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Be the Change: Environment

Unit of 3 lessons

9th-12th Grade

Subjects:

Arts, Language Arts, Math, Philanthropy, Science and Social Studies

Key Words/Concepts click to view

Lesson 1 :	ELA:	Communicate; Letter Writing
	MAT:	Data Collection/Organization
	PHIL:	Activism; Advocacy; Environmental Stewardship; Global Community; Neighborhood; Service
	SCI:	Environment; Graphs/Charts/Tables; Pollution
	SOC:	Be the Change; Citizenship/Civic Engagement; Interdependence
Lesson 2 :	ELA:	Communicate; Reflection; Social/Cultural Issues
	PHIL:	Activism; Advocacy; Environmental Stewardship; Global Community
	SCI:	Analyze; Compare/Contrast; Conservation; Water
	SOC:	Be the Change; Communities; Geography; Resource Allocation; Resources
Lesson 3 :	ART:	Visual Arts
	ELA:	Compare/Contrast; Presentations; Research; Social/Cultural Issues
	PHIL:	Community; Justice; Neighborhood; Social Action
	SCI:	Environment; Garden; Land Management; Natural Resources
	SOC:	Be the Change; Citizenship/Civic Engagement; Compare/Contrast; Environment; Resource Allocation; Resources; Urbanization

Unit Purpose:

In this unit, students compare litter and water and land resources in different environments and discuss environmental injustice. In Lesson One, students read about and discuss issues related to pollution, waste management, and recycling. They collect and analyze physical data about the type and amount of litter in a neighborhood park or region. They are challenged to come up with a plan to reduce the amount of litter in their neighborhood. In Lesson Two, students learn facts about water availability in the world and compare water resources. Through a hands-on activity, they explore the concept of water contaminants. They discuss the importance of protecting the water supply and conserving water. In Lesson Three, students utilize classroom learning and multimedia projects to identify key aspects of urban ecosystems and explore the concept of environmental justice locally and globally.

Unit Duration:

Four or Five 50-Minute Class Periods, plus time to organize a litter-reduction campaign and advocacy for water conservation

Unit Objectives:

The learner will:

participate in a classroom and/or neighborhood clean-up project
quantify and describe the results of their clean-up efforts
discuss the effect of human waste on their environment, and assess their own impact
assess local recycling resources at the classroom and neighborhood level, and make suggestions to decrease waste and increase recycling

become aware of water as a limited natural resource and explore the concept of conservation.
experience the difficulty of identifying contaminants in water samples and explaining how that affects global communities with poor water quality.
demonstrate an awareness of water quality as an issue of global importance, and engage in a project to raise awareness of this issue.

define the concepts of environmental justice, natural resources, urban decay, and blight.
describe the connection between poverty and environmental justice.
identify strengths and weaknesses in the local environment.
identify ways to improve the local environments; create a service-learning plan based on local need.
create multi-media projects to share learning and call attention to local environmental issues.
relate local environmental concerns to global issues, including poverty and resource distribution.

Service Experience:

Although lessons in this unit contain service project examples, decisions about service plans and implementation should be made by students, as age appropriate.

Students create a clean-up campaign focusing on their “pollution reduction” area, including posters made on recycled paper (computer printed or hand-drawn) encouraging people to utilize trash bins and recycling containers. If no recycling containers are available in the designated area, youth may contact local waste management to request an additional bin and/or to implement a recycling program.
Students calculate their water footprint and analyze ways they could cut down on water use. They make a pledge to reduce water use and encourage friends, family, and community members to take action to conserve water. This National Geographic Water Footprint calculator can help students calculate their water footprint and realize how much water they use in unexpected places: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/water-footprint-calculator/
Challenge students to use their water footprint analysis to change their behavior. For example, if someone agrees to cut down shower time by one minute per day, that saves an estimated five gallons of water. Students can
calculate how much water they will save by the end of one week for pledged behavior changes. They may use this as a means to raise awareness of how small changes can make a big difference.
This may be an opportunity to raise funds for clean water projects. Students can accept pledges at a per-gallon rate (much like a walk-a-thon, with pledges per mile) or at a flat rate for one week, and choose a charitable fund for their donation.

Students may choose a local park or playground and sponsor a clean-up effort. They choose a day and time for picking up trash, clearing weeds, removing or painting over graffiti, and planting flowers. Students make and distribute fliers informing local residents of the planned day and time of the cleanup. They write and submit a press release to a local newspaper about the event. Students should contact in advance the local public works department to arrange for removal of the debris. Be sure to document areas that need to be cleaned and include the information in your outreach.
Students choose a local public area that needs some attention. This may be a vacant lot or overgrown playground. Students take a picture of the rundown area or create a sketch or Google Maps image. Then they draw and label a vision of how they would like it to look without pollution or blight. They can be creative and design the space to be more usable and attractive. Look up areas in your state that have been identified as needing cleanup: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/state_tribal/state_map.htm

Option One: Students may use these images to ask for donations and help from neighbors or funding from an environmental clean-up organizaiton, public service agency, or local business.

Option Two: Students may initiate a smaller-scale cleanup, They may ask for help from friends and neighbors to pick up trash, clear weeds, cover graffiti, and plant flowers. They may request help from the city to remove the garbage they pick up or provide the flowers.

Notes for Teaching:

Arrange in advance for a field trip in Lesson One to pick up litter in a local park, neighborhood, or campus. Obtain necessary field trip permission and chaperones. Bring along reused plastic grocery bags and gloves for the litter pickup. You may ask students in advance to contribute plastic bags from their homes for the project.