Big
Idea
|
The
print media is a major source of information bout our
world. It is a vehicle not just to learn about the
state of our world, or country, or neighborhood, but
to empower individuals and communities to take action
in the face of threatening situations. TCE contamination
of the water and soil in South Tucson is one example
of how individuals were able to make meaningful connections
through the media to solve an environmental health
problem.
|
Essential
Question
|
How
do you write about actual environmental health issues
that are impacting a community to accurately inform
the stakeholders and avoid sensationalism and exaggeration?
|
Learning
Cycle
|
Title |
|
| Engage |
What is the Problem?
description
How
do we assess the problem? What information sources are
collected and how is that information processed?
objectives
-List all that each student knows about TCE contamination in Tucson
* Analyze the TCE problem using the organizational device of a K-W-L
paper
* Identify individual concerns and questions about TCE contamination
in Tucson
* Make connections between facts in informational brochure and one other
source and student questions
* Make connections between science classes and everyday living |
WORD 
|
Explore
|
Reading
for Knowledge: Going Beyond the Hype
description
Students
explore ways in which information is sensationalized.
objectives
* Read a newspaper article about an environmental health issue identifying
words, phrases, and rationales that sensationalize actual scientific
understanding of the matter.
* Analyze a newspaper article to separate facts from exaggeration |
WORD
|
Explain
|
Focusing on What Is Important
description
Students
learn ways of picking out the important facts.
objectives
* Read with understanding texts dealing with environmental health issues
* Learn and practice the skills of summarizing main ideas and picking
out significant details from texts about scientific matters
|
WORD
|
Apply
|
Writing
about the Problem & Solutions
description
Students
synthesize information from multiple sources to
create a new report
objectives
* Synthesize information from multiple sources to create a new document
* Write a five paragraph researched paper
* Write a paper that both explains an environmental health problem and
its possible solutions
* Apply the skills of summarizing main ideas and picking out significant
details from texts about scientific matters to be able to write about
a particular environmental health issue
*Write using the conventions of English properly
|
WORD
|
TCE
(Trichloroethylene) Contamination and Cleanup Curriculum
