“Tensions grow as China ramps up global mining for green tech”

Geography Case Study

Lithium is key to green technologies.

The “Lithium Triangle” of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, holds most of the world’s lithium reserves.

Chinese businesses face allegations of the violation of the rights of local communities, damage to ecosystems and unsafe working conditions.

Argentinian lithium miners surrounded their Chinese managers’ compound and blockaded the entrance with flaming tyres.

This resource includes a variety of lesson activities to pick and choose:

Which Geography keyword is the ODD ONE OUT?

5Ws &1H about Tesla Motors and Elon Musk

5Ws &1H about a photo of lithium salt mounds

In which photo would you be most likely to … meet a worker whose health is at risk?

Critical Thinking: write THREE sentences to LINK these four images (technology: manufacturing, sales, use, waste)

Worksheet and data to construct a dot distribution map of China’s lithium mines around the World

PQE: China’s Lithium Mines - worksheet to analyse the dot distribution map using critical thinking (Patterns, Quantify, Exceptions)

Several slides for screen projection: encourages class evaluation of the positives vs negatives of dot distribution

Slide showing annotated map of Global North vs Global South - encourages analysis of correlation between lithium mining and socio-economic development

Link to video: “Argentina indigenous groups
protest against lithium mining”

Concept Map: The Lithium Triangle (35 snippets of info, to be colour-coded according to Locations, Causes, Effects, Management, Supporting Data)

The concept map info can then be used for:

Thought Chains: The Lithium Triangle - complete the scaffolding to complete six pieces of analysis…

“Chinese firms have been buying lithium mines in South America because…”

“The lithium mining industry in South America is SOCIALLY unsustainable because…”

“The lithium mining industry in South America is ECONOMICALLY unsustainable because…”

“The lithium mining industry in South America is ENVIRONMENTALLY unsustainable because…”

“Electric car makers buy Chinese lithium-ion batteries because…”

“Electric cars are not yet completely sustainable because…”

Geography Web: The Lithium Triangle

Pupils link feature and analyse the connections between the Lithium Triangle and China, Argentina’s government, indigenous people, Tesla Motors

TEACHERS’ BACKGROUND INFORMATION sheets (x3) with links to relevant articles and original BBC News story