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Lesson #1: Why Should I Care? (taking responsibility for the environment)Some material adapted from the Lviv Youth Employment Center’s Youth Leadership Program training manual I. Objectives: Students will examine their relationship to the earth, and will discuss reasons they should assume personal responsibility for improving the environment.
II. Materials: 1. Flipchart “If the earth were a ball only a meter in diameter…” (See below) 2. Teacher’s text from Alan Gussow (follows lesson plan) 3. Photos/pictures of various environments (seashore, river, forest, mountain, village, large city, etc) 4. Flipchart with questions from Alan Gussow text 5. A4 paper and pens/pencils/markers 6. Copies of the Eco-Quiz (follows lesson plan)
III. Procedure: 1. Introduction: · When students arrive in class, have the following flipchart up (you can also cut up the sentences and make it into a strip story): If the earth were a ball only a meter in diameter, floating above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to gaze upon it. People would walk around it amazed by its big pools of water, its little pools of water and the water flowing between the pools. People would be surprised at the bumps on it and the holes in it and they would marvel at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas. The people would be fascinated by all the creatures walking around on the surface of the ball and at the creatures in the water. The people would declare the ball precious because it was the only one and they would protect it so it would not be hurt. The ball would be the greatest wonder known to man and people would come to behold it, to gain knowledge, to know beauty and to wonder how it could be. People would love it and defend it with their lives because they would somehow know that their lives, their own completeness, would be impossible without it. If the earth were a ball only a meter in diameter… · Discuss with students: What does this mean to you? Do you think people value the earth enough? Do they value it as much as they do in this story?
2. “Places that support our spirits…” (You will work with the teacher’s text for this activity; see following page.) · Introduce vocabulary in bold and check for comprehension. · Ask students to close their eyes and listen as you read the text. As you are reading, ask them to form a visual image of what you are saying. · Introduce the reflection questions to students one at a time; give them sufficient time to think and respond in writing to each one. (If you think students will have a hard time doing this without being prompted, you might show them various pictures of different environments). Then, ask students to share if they are comfortable. · Discuss as a group: what was the point of this exercise? Why is it important to think of the environment as something that has given us a gift (relaxation, enjoyment, peace, etc.) instead of just a place we have to live in?
3. The Eco-Quiz · Distribute copies of the quiz; students may work in groups if you wish. · Discuss answers. 4. Summary Ask students to complete the following sentence, and discuss as a class. “Caring for the environment is my responsibility because…”
Teacher’s text (from The Peace Corps TEFL Training Workbook, part I. Peace Corps/Ukraine 2000) (suggested vocabulary words to introduce before you read the text are in bold)
There is a lot of talk these days about saving the environment. We must, because the environment not only feeds our bodies, but also supports our spirits. However, our spirits are not touched by simply an abstract environment, but by certain special parts of the environment that we know and love, places that have been touched by our feelings. If we look at the Earth just as a system that supports our lives, then the Earth is only an environment. But, if we look at the Earth as a system that supports the spirit of humanity, then the Earth is a collection of places. It is places that we have known and remember. We are homesick for places, we are reminded of places, it is the sounds and smells and sights of places which haunt us. -American writer Alan Gussow
Reflection questions: 1. [read this excerpt again: “Our spirits are touched…by certain special parts of the environment that we know and love, places that have been touched by our feelings.”] Think of a certain specific place that “supports your spirit.” Maybe it is the river in our town, maybe it is your grandmother’s dacha, maybe it is a tree you like in your neighborhood. Write it down. 2. Imagine you are there. What do you see? Write down at least three things. 3. What do you hear? Are there animals? People talking? The river flowing? Waves crashing? 4. What can you smell? 5. Now imagine that place has disappeared; it’s not there anymore. Or imagine that someone has done something to hurt this place. How would you feel? The Eco-Quiz How much do you know about the environment? Take the quiz below to test your knowledge: (Source: Peace Corps’ Ukraine Training Materials for Environmental Program)
1. When is Earth Day? · January · April · September
2. Name three ways to harm the environment. 1. 2. 3.
3. How much garbage does the average person dispose of in a day? · 1 kilogram · 2 kilograms · 3 kilograms
4. Which types of countries use more energy and resources? · Developed (like the USA) · Developing (like Ukraine)
5. What is the most environmentally damaging activity of humans on earth? · Agriculture · Industrialization · Population Growth
6. True or False: we are using resources faster than the earth can create them.
7. How much of the electricity produced in Ukraine is atomic or nuclear? · 20% · 40% · 80%
8. What is Ukraine’s main source of energy? · Oil · Coal · Gas
9. What are Ukraine’s principal natural resources?
10. What are Ukraine’s principal crops?
11. How much of the earth’s surface is covered by water? · 30% · 50% · 70% · 90%
12. What percent of the earth’s water source is fresh water? · 25% · 10% · 3% 13. How many classified species exist today? · 1 million · 1.4 million · 1.5 million
14. How many of all species are considered threatened? · 1/10 · 1/4 · 1/2
15. What is the main cause of species extinction? · Hunting · Natural Disaster · Destruction of the habitat
16. Name three endangered species. 1. 2. 3.
17. How much of tropical rain forests on earth have been destroyed? · 1/2 · 1/3 · 1/4
18. Why are trees important to humans and other living things?
19. When did the Chernobyl accident occur?
20. How many people were directly killed by the accident?
21. How much does the Ukrainian government spend annually dealing with Chernobyl? · 1% of the budget · 10% of the budget · half of the budget
22. How many people visit the Black Sea’s coast every year? · 20 million · 40 million · 50 million · 60 million
23. What is the average depth of the Black Sea? · 1250 meters · 1500 meters · 2000 meters
24. How much of the water in the Black Sea is dead (no oxygen) from natural causes? · 30% · 60% · 90%
25. How many kinds of fish can a fisherman catch from the Black Sea today? · 5 · 10 · 20 Answers to Eco-Quiz: 1. April 22nd 2. Answers may vary; for example: cutting forests, digging out minerals, eroding the earth, creating dangerous waste, destroying natural areas, polluting the air and water 3. 2 kilograms per day 4. Developed nations: a person in a developed country uses in 6 months the resources that last a person in a developing country a lifetime. 5. Agriculture 6. True 7. 40% 8. Coal 9. Coal, iron, manganese, natural gas and oil 10. Grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables, meat and milk 11. 70% 12. 3% 13. 1.4 million: this amount is thought to be no more than 10% of all species 14. ¼ 15. Destruction of habitat 16. Answers may vary; for example: whooping crane, snow leopard, giant panda, gray bat, humpback whale, tiger, rhino, hippopotamus, seal 17. ½ 18. They convert carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air into oxygen (O2), which our bodies need 19. 26 April 1986 20. 31 people 21. 10% of the budget 22. 40 million 23. 1250 meters 24. 90% 25. 5 (and they are mostly small fish)   ЧТО ПРОИСХОДИТ, КОГДА МЫ ССОРИМСЯ Не понимая различий, существующих между мужчинами и женщинами, очень легко довести дело до ссоры...  ЧТО ПРОИСХОДИТ ВО ВЗРОСЛОЙ ЖИЗНИ? Если вы все еще «неправильно» связаны с матерью, вы избегаете отделения и независимого взрослого существования...  Система охраняемых территорий в США Изучение особо охраняемых природных территорий(ООПТ) США представляет особый интерес по многим причинам...  Что будет с Землей, если ось ее сместится на 6666 км? Что будет с Землей? - задался я вопросом... Не нашли то, что искали? Воспользуйтесь поиском гугл на сайте:
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