ZAD de Notre-Dame-des-Landes

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/zad-de-notre-dame-des-landes

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. How big is ZAD de Notre-Dame-des-Landes?1,650 hectares (4,080 acres) of primarily agricultural land
2. What is the location?Loire-Atlantique department, western France, approximately 20 km north of Nantes
3. What is the primary resistance focus?Opposition to the construction of a new international airport (Nantes Atlantique 2)
4. Why did people want to stop the airport?They were worried it would hurt the environment, take away farmland, and change rural life. They didn't want the big airport near Nantes.
5. How did the ZAD become a community?People and locals occupied the land, built houses, shared kitchens, farms, and worked together. They made rules that let everyone help each other.

Zone to Defend (ZAD): A designated territory occupied by activists to prevent development and establish alternative, often autonomous, social and ecological projects.
Autonomous Living: Practices and social structures that operate independently of state control and conventional economic systems, emphasizing self-governance and mutual aid.
Direct Action: Tactics used by activists to achieve political goals, such as protests, occupations, and civil disobedience, bypassing traditional political channels.
Infrastructure Project: Large-scale public works, such as airports, highways, or dams, often involving significant environmental and social impact.