Process
Step 1:
Within your group decide who will take on each of the four roles. Individually, you are to research all the negative effects our human population has on your topic, and conduct a list of everything that is affected.
Roles:
1. Air Pollution Investigator
Your job is to investigate all the pollutants in the air and determine where they could've come from. Global warming and acid rain are major contributions to the negative aspects we are used to hearing about with air pollution. How do these affect our environment and our health? What are some examples ofgreenhouse gases in our air? How does the greenhouse effect impact the temperature of the Earth? Through this research determine what is damaging our ozone layer.
Websites:
Everyone enjoys swimming in the ocean or going on a boat for the day, but what is really in the water we swim in? Where does the water and wastes from our house actually go? Your job is to detect many pollutants that are in our water and where they come from. Fertilizers and sewage can easily be washed into rivers, streams, and lakes- this is called eutrophication. How does eutrophication affect aquatic life? What other materials that we use everyday can contribute to water pollution? How does the decrease in aquatic life affect our everyday lives?
Website:
3. Land Pollution Researcher
Where does all of our trash go? Land and soil can be polluted by two main types of substances: solid wastes and chemicals. Land pollution can also lead to water pollution. Your job is to research all the different types of wastes and chemicals that are in our land and soil. How do landfills affect our environment? How do a variety of human activities contribute to land pollution in our community?
Websites:
Your main goal is to examine the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources. Why are they important to our environment? What are the main causes of resource depletion? Deforestation is the clearing of natural forests by logging or burning of trees and plants in a forested area. How does deforestation have negative effects on our atmosphere and our environment? Materials are removed from the Earth to provide humans with food, clothing, and housing. What will happen if we run out of these materials?
Websites:
Once everyone in your group has gathered all of the information needed, fill out the Problems/Solutions Chart. This chart consists of each person listing the environmental problems in their category and any solutions that we as a community can do to improve them. Each group will turn in one chart all together.
Step 3:
Carbon Footprints
Find your individual Carbon Footprint using any of the following websites:
Next, calculate your household Carbon Footprint as well. You may complete this step at home with the assistance of your parents. The same websites for individual footprints may be used.
Do your results surprise you? Print out a copy of your carbon footprint to hand it at the end of this project along with a paragraph reflection.
Step 4:
Group Discussion
As a group, discuss how the increase in population and industry have affected your area of expertise that you just researched. Overpopulation and industrialization have led to many of the negative human impacts on our environment. Why?
Step 5:
Podcast
Now comes the fun part! With all the information you have just gathered, as a group you will create a podcast that addresses your community. You will each talk about the negative aspects humans have on our environment, and then discuss positive solutions we as a community can do to improve the standards of our environment. These can be individual solutions, family solutions, or community solutions. A podcast is similar to an online radio or television show. You will use the built in microphone on our computers to record your group talking. iMovie is a program you will use to record and edit your podcast. This will be presented to the class after the finished products. Let's make our community a better place!
