Introduction
Mount Everest is located in the Himalayas in Tibet. It is the highest peak in the world at 29,035 ft. It is a place that has its own climate, animals, culture, and dangers. In this web quest you will research all the complexities that are associated with summiting Mount Everest.
In your research you will come across the dangers also associated with climbing Everest and you will have to weigh the good verses the bad when deciding whether you will encourage your best friend and photographer to climb Mount Everest. While doing this web quest think about what FINAL PROJECT you would like to develop - it should involve 10 research and 2) something you are interested in (medical field, athletic, legal, superstitution etc)
YOU ARE READY FOR THE TASKS AT HAND!!!!
Please click on the "Task" icon on the left and find out what you will be doing.
Task
Your best friend, an award winning photographer, has been asked by National Geographic to climb and photograph Mount Everest. Your first task is to research, discuss, and problem solve all the complexities of Everest. Then once your research is complete you will be writing your best friend a letter explaining whether you think that your friend should or should not climb Mount Everest.
GO AHEAD AND BEGIN THE "PROCESS" OF RESEARCH!!!
You are ready to begin the actual research on Mount Everest. Click on the "process" icon and complete your trek up Mount Everest.
Process
Read through the following information about Mount Everest and complete the Into Thin Air Web quest Assignment. Write your answers on the worksheet.
STAGE 1: Get your bearings.
Mount Everest
You need to know where you are going. On the back of your answer key, draw a rough sketch/map of the location of Mt. Everest and the surrounding countries.
You need to know how to dress. Look up the weather today at Mount Everest by searching "weather at Mount Everest" in Google. Go to the worksheet and mark what you have found.
Altitude Sickness
Read the following paragraph, and answer questions on the worksheet.
Climbing Mount Everest requires one to endure life at a high altitude. This can be very hard on the body and cause many sicknesses if precautions are not made.
There are some recommendations that will prevent altitude sickness. Having a slow ascent that gives a person’s body time to acclimatize will prevent sickness. Also, when an altitude above 10,000 feet is reached, altitude should not increase more than 1,000 feet per night. Every two to three days, a second night should be spent at the same elevation.
Alcohol, sleeping pills and narcotic pain medicines should be avoided because they hinder breathing. Lastly, a lot of water should be drunk.
If these recommendations are ignored, three diseases could occur. AMS, or Acute Mountain Sickness, is one of them. This is a disease caused by not allowing enough time to acclimatize. The symptoms of this disease include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness and sleeping difficulty.
HACE, or High Altitude Cerebral Edema, is another, more severe sickness. This disease has the same syptoms as AMS, but they are more severe. A change in mental status and ataxia can also occur from HACE.
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, known as HAPE, is the worst of altitude sickness. The symptoms of this disease are a cough, weakness, a decreased exercise performance, chest tightness or congestion, rales or wheezing in at least one lung field, blue lips and an increased heartrate.
HACE and HAPE can be deadly.
STAGE 2: Acclimate to the Culture
Sherpa Culture
Go to the following link and read the article. Answer the questions on the worksheet.
STAGE 3: View from Base Camp
Go to the Google Maps link and scroll down the page. Explore the panoramic picture using the arrows at the bottom and moving your cursor around. Click through the twelve picture slideshow at the bottom and answer the questions.
STAGE 4: Deaths on Mount Everest
Go to the following link to read about deaths on Mount Everest, and then answer the questions.