Negative Human Effects on the Environment

Ms. Islam

P.S. 194M Countee Cullen

Introduction:

Every living thing has an impact on its environment. Therefore a human impact on the environment is inevitable. The Earth's climate has changed throughout history and it is affecting us greatly. That is why the Governor of New York is looking for young students like you to come up with different ways that we can help to protect the environment and educate young students like yourselves on protecting the environment. Keep in mind that by simply existing, all species including ourselves will imprint their mark on the world around. Let’s make it a positive one and make the world a better place for our future generations!

Task:

Your mission is to educate the youth on how they can help protect our environment. First inform the 3^rd and 4^th graders on how humans are negatively impacting the environment. Then suggest the best solution to this public issue that we are currently facing and what the youth can do to help protect our planet using a PowerPoint presentation.

~ PowerPoint

~ Oral Presentations

Process

Each group member will have a specific task.

1. You will be working in groups of three to complete this project.

2. Each group will create a PowerPoint presentation representing the six PPA’s. You must include pictures, data, charts and/or graphs to make it visually attractive and informative. Also, you must have 12 to 16 slides that include the six steps of PPA. If you do not know how to create a PowerPoint Presentation, click on the link below for assistance.

How To Create A PowerPoint Presentation

3. Each group will create a five to seven minute presentations about the different ways the youth can help to protect the environment.

4. Read the information in each of the links below. Each group must reflect and complete the six steps of the Public Policy Analyst as well as the worksheets as outlined below:

1. In your first two slides Define the Problem, complete the Define The Problem Worksheet and use it as a guide to help you in completing your slides. Be sure to include pictures as visuals.

2. In the third slide Gather the Evidence to show why the human effect on the environment is a social issue. Complete the Gathering Evidence of the Problem Worksheet and use it as a guide to complete the third slide.

3. In the fourth and fifth slides Identify the Causes to show what is causing humans to have the negative effect on the environment. Complete the Identify the causes of the Problem to help you with the fourth and fifth slide.

4. In the sixth slide take a look at some of the policies New York has on Protecting the Environment and Evaluate a Policy. Complete the Evaluate an Existing Policy Worksheet and use it to assist you with the slide.

5. In the next 4-5 slides Develop a solution that the youth can follow to help protect our environment. Complete the Developing Public Policy Worksheet and use it as a guide to work on your slides.

6. In the next 2-3 slides Select the Best Solution to this problem and the different ways young people can help. Complete the Selecting the Best Public Policy Solution to help you with your slides.

Each group member will have a specific role in this project.

STUDENT 1: Recorder/writer: This student will take notes and gather all the information that each group member will provide. This student will be responsible of printing and submitting the PPA worksheets,

STUDENT 2: Researcher: This student will gather information from the internet (must have access to a computer at home with a working printer). The other group members are still responsible of gathering information from the internet and submitting their finding to Researcher. The researcher must make sure that the information provided are from valid sources example educational sources (.edu) government sources (.gov) and organizational sources (.org) The information gathered will be used to complete your worksheets (PPA).

STUDENT 3 Timekeeper/ organizer: This student will be responsible of making sure that the group is on task. He/she will organize group meetings, plan conferences with the teacher. He/she will make sure that the group meets the deadlines for handing in the assignments.

All Students are required to present.

Resources

· https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

· https://ypte.org.uk/factsheets/environment/introduction

· http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/cei/

· http://www.teachoceanscience.net/teaching_resources/education_modules/coral_reefs_and_climate_change/how_does_climate_change_affect_coral_reefs/

· https://climate.nasa.gov/state_of_flux

· http://www.epa.ohio.gov/pic/facts/30years/tips.aspx

· http://www.50waystohelp.com/

· https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2180/

· http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140920-population-11billion-demographics-anthropocene/

Evaluation

PowerPoint Rubric

Score	4	3	2	1	0	Total Score
Data	Information is well-detailed, credible, and relevant.	Information is detailed, credible, and relevant with minor gaps or inconsistencies.	Information is general, mostly credible, some-what relevant with major gaps or inconsistencies.	Information is general, somewhat suspect, of dubious relevance.	Information is confused, suspect, and irrelevant.
Proposed Solution	Proposes a plausible and effective policy.	Proposes a possible policy with a few issues which hinder effectiveness.	Proposes a questionable policy with limited effectiveness.	Proposes an incoherent policy.	No policy proposed.
Citation	All sources are properly cited with no formatting errors.	All sources are properly cited with some minor formatting errors.	All sources are cited but are not in proper format or some sources are not cited.	Several sources are not cited or are referred to only briefly.	No citations at all.
Presentation	Makes good eye contact with audience, projects well and enunciates clearly, uses gestures and emphasis effectively.	Makes good eye contact with audience, projects well and usually enunciates clearly, uses gestures and emphasis.	Makes eye contact with audience, can usually be heard and understood, uses a few gestures and emphases.	Makes sparse eye contact, difficult to hear or understood, does not use gestures.	Cannot be heard or understood.
Appearance	Well-structured layout with high quality and appropriate graphics and effects which enhance the presentation message.	Structured layout with decent graphics and effects which generally fit the theme.	Some structural elements are used but overall layout is cluttered or distracting. Graphics and effects may be of inferior quality or inconsistent theme.	Cluttered, confusing, and hard to read with little or no attempt at consistent structure. Graphics and effects are of poor quality and unrelated to the information presented.	Poor design choices render slides unreadable. Poor quality graphics and effects are unrelated to the topic, or entirely nonexistent.

PPA Policy Rubric

Score	4	3	2	1	Total Score
Information	Clearly and cogently describes problem and proposed policy.	Clearly describes problem and proposed policy.	Briefly summarizes problem and proposed policy.	Briefly and incompletely summarizes problem and proposed policy.
Writing Mechanics	No errors in grammar and usage.	Few errors in grammar and usage.	Several errors in grammar and usage.	Many errors in grammar and usage.

Oral Presentation Rubric

Score	1	2	3	4	Total Score
Organization	Audience cannot understand presentation because there is no sequence of information.	Audience has difficulty following presentation because student jumps around.	Student presents information in logical sequence which audience can follow.	Student presents information in logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.
Subject Knowledge	Student does not have grasp of information; student cannot answer questions about subject.	Student is uncomfortable with information and is able to answer only rudimentary questions.	Student is at ease with expected answers to all questions, but fails to elaborate.	Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) by answering all class questions with explanations and elaboration.
Graphics	Student uses superfluous graphics or no graphics	Student occasionally uses graphics that rarely support text and presentation.	Student's graphics relate to text and presentation.	Student's graphics explain and reinforce screen text and presentation.
Mechanics	Student's presentation has four or more spelling errors and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation has three misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation has no more than two misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation has no misspellings or grammatical errors.
Eye Contact	Student reads all of report with no eye contact.	Student occasionally uses eye contact, but still reads most of report.	Student maintains eye contact most of the time but frequently returns to notes.	Student maintains eye contact with audience, seldom returning to notes.
Elocution	Student mumbles, incorrectly pronounces terms, and speaks too quietly for students in the back of class to hear.	Student's voice is low. Student incorrectly pronounces terms. Audience members have difficulty hearing presentation.	Student's voice is clear. Student pronounces most words correctly. Most audience members can hear presentation.	Student uses a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear presentation.

Conclusion

Congratulations on being an advocate and an educator on the Negative Human Effects on the Environment! Continue to educate others about how we are negatively impacting our environment and what consequences we will be paying if we do not help to protect our environment. The governor will be thrilled about the change you have made by educating other students and informing on what they can do to help. Remember, you are the deciding factor in saving our planetand your actions today will affect the future of tomorrow so be sure to tell others Negative Human Effects on the Environment!

Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.B
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.A
Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.B
Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.7
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Production and Distribution of Writing:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.5
Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.