments, may see the most important use of the land being the building of structures, mining minerals, or clearing the land for various uses. The value people hold for the land impacts the way they use it personally, as well as the way they view its use by others.]

4. Examine the impact of land uses in the case studies.

Tell students they are going to look at the impact of different land uses, using the readings. As a class discussion and using the board, ask students to list possible consequences from each land use, focusing on people, plants, and animals. [Examples: Comerica Park would have major negative impacts on plants and animals because habitat would be removed. The farm and the managed forest would also have effects on plants and animals by providing habitat for certain animals. Farm crops are harvested and that removes land cover, thus reducing or removing the land cover. Forest land cover remains as habitat throughout the year. The Seney National Wildlife Refuge would have positive effects by providing a positive environment for animals and insects. Mixing agricultural land with forest has been positive for Michigan’s deer population growth.]

Distribute the Analyzing the Impacts of Land Uses student activity worksheet and ask students to estimate the impact of the different land uses on plants and animals. Also have students estimate the impact that people have on each land use in the third row of the worksheet. Following are several suggestions for estimating the impacts on plants and animals.

Which land uses have the highest impact on plants and animals? Please be sure each of these deals with the land use and not the person/ user. [See the Analyzing the Impacts of Land Uses answer key. Farming has the highest impact since it requires clearing land and planting crops. The conservation officer decides on how the forest will be harvested and some trees are cut. The Seney NWR is protected from most changes because it is a refuge. Little is done to change in the natural environment. Comerica Park is a land use designed for people and little impact is made there by visitors, although creation of the park completely changed the landscape.]

Where do you see the role of government in these readings? [The readings on Seney NWR, the forest uses, and agriculture have clear indications of the role of government. The federal government acquired the land for Seney NWR and is in charge of maintaining and protecting it. If you visit, you may notice that the people who work there are part of the National Park Service. Areas of the Upper Peninsula and the Lower Peninsula are U.S. National Forests. The U.S. Forest Service is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and those agencies are responsible for managing and protecting the national forests. The Huron National Forest is one example in Michigan. Michigan also has state forestlands that are under the management and protection of the Department of Natural Resources. Other forests in Michigan are in private holdings and are not part of the U.S. national or state forestlands. Agricultural land is mostly under private ownership. Federal and state government provide programs and services to the owners of agricultural land for erosion control; in Michigan county government, there is usually a drain commissioner who is in charge of drainage ditches, some of which are in agricultural areas and some in urban and suburban areas. The redevelopment in Detroit of Comerica Park also involved local and state government.]

5. Discuss A Farm in Michigan reading.

This reading highlights the idea that Michigan’s rural land is changing into urban and suburban land. Stimulate discussion of this idea by asking the following questions:

What are the cultural, economic, and personal reasons for the farmer’s attachment to the land? [The farmer grew up on the land and wants to pass it along to his/her children. The farm is the way the family makes its living. He seems to value the open spaces and the fresh air.]

The farmer has conflicting feelings about what to do with the land in the future. What is the conflict? [Between economic gain by selling the land and wanting to remain a farmer to pass the farm along to his/her children.]

How do other people want to use agricultural land? [Residential housing.]

How are these two land uses different? [Many answers, including the size of an individual plot and the amount of work activity. The farm would produce more dust, more smells, and possibly more chemicals. The residential use would depend on the stewardship of the owner.]

Contrast the values of individuals and groups who prefer the residential land use with the values of people who favor agricultural land use. [The farmer thinks of the land much more like a business; homeowners think in terms of shelter, but also in terms of relaxation, recreation activities in a yard, storage of cars, boats, lawnmowers, etc.]

6. Compare A Farm in Michigan to Using the Forest in Many Ways.

What are the products being produced from the land? [Crops and lumber.]

What is the conflict each person sees? [The conflict is between different kinds of land uses with different kinds of economic or social returns.]

A similar mix of discussions regarding the two remaining readings may be included in a jigsaw or group discussion.

Guide students to begin forming conclusions about land use decisions by asking the following questions:

Is it acceptable for people to disagree regarding land use? [Certainly.]

Why does disagreement on land use occur? [Because different people have different personal goals. One of the ways people and groups make a decision is to put an economic value on the land. The land use with the highest value can afford to purchase the land. Value in monetary terms may be less than the value placed on land for other reasons, such as historic monument, a park, or cemetery.]

Is it always possible to reach a compromise on which land use is the most preferred? [No. In some cases the decision to use land in a particular way is agreed upon by everyone involved. This is usually the case for land use with schools and churches since they are usually viewed as good neighbors. When governmental planning commissions consider land use requests, they often have to reach a compromise. Compromise may be necessary for any single piece of land, or for the mix of land uses over a large area. Compromise is the preferred means to settle land use conflicts, since everyone usually gets something they want in a compromise.]

7. Review.

Return to the list of favorite places and answer the questions on Analyzing the Impacts of Land Uses student activity worksheet (column 1) for students’ favorite places.