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Use these companion lesson plans to present the stories and concepts
from POV's Borders: Environment to your middle school or high school
class.
Lesson 1: The first group of lesson plans in each section are meant to
be used with the various stories and features on the POV's Borders:
Environment website. Each of the three lesson plans focuses on Earth,
Water or Air, the three general categories/themes of the POV's Borders: Environment
website. The plans offer ideas about how to incorporate
website features about hybrid cars (streaming video), a polluted waterway (streaming
audio)
and
the
importance
of biodiversity and heirloom
seeds (interactive game) into your curriculum in a meaningful way.
Lesson 2: The second three lesson plans in each
section can be used together as a unit, or separately. All three are designed
to
facilitate online storytelling
and the sharing of pictures. Teachers
who utilize these lesson plans, either individually or as a unit, should contact
POV so that their class work may be added to this website for use/reference
by other classes around the globe. One of the goals of this picture project
is for teachers around the world to engage their students in order to facilitate
cultural understanding, tolerance and
understanding of the global environment in which we live.
The philosophy behind all of these lesson plans is that
people who actively take notice of the environment around them and who
are engaged
in its study
will
be more likely and better equipped to act as its stewards. This is the
goal of these lesson plans that students and teachers who engage in
these activities will take action to sustain healthy living conditions in
their
local environment and global communities.
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LESSONS: AIR |
LESSON 1: FUEL FOR THOUGHT
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Global climate change is a serious environmental problem that is the direct result of human activity. This lesson plan engages students in a real-life exploration of climate change as it is affected by greenhouse emissions from vehicles. The aim of this activity is for students to realize the impact of vehicle use in their family and to give students the opportunity to brainstorm viable alternatives to this use.
LESSON 2: AIR QUALITY PICTURE PROJECT
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Human activity and industrialization are rapidly altering the quality of our
air, both indoors and out, and both locally and globally. The goal of this
activity is for students to recognize which activities contribute to poor
air quality and which contribute to good air quality. The idea behind this
study is that an informed/educated student is more likely to choose activities
that contribute positively to the air that we breathe over those which contribute
negatively, and is more likely to talk to others about sustainable solutions.
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Please let us know what happened with your students and whether we can share your experiences with other teachers. |
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LESSONS: WATER
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LESSON 1: WHERE IN THE WATERSHED?
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A watershed is a drainage basin that includes a collection of smaller waterways and water bodies that flow in to a common major waterway or water body. The study of water flow through watersheds is a useful tool for ecologists as this flow carries pollutants, can dilute pollutants, shapes land and influences human activities. This lesson aims to connect students to their watershed by exploring a local water body and mapping its features.
LESSON 2: WATER USE PICTURE PROJECT
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Water is considered by some to be the "blue gold" of today. Though in some areas water is becoming more scarce and polluted, other communities use water as if there were no limit to its supply. Through the use of digital cameras, students will
document how water is used in their local communities and explore how those uses
impact the local environment.
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LESSONS: EARTH
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LESSON 1: THE FOOD WE EAT, THE SEEDS WE SOW DOWNLOAD
PDF | VIEW HTML VERSION
Food is our most basic necessity: without it, we cannot survive. Although food is basic to our lives, however, there are very complex processes – both biological and cultural – that lead to the vastness of food options we enjoy. This food diversity is a product of seed diversity, and results in cultural diversity. One might even say that seeds are culture – neatly packaged for passing down from generation to generation. This lesson plan aims to explore the importance of seed diversity for cultural and ecological stability/health.
LESSON 2: LAND USE PICTURE PROJECT
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PDF | VIEW HTML VERSION
Humans are altering the earth's landscape at rates and in ways
never seen in times past. Using a digital camera to document local landscapes
as they are today, students will explore how changes in human land use
are impacting local environments. Students will also explore some of
the social impacts of various land uses in their area.
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