163 Everybody Needs A Clean Environment[1]

Title: Everybody Needs a Clean Environment Abstract: Our earth is fragile and becoming more polluted each day. How will we protect it for future generations? It is interesting to note that our recognition of Earth Day started with the efforts of one man, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin! While we may not make such a recognizable contribution, each of us can make a difference in protecting our environment. We need a clean environment, free of pollutants in the air, water, and land. This lesson will give students the opportunity to research ways to “reduce, reuse, and recycle” by creating a book Everybody Needs a Clean Environment based on the pattern in the book Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor. Grades: 4-8 Estimated Lesson Time: 8 or more class periods depending on the abilities of the students and the availability of computers and research materials. Standards: (Standards for the English Language Arts) 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written and visual language to communicate with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions, media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts. 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources. 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge. (National Science Educational Standards) Science in personal and social perspective/ Content Standard F Students will be aware of changes in the environment (3-4); Students will be aware of populations, resources, and the environment (5-8); Students will be aware of environmental quality (9-12) Objectives: • Students will be aware of the pollution that exists in/on our earth • Students will research the forms of pollution using the Internet • Students will follow the pattern of Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor to create rules for “reducing, reusing, and recycling”.

• Students will edit for punctuation, spelling, and usage • Students will write to inform an audience Instructional Plan: Resources:

Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor The Clean Environment Graphic Organizer The Clean Environment Task The Clean Environment Rubric The Clean Environment Form for Writing Rules Web Links http://www.encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761570933 Introduction to pollution and types of pollution http://www.scorecard.org/ Hazardous waste http://www.epa.gov/airnow/ Air pollution http://www.epa.gov/region4/water/nps/ Water pollution http://www.epa.gov/esaoswer/osw/rr.htm Wastes http://directory.google.com/Top/Science/Environment/Pollution_Prevention_and_ Recycling/Recycling_Information Recycling http://directory.goodle.com/Top/Society/Issues/Environment/Pollution? Environmental issues

Preparation: • • •

Find the book Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor in the Easy section of the library. Run off copies of the Task, Rubric, Graphic Organizer, and Form Bring in texts, articles, videos that might be informative to students researching the pollution in the world.

Instruction and Activity: Day 1 - Begin by finding out what students know about pollution. Let them brainstorm the many kinds of pollution. After a list has been generated, ask students if they can group these into categories (Air, Water, Soil, Hazardous Waste, Noise, Animal Extinction, etc.) Tell students that they will be doing research in each of these areas to find out what can be done to “reduce, reuse, and recycle” in order to have a cleaner environment for ourselves and for those who come after us. Tell them that before they begin you want to review the Task and the Rubric so that they will understand exactly what is expected of them during the study. Hand them out, and go over them as a class. As a homework assignment, and depending on the age of the students, you could have them bring in articles from the paper that mention pollution anywhere on the earth.

Day 2 – If students have brought in articles about from pollution, briefly go over these and add any new information to the list that was brainstormed on the first day. Tell the class that before you hand them the Graphic Organizer that will be used to record research data, you are going to read them a little book. Ask them to listen to how the pattern of the book might be used for an assignment on a clean environment. Read Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor. Point out that the Form they will use will allow them to follow the pattern of the book. (If the book is not available, go directly to the Form, reading it and discussing how students will be finding 10 rules that people can follow to have a cleaner environment.) Hand out the Form for the books students will be creating. Explain that the rules might be different for each student, depending on what they each feel is important and obtainable by the average citizen, including themselves. Either list or make copies of the Web Links for students to begin their research. If computers are not available for all students, research can be made in small groups with each student recording his/her own data. Let students begin their data collection. Days 3-5 – Students should continue their research. Some could use texts or articles collected. Days 6-7 – Students should begin their Everybody Needs a Clean Environment books using the Form that has been provided. Students should be reminded that the rules will be the topic sentences, but the detail sentences in the rest of the paragraph should explain how the rule could be accomplished. Remind students that the rubric explains the need for correct punctuation, spelling and usage when writing for an audience. Encourage students to illustrate their rules with drawings or pictures. Tell them that they will be presenting their books to the class. Day 8 – Sharing day. Let students present their books to their classmates. Ask students to look for similarities in the rules. Point out that each person can contribute to the cleaning up of the earth by “reducing, reusing, and recycling”. Extensions: • • •

Have students share their books with other classes. Ask the local library to showcase the books. Read the books on Earth Day

Assessment: • The Rubric • Teacher observation • Class discussions

TASK FOR EVERYBODY NEEDS A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT TASK: Our earth is fragile and becoming more polluted each day. How will we protect it for future generations? It is interesting to note that our recognition of Earth Day started with the efforts of one man, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin! While we may not make such a recognizable contribution, each of us can make a difference in protecting our environment. We need a clean environment, free of pollutants in the air, water, and land. Your task will be to research and record information that you find at web sites to explain the pollution that is occurring on our earth, the things being done to change these atrocities, and ways that you and your family can act now to prevent these pollutants from further destroying our earth. You should research for pollutants in the water, the air, and the soil. You should research hazardous wastes, noise pollution, and ways to “reduce, reuse, and recycle” to prevent further pollution. What is being done by the Environmental Protection Agency? What other organizations are trying to protect our earth? What are they doing? Can you help? Using the Form provided you and the pattern from Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor, you are to create your own book entitled, Everybody Needs a Clean Environment. After you have researched and recorded your information on the Graphic Organizer, create ten rules for keeping our environment cleaner. Try to find ways that you and your family and friends can actually do. Each rule will be the topic sentence for a paragraph that explains why your rule is effective and how it can be accomplished. Remember that you will be writing for an audience, so correct spelling, punctuation, and usage is essential. The rubric should guide you. Be prepared to share your book with your classmates in an oral presentation.

RUBRIC FOR EVERYBODY NEEDS A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT Advanced

Basic

Needs Revision

Graphic organizer is completely and correctly filled in

Graphic organizer is mostly complete and correct

Graphic organizer is incomplete or only partially complete

All 10 rules suggest ways to have a cleaner environment

At least 8 rules suggest ways to have a cleaner environment

Fewer than 8 rules are suggested to have a cleaner environment

Rules are written in paragraph form with a topic sentence and detail sentences

Rules are mostly written in paragraph form with some detail sentences

Rules are just sentences with no topic sentence or detail sentences

Book uses the pattern from Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor

The pattern form is mostly followed

The pattern for the book is incomplete

Book shows that the data recorded has been thoroughly researched

Book shows some research of data on the environment

Book shows very little research has been done

Few to no errors in spelling, punctuation, or usage

Some errors in spelling, punctuation, and usage do not interfere with understanding

Many errors in spelling, punctuation, and usage interfere with understanding

Oral presentation is effective, can be heard, with eye contact to the audience

Oral presentation is acceptable

Oral presentation is not acceptable

Fill in each blank with a way to prevent the pollutions that are given. Try to find things that you, your family, and your friends can do. Find ways to “reverse, reuse, and recycle!

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER FOR EVERYBODY NEEDS A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT Hazardous Waste

Water Pollution

__________________________ ________________________ __________________________ ________________________ ___________________________ ________________________ ___________________________ ________________________

Air Pollution

Noise Pollution

____________________ __________________ An Unclean ____________________ Environmen __________________ t ____________________ Has __________________

Endangered Animals

____________________ ____________________ __________________ _____________________ __________________

Soil Pollution

_________________ -

EVERYBODY NEEDS A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT

I’m sorry for kids who don’t have a clean environment. I’m sorry for kids who have SMOG AROUND THEIR CITIES, POLLUTION IN THEIR RIVERS AND STREAMS, HAZARDOUS WASTES IN THE SOIL AND EVERYWHERE, SHRINKING FORESTS, ENDANGERED ANIMALS, OIL SPILLS, LOUD, DEAFENING NOISES, And other things like that If they don’t have a clean environment! That’s why I’m giving them my own 10 rules for having a clean environment. Not just any environment, one that they can keep – maybe forever. All right, here are the rules: Rule 1 Rule 2 Rule 3 Rule 4 Rule 5

Rule 6 Rule 7 Rule 8 Rule 9 Rule 10 All right, that’s ten rules. If you can think of any more write them down. I think we can all help to preserve our earth!