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Prepared By: Mrs.LoBianco

April 22, 1970 was celebrated across the United States as the day to save the environment. It was the first Earth Day ever! People from everywhere joined together in an attempt to make their voices heard. They did so by marching in parades and rallies, making speeches, closing major streets and bridges, and holding local events. It was a modern environmental movement crying for something to be done to protect our earth. Many environmental organizations were founded at this time, the government passed the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Other laws were also passed. In almost all cases, governmental agencies take public opinion into account before passing environmental legislation. Usually there are valid arguments on each side of a social problem regarding the environment. An environmental journalist investigates both sides of an issue thoroughly and reports on what he or she has learned. The general public also depends on articles from magazines, newspapers, advertisements and the internet to learn about environmental issues and legislation.

You have been hired as environmental journalist by the New York Times newspaper, along with three other journalists. Your group assignment as investigative journalists will be to research ONE of many social problems related to the environment that is important to you and is being considered by legislators at various levels of government. Your findings will be summarized as a feature article in the New York Times, Science Section. In this three page educated and informative newspaper article, you will be expected to thoroughly explain the nature of the environmental issue you chose, evidence that it exists, causes and factors contributing to this problem, an evaluation of current public policies and alternative solutions. You will be able to access various Internet sources which will facilitate your exploration and discovery. You will incorporate the 6 Step Public Policy Analyst approach within your process. Your findings will also be presented to the Environmental Protection Agency and other high ranking constituencies in the public forum, within a six slide Power Point presentation that your group has created displaying and summarizing your findings.

1. You will be working in conjunction with THREE other student journalists, assigned by your teacher.

§ Choose a team leader, recorder of information, timekeeper to keep the group on task, and typist.

2. Select a social problem regarding one of the environmental issues from the following:

§ Global warming

§ Acid rain

§ Air pollution

§ Water pollution

§ Land pollution

§ Deforestation

§ Habitat destruction

§ Waste disposal

3. Your group must research the topic by using the specific search engines and websites provided for you under Resource section. You will be using the 6 step Policy Analyst worksheets to assist you in organizing, gathering and recording your information. Each of the 6 worksheets should be completed entirely and will be included with your final report. You will be able to access these worksheets by clicking on their numbers as listed in the steps below.

§ Identify the nature of the social problem. Refer to worksheet #1.

§ Gather evidence to support the existence of the problem. Refer to worksheet #2.

§ Determine the causes and factors contributing to the problem. Refer to worksheet #3.

§ Evaluate the existing policy. Refer to worksheet #4.

§ Develop public policy alternatives. Refer to worksheet #5.

§ Determine the best public policy solution to the problem. Refer to worksheet #6.

4. Once your group has thoroughly researched your topic and completed each worksheet, you will write your newspaper article to let the world know. The following guidelines must be implemented when writing:

§ minimum of 3 typed pages

§ double spacing

§ font type of your choice

§ font size of 14

§ headlines and pictures with captions

§ incorporation of your research information and data within the Public Policy Analyst format and worksheet guidelines. This should include: nature of the problem, evidence supporting its existence, causes, existing current legislation, public policy alternatives, your opinion at the end.

§ cite references

5. You should now proceed to the creation of your 6 slide power point presentation. This should include a summary of your findings with color, graphic representation of the environmental issue you researched. Specifically:

§ 1^st slide = Title of project, Journalist names Date, Class, Teacher name

§ 2^nd slide= Nature of problem

§ 3^rd slide= Causes of the problem

§ 4^th slide= Evidence that the problem exists

§ 5^th slide= Current policy legislation

§ 6^th slide= Public Policy Alternatives

.

6. Using your power point presentation, each individual investigative reporter must be prepared to orally present an area of his/her research to the Environmental Protection Agency convincing them of the need to enact further legislation combating this social problem. Each individual should be prepared to answer any questions posed to them regarding the environmental issue in your newspaper article.

Search engines

https://www.google.com

http://www.yahoo.com

http://www.altavista.com

http://www.ask.com

Websites

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips.html

http://www.epa.gov/

http://www.envirolink.org/

http://greenpeace.org/homepage/

http://headwaters.org/

I. Grading for you and your group

1. Your Public Policy Analyst worksheets.

2. Your three page featured newspaper article for the New York Times.

3. Your 6 slide Power Point presentation.

4. Your oral presentation.

see rubrics below………….

II. Rubric

A. REPORT IN THE FORM OF A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

Environmental Social Problem Research

Report

Name: ________________________

Teacher: Mrs. LoBianco

Date Submitted: ____________

Title of Work: ___________________

Criteria

Points

	4	3	2	1
Introduction	All questions were answered completely and rationales for the answers were clearly stated.	All questions were answered completely, but rationales for the all the answers were not clearly stated.	Not all questions were answered completely, or greater than 2 rationales for the all answers were not clearly stated.	All questions were not answered completely.	10
Task (which includes cover page)	All areas of the task were addressed and handled with a high degree of sophistication. The plan followed by the team demonstrated a great deal of thought.	At least one area of the task was not addressed. The plan followed by the team demonstrated a great deal of thought.	At least two areas of the task were not addressed. The plan followed by the team demonstrated a moderate level of thought.	The task is incomplete and/or it is apparent that little effort went into the development of the task.	10
Process: Teamwork	It is evident that a mutual effort and cohesive unit created the final product.	The team worked well together, but could have utilized each other's skills to a better degree.	The team had problems working together. Little collaboration occurred.	The final product is not the result of a collaborative effort. The group showed no evidence of collaboration.	10
Public Policy/ Solution Originality	The ideas expressed by the body of work demonstrate a high degree of originality.	The ideas expressed by the body of work are mostly original. The group may have improved upon a previous idea.	The ideas expressed by the body of work demonstrate a low degree of originality.	There were no original ideas expressed in this project.	10
Grammar, Format , and Spelling	The final body of work was free of grammar, spelling, and formatting errors.	The final body of work had 1 error related to either grammar, spelling, and formatting errors.	The final body of work had 3-5 grammar, spelling, and formatting errors.	The final body of work had major grammar, spelling, and formatting errors.	10
				Total---->	50

Teacher Comments:

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B. PRESENTATION

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE:

Presentation

Name: ________________________

Teacher: Mrs. LoBianco

Date of Presentation: ____________

Title of Work: ___________________

Criteria

Points

	1	2	3	4
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.	10
Content 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 content, but fails to elaborate.	Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required)with explanations and elaboration.	10
Power Point Slides	Student displayed 2-3 slides only.	Student displayed 4 slides.	Student displayed 5 slides.	Student displayed all 6 slides.	10
Power Point Text	Text attached to 2-3 slides only.	Text attached to 4 slides	Text attached to 5 slides.	Text attached to 6 slides.	10
Delivery	Student mumbles, incorrectly pronounces terms, and speaks too quietly for students in the back of class to hear.	Student incorrectly pronounces terms. Audience members have difficulty hearing presentation.	Student's voice is clear. Student pronounces most words correctly.	Student used a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms.	10
				Total---->	50

Teacher Comments:

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III. New York State Standards

A. English

§ E1c: Read and comprehend informational materials.

§ E2a: Produce a report of information.

§ E2e: Produce a persuasive essay.

§ E4b: Analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its c

clarity and effectiveness.

B. Science

§ S8a: Demonstrates scientific competence by completing secondary

research

§ S7b: Argues from evidence.

§ S7e: Communications in a form suited to the purpose and the audience.

§ S5c: Uses evidence from reliable sources to develop descriptions,

explanations, and models; and makes appropriate adjustments and

improvements.

§ S5d:Proposes, recognizes, analyzes, considers, and critiques alternative

explanations; and distinguishes between fact and opinion.

§ S5f: Works individually and in teams to collect and share information

and ideas.

In the role of a journalist, students will investigate a significant environmental social problem that interests or affects them. Using the public policy analyst, they will gather evidence that this problem exists and determine the causes and factors which have contributed to the problem. Students will be able to evaluate the existing public policy on this research, analyze the advantages and disadvantages to this policy and decide alternative solutions with reflection upon their feasibility and effectiveness to obtain optimum consequences.

They will logically develop this information within a newspaper article and creatively and visually develop it within a power point presentation so that the environmental issue can be effectively conveyed to their readers and audience. Students will ultimately gain a deeper understanding of how this problem affects the environment and its people and the type of governmental legislation currently enacted.

Students will be able to provide factual evidence to high ranking Environmental Protection Agency officials and government officials stressing the need of laws and corrective action to combat this social problem.

With this enrichment and vision, students will move forward to related social problems involving exploitation and extinction of various species in an ecosystem and its negative effects on the environment.

http://www.americanforests.org/