Acid Rain
Olaniyan Tunji
George Westinghouse High School
Brooklyn, NY
Chemistry
Introduction:
Acid rain has been a problem to the ecology of the
north eastern part of the nation, it damages most of our national historical monument
and artifacts that was made with millions of tax payers’ money
What
causes acid rain? The gases such as sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides, are
produced from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal in our power plants, and
gasoline in automobiles. Sulfur oxides
and nitrogen oxides combine with water vapor in the air and rain to form
sulfuric and nitric acids respectively. These are very strong acids and when
they get into lakes they cause havoc. This acid changes the pH of the water,
and harms the marine living creatures.
The food chains in the ecosystem are all disrupted and soon, animals are
very few or no more in the lake. The acids also destroy the roots of trees and
can damage entire forests thus destroying the habitats of many living things.
Now man depends on many of these ecosystems for food, medicines, and
recreation, so this is a social problem for us.
Historical
national monument are also affected when the quality of the materials used in
building is reduced or degraded as a result of corrosion and oxidation
Task:
You will use the six steps of the PPA to produce a research paper of at least three typewritten pages (of not less than 10 point typing) and a power point presentation of at least ten slides to describe the following:
1.
How acid rain is produced.
2.
How acid rain causes problems in the
environment.
3.
Quote at least three pieces of
supporting evidence to show the relationship between acid rain and the problems
you described.
4.
Explain and evaluate the existing
Public Policies on how the problems can be reduced.
5.
Select and evaluate three other
recommendations on how the problems can be reduced.
6.
Create a Power Point presentation of
at least ten frames to support your written report.
7.
Answer the questions in the worksheets
given below:
8.
Present your power point slides and
research to the school community.
Process:
Use the following guidelines for the completion of the task
You
will work in groups of three to carry out a research project on this problem. Each
partner will be responsible for performing a particular task as a Public Policy
Analyst as you follow the six steps of the
PPA. You will then discuss collaboratively in your teams the policies you
would recommend to solve the environmental problems: This is how you can carry
out your project:
You will use the
Internet, library, and the websites listed below to research your task.
0.
Work with your team member to get
information on each item in the “Task” section.
1.
Describe at least three other
problems associated with acid rain in your research.
2.
Discuss the existing public policies
on problems related to acid rain and also your recommendations for solutions.
3.
Produce a typewritten report of at least three
pages describing the findings of your research.
4.
Produce at least ten slides in a
power point presentation to highlight the main parts of your report and
analysis.
5.
Your audience should be given time
three minutes to ask questions
RESOURCES: Here are some useful websites for your
project:
·
http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/acidrain/society/index.html
·
http://www.ec.gc.ca/acidrain/
·
http://www.pepa.com.hk/problems/air_pollution/problems_e.html
·
http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/
· http://www.ask.com
Evaluation
Your
group will be evaluated based on your level of performance in the following
areas:
0.
Evidence of research using the
Internet and other reference materials (5 pts).
1.
Description and analysis of the web articles
(10 pts).
2.
Evidence of teamwork (10 pts).
3.
Description of other three the problems associated with acid rain (5 pts)
4.
Analysis of the existing Public
Policies on this problem situation (5 pts).
5.
Recommendations for possible
solutions to this problem (5 pts).
6.
The written research paper (20 pts).
7.
The 10 slides of the Power Point
presentation (10 pts).
8.
The oral presentation of your Power
Point and research paper (10 pts).
Rubrics
http://www.odyssey.on.ca/~elaine.coxon/rubrics.htm (Rubrics)
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/designsteps/index.html
Conclusion
Once you have completed your
project, each of you will have a greater understanding of how scientific knowledge
of an environmental issue is only the first step in the process of seeking a
solution to the particular issue. The interaction
of governmental agencies and the public itself are central to any
solutions. That interaction is the process
you have now successfully completed.
Standard 1:
Language for Information and Understanding
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.
Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression
Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.
Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.
Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.
STANDARD 7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
Solving interdisciplinary problems involves a variety of skills and strategies, including effective work habits; gathering and processing information; generating and analyzing ideas; realizing ideas; making connections among the common themes of mathematics, science, and technology; and presenting results.
For example:
¥ collect, collate, and process data concerning potential natural disasters (tornadoes, thunderstorms, blizzards, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, volcanic eruptions, asteroid impacts, etc.) in an area and develop an emergency action plan
Social Studies
Standard 4: Economics
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decision-making units function in the United States and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and nonmarket mechanisms.
Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the United States and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.
Chemistry
STANDARD 4—The Physical Setting
Students will understand and apply
scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical
setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of
ideas in science