Great Wall of Sand

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/great-wall-of-sand

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geographic location?Spratly Islands region, South China Sea
2. What is the project timeline?Initiated in late 2013, largely completed by late 2016
3. How did China build the Great Wall of Sand?Special dredger ships dug up huge amounts of sand and coral from the seabed and moved them onto the ocean floor to create new land.
4. Why did China build the Great Wall of Sand?China wanted to expand its presence, claim more territory, and build places for military and research stations in the South China Sea.

Land Reclamation: The process of creating new land from bodies of water, typically through the deposition of sand, soil, or other materials.
Artificial Islands: Man-made landmasses constructed in bodies of water, often for strategic, economic, or residential purposes.
Spratly Islands: A disputed archipelago in the South China Sea, claimed in whole or in part by multiple nations.
Dredging: The excavation of material from the seabed or riverbeds, often to deepen waterways or provide fill material for construction.