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Environmental Awareness An introduction to the “I-Search Process”

This project addresses the top environmental issues facing our planet. Students learn by researching as a group, developing possible solutions, and by publishing individual persuasive essays to bring awareness for the local community.

The over-consumption of resources is just one way in which we use and abuse our environment. This “I-Search” process will explore seven of the biggest environmental threats that we are currently facing. After researching these issues in groups you will propose solutions that can be used at the local level to help these problems.

Task: Choose which environmental issue you are most interested in researching. -- Invasive Plants and Animals -- Global Warming/Climate Change -- Air Pollution -- Unsustainable Agriculture -- Water Quality -- Habitat Loss - Endangered Animals/Degradation/Fragmentation --Overpopulation --Alternative energy resources Before you can solve any problem, you need to understand what it is. To become experts in your chosen field, you will work individually/as a group to research one of the top environmental problems. Peruse various websites, books, magazines, newspapers, and encyclopedias on your topic. Here are some suggested sources that may help you to begin your search:

<span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">http://www.globalissues.org/ <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">http://www.envirolink.org/ <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">http://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/index.html <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">http://www.planetpals.com/ <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">http://www.epa.gov/region5/students/basics.htm <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">[|www.eol.org]

<span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">http://www.jerseyclicks.org (school code is 28006)

<span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">If you are looking for good search engines (something besides Google) give these a try:

<span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">[|www.sputtr.com]

<span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">[|www.kartoo.com]

<span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">[|www.clusty.org]

<span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">[|www.leapfish.com]

<span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">Brainstorming Solutions: <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">Now that you have a good idea of the problems concerning your environmental issue in your community and the world, you will need to think of ways to solve them. Check out:

<span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">Energy Quest <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">Earth Day <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">The United States Environmental Protection Agency <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">http://eartheasy.com/article_enviro_sites_kids.htm <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">http://www.worldwildlife.org/ <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/ <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">http://www.captainplanetfoundation.org/default.aspx <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">http://www.care2.com/channels/ecoinfo/kids <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">Putting it all together: <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">Now that you have identified the problems and some solutions, you will need to educate others. You will create a final project to inform people about the dangers of your environmental issue and share the tips you researched to help your school and community become an environmentally friendly community.

<span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">Your project should include: <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">1. A strong lead in paragraph that interest's the reader2. A paragraph explaining why the group was interested in this project <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">3. 5 important researchable questions or ideas pertaining to your topic. Each should be answered or explained in 1 paragraph. <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">4. At least two vokis <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">5. At least two youtube videos6. At least two images/pictures7. At least two animations <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">8. A list of sources you used-(information must be retrieved from t sou <span style="background-color: #faa3fa; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">at least 3 sources from Sparta.org databases.