Students will increasingly realize the impact of their individual choices on their surrounding environment. Among the most influential choices they make are their consumer choices. These choices include the foods they purchase, the fuels they burn, choice of transportation, clothing, personal care products, entertainment items, etc.
Aggregate, or community choices also affect their environment tremendously. Three major project proposals currently face the city of New Haven: expansion of Interstate 95, development of a large mall at Long Wharf, and installation of high speed rain service to New York. Most communities face, or have recently debated a development proposal. These community choices are often complex, with benefits and costs. However, these benefits and costs are not equally shared, and given the scale of New Haven_s development proposals, open space and clean air will certainly suffer should we realize these developments.
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Read "Don't DumpOn Me: Communities of Color Fighting Back" by Jim Motavalli, in the New Haven Advocate, published 8/13/98. (//www.newhavenadvocate.com/articles/pollution.html). Students identify and discuss pollution problems associated with development that are presented in the article and propose which of these problems will confront the city of New Haven should any or all of these developments take place. How did communities in the article respond to these environmental challenges? What could students do to influence development? Begin research for debating these proposals. Assign student teams to research current or recent development efforts in their community. As students research, ask them to consider who will benefit from such proposals? Who might suffer losses? How will these proposals affect their environment? Do they want these developments? Why?
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Ask students to examine their own personal demands of their environment. After, they will debate one of these contemporary development issues.
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Have each student write up a list of the products they regularly use and/or purchase. Chart and classify this information: Food, Personal Care Products, Household Cleaners, Clothing, Entertainment, Transportation. After each item or product have a check-off list of the following categories (listed on the top of the page on the X axis): Frequency of Use (Everyday, Frequent, Infrequent); Cost (in $ amount); Biodegradable? (Y or N); Recyclable? (Y or N); Packaging (type: plastic, paper, cardboard, etc. and weight); Is This Product Necessary?(Y or N -- and then explain why).
Activities
Your Environmental Impact
Name______________________________________ Class____ Date_______________
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The six factors affecting plant growth each head the following table. Complete the table by listing at least three ways you affect these factors. Consider how your behavior directly or indirectly affects these elements upon which plants rely. For example, if you take the bus or ride a car to school, your impact has been written in the table in italics.
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Water
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Air
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Soil
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Temperature
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Space
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Light
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Leaking Fluid Exhaust Old tires Emissions Roads Smog ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Need help? Consider the following...
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1. Your need for oil, for heat or for your car, increases the chances of an oil spill, which does a lot of damage to the water.
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2. Do you use plastic foam containers--for fast food restaurants, for example? Some foam is made with CFCs which deplete the ozone layer and may increase temperature?
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3. Do you use fuel for heat...coal, oil or other fossil fuels? They also contribute to the Greenhouse effect.
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4. If you use electricity or ride in car, you could be contributing to acid rain.
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5. Do you ever litter? You rob nutrients in the soil.
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6. Do you use any pesticides or fertilizers in your yard? You may be polluting water and robbing soil of nutrients.
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7. Does your family use salt in the winter to melt ice? You are polluting groundwater.
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8. Do you use plastic trash bags or does your family use disposable diapers? If so you may be contributing to a landfill which takes away space plants could have used.
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9. If you play basketball, run track, play tennis or other sport on an asphalt surface, you are taking away space for plants...and the asphalt ruins soil surrounding it.
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10. How much water do you use at home? Where does all the used and dirty water go? It goes to a sewage treatment plant that sometimes spills...polluting groundwater.
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11. Do you recycle? If not, you are taking away space plants may use and may be polluting soil and water.
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12. Where do you get your fruits and vegetables from? If it is from a supermarket, they are probably sprayed with pesticides--which harms water and soil.
Which factor do you think we affect the most? Why? How and why do we harm this resource which is so valuable to plants? What actions can we take to lessen this impact/damage? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Debate
The major goal of this activity is to better understand the conflicting solutions involved in resolving several complex environmental issues. In order to successfully participate in the debates, you will be required to complete the following steps:
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# 1: Research one development proposal facing your community. Collect local new articles and try to gather facts which support development and those which oppose development.
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# 2: Create a chart listing development benefits and costs, or liabilities. Also indicate which groups stand to benefit or lose.
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# 3: Create groups of four and select an argument (pro/con). Complete further research supporting your argument. Notes gathered which include both pros and cons will be used for rebuttal.
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# 4: Each group will read, analyze, evaluate and discuss their assigned case study. They will create a persuasive argument which supports your assigned viewpoint.
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# 5: Each group will use their research and evidence to construct a creative and persuasive three part presentation.
Each presentation must include the following:
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A) Opening Statement-4 Minutes
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B) Presentation of Evidence-5 Minutes
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C) Closing Statements-3 Minutes
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# 7: Finalize the details and positions of responsibility for your debate issue and be prepared to present your side of the case on the date and time assigned below. Remember, you must adhere to all the stated debate rules and procedures.
Students should also be evaluated on their individual observations.This can be accomplished by having each student keep a daily journal of his or her thoughts and observations during this process. Some questions to have in mind for the journals are:
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1. How does it feel to have to argue a position you don't necessarily agree with?
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2. What is your group research teaching you that you didn't know before?
After the debate, conduct a survey: What were student positions before the debates? After? If they changes their mind , what information or issues were factors which caused them t change their opinion? Which group was the most persuasive?
