Belinda Briggs
Environmental Science
beldelm@netscape.net
Introduction:
Good morning Mr./Ms. Agent, the following has been
classified as:
Top Secret Information:
Agents of the Department of
Commerce and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in conjunction with members
of the (EPA) The Environmental Protection
Agency and International
Public Policy Administration (IPPA) have reported many disturbing facts
pertaining to ocean pollution.
Several
industrial nations are dumping toxic waste in the oceans. Oceans comprise over 70% of the Earth’s
surface. Water is undoubtedly one of the most
precious natural resource that exists on our planet. Clean,
uncontaminated oceans are essential to everything on our planet, including the
continued existence of marine life growth and human survival. Since the
industrial revolution many industrialized nations have been polluting our
waterways and oceans with toxic pollutants that are destroying this precious
natural resource. The destruction of water will have severe consequences to our
marine life and planet.
Agents, Hello!
You must take the information provided by the IPPA and seek the truth.
You will research and find which industrial
nations are ocean dumping? You are to
identify the
violating nations, and the marine mammals
that are possibly negatively impacted
upon.
You must identify ways in which ocean
dumping is having a negative effect on our ocean life
and mankind.
You as agents must
save the planet from devastation. The way to accomplish this is to create world
public policy that addresses this problem.
You must first clearly identify the problem and evaluate existing world
policies. Your job will be made easy by
using the IPPA and by completing
worksheets that will be given to you in the “process” of this webquest.
Agents! Your Research is Critical to saving this essential ecosystem. This is your command center, please! Do not delay. I need the following information in headquarters by next week, Friday.
Agents Scully and Muller are
away on another assignment,
They are
investigating reports of alien cloning.
Your
mission, should you accept this assignment, will be to save our oceans from
toxic
dumping?
I will need you to do the following:
1. Pick another student as your partner to complete
your mission. I have provided you and your assistant with web sites to help
you find the information on this topic. You may double click on the highlighted
terms to link to topics designated on the web. You can collaborate with your
assistant agent.
2. Write a research paper that
is approximately six to ten pages long.
Remember! You
must explain the social, economic and political impact of your research
upon the nation and the world. Your
paper must include information from the worksheets in the IPPA.
You will use the internet resources and
print media to complete the worksheets.
3. Once
you and your partner have completed your research paper,
please write your name and your assistants
name for credit. The
guide below will help you with the
information that should be
contained in your paper and presentation
4.Your assignment is
important to the president of the USA and members of
the IPPA.
Therefore, you and your assistant should be
prepare to make an oral presentation
5. Your
presentation should include a power point /slides project of the
aquatic mammals that are negatively impacted upon by specific toxic
waste dumping. Include the two nations
you found as violators.
6. Identify two industrial nations that have been responsible for
Oceanic toxic dumping and the names of the oceans
they are polluting.
7. Select any two aquatic mammals impacted upon by toxic pollutants
dump into oceans. List he name of the
animal’s specific ocean habitat.
You can choose one of the following
pictured below or
Select your own aquatic
species you which to save?
8. Agents please name two toxic pollutants being
dumped. 
9. Your research paper must identify and list
some of the economic,
political and social policies and
consequences created by toxic
dumping. Review the PPA Analyst.
10. What are the causes and effects of pollutants
in oceans and marine
life?
Here are some of the possible causes, your
research paper can focus and gather
the proof or evidence for your mission.
These toxins include Nuclear Radioactive materials,
garbage and sewage, oil spills and
no biodegradable substances.
10. Name two problems governmental agencies have with controlling
toxic dumping in oceans.
11. Collect pictures, maps, graphs, and other essential information that
proves this is a menace to both marine and human existence.
12.
Agents,
please recommend at least two solutions to the problem of
ocean dumping that will help reduce or
even eliminate the danger to
the precious sea creatures by humans.
13. Agents, your assignment is
due by next Friday, one week from
today’s date.
1. With your partner you will
complete the IPPA by investigating the following on the
Website.
. Define the problem of ocean dumping
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/ppa/ippadp1.html
- Gather the evidence http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/ppa/ippage1.html
- Identify causes
- Evaluate the
policy
- Develop
solutions
- Select best solution
2. Be sure to state two public policies that are used and enacted by
a) How effective are these
policies in controlling oceanic pollution?
b) Describe how these policies
benefit and help aquatic species.
c) Describe how these policies
benefit and help humans.
You can refer to the list of
resources outlined below
3. Be sure to include in your 
research paper two major
changes
You would implement to improve the current policies that you
think would provide effective environmental protection to aquatic
life and humans.
4. You
and your assistant’s presentation 
will precede your research
paper submission.
7. Agents, your paper and
presentation should help solicit student
Volunteers to form two
committees to be headed by you and assistant. The two class groups will engage
in a writing project. Letters will be
written to voice committee’s concern to the governing bodies of the offending
nations.
Additional Resources
1.
http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/water.htm - All
2.http://www.pacificwhale.org/marine/index.html
3.http://www.pacificwhale.org/marine/marine.html
6.http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/oceanlife.htmhttp://www.yahoo.com/
7.http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/peril_pollution1.html
Some information about the countries
Pictures, slides Information about Each aquatic animal |
Identifying
and
Reporting
Social and health problems |
Agents your
success is imperative to the citizens of this country and the
world
governments. The marine life needs your
help. Members in your
Environmental
class and the IPPA will know the existing problems of
oceanic
dumping upon your completion of this mission.
`The components of your assignment are divided in to
the following stages for judging the success and completion of your mission.
EVALUATION:
Your written work
will be graded in the following manner;
|
Grade |
65%-69% |
70%-79% |
80-95% |
100% |
|
|
Too limited
content and too few facts to support PPA criteria |
Adequate content
but few are supporting the PPA criteria |
Good content and
good support of PPA criteria |
Excellent use of
facts and content and excellent support of PPA criteria |
Presentation Rubric – Evaluating Student Presentations
|
|
1
65% |
2
70-80% |
3
80-90% |
4 90-100% |
Total |
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 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 |
Students 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 and/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 student in the back of class to hear.
|
Students 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 can hear presentation. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
AVERAGE GRADE |
% |
Total Points 100% for your accomplished mission
Agents! Your
paper is 75% of your mission. Your final
mission 25% includes your power point presentation
Scientific
Standards
As
English
v
v E1c:
Read and comprehend informational materials.
v
v E2a:
Produce a report of information.
v
v E2e:
Produce a persuasive essay.
v
v E4b:
Analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its clarity and
effectiveness.
Science
v
v S8a: Demonstrates scientific competence
by completing secondary research.
v
v S7b: Argues from evidence.
v
v S7e: Communications in a form suited to
the purpose and the audience.
v
v S5c: Uses evidence from reliable sources
to develop descriptions, explanations, and models; and makes appropriate
adjustments and improvements.
v
v S5d: Proposes, recognizes, analyzes,
considers, and critiques alternative explanations; and distinguishes between
fact and opinion.
v
v S5f:
Works individually and in teams to collect and share information and
ideas.
v
v S6c:
Collects and analyzes data using concepts and techniques in Mathematics
Standard 4.
As always, we
wish you success in this mission. Do not share your mission success with any
other agents. You could fail in your mission.
Good Luck!
Agents! You may feel like this
mission was difficult. I must agree with you, this mission was not for the weak
hearted or the undetermined mind. In your mission you should have seen the
problems caused by ocean dumping and existing public polices of world nations.
Your mission empowers you and your fellow agents of
environmental science class to join scientists all over the world who are not
only making the problem of ocean dumping known, but who are writing to their
government officials and other agencies to put a stop to ocean pollution.
If you can explain this problem to others, including
your family members
Then, you have gone beyond the expectations of this
mission.
Thank you for
your participation and knowledge,
Your next
web quest mission will be an investigation of air pollution in the
Your
headquarters Commander 
UNTIL NEXT
TIME