Environmental Science

Unit Summary  This unit will address the major environmental laws that the US has passed in order to safe guard the environment for future generations and sustainably use the global resources. Students will focus on some of the most well known and controversial laws passed in the 1900s. Students will evaluate the laws for their effectiveness using researched data and critiacal thinking skills.

Curriculum Framing Questions  Essential Question: Have environmental laws improved the environment?  Unit Question: Which environmental law impacted the environment the most?

Curriculum Framing Questions  Content Questions:  In what year were the following laws passed and what is the basic application of each act: clean air act, clean water act, marine mammal act, endangered species act, safe drinking water act, atomic energy act, nuclear waste policy act, ocean dumping act?  How is a law passed?

Curriculum Framing Questions  Content Questions :  How are environmental campaigns funded?  What societal activity caused the need for each act?

Gauging student needs  Methods for pre-assessment include:  Role Play  Cell phone polling  Direct questioning

Role Play  Student 1- sea lion  Student 2 and 3- surfers at beach  Volunteers?!

Role Play  Scenario: Sea lion is lounging on the beach making sea lion roars and being territorial. Surfers arrive at beach and are excited to see the sea lion. They approach the sea lion and try feeding it some of their left over lunch.  The sea lion tries to head down the beach to the ocean but the surfers think that it is funny to head the sea lion off and dance around in front of the sea lion preventing it from reaching the ocean. Sea lion roars in frustration.

Role Play Reflection  What did you observe in this scenario? Observations only.  Did anything happen in the scenario that should not have happened?  Why not?  Think-Pair-Share!! Let’s discuss.

Cell phone polling  It’s time! Take out your cell phones.  The number you text to is:  When the question comes up type in your message field the number that corresponds to your answer.

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