YOU ARE HERE: Exposing the Vital Link Between What We Do and What That Does to Our Planet

Name: ______Period: ______Date:______

YOU ARE HERE: Exposing the Vital Link Between What We Do and What That Does to Our Planet

“It’s a beautiful notion, the idea that we are all connected: That what we do, our actions, affect our friends and neighbors down the block and on the other side of the world; that we must be responsible for each other and for this planet we are all riding on.” –Kevin Bacon

Task: You will be reading a chapter of You are Here: Exposing the Vital Link Between What We Do and What That Does to Our Planet.” You will then participate in a detailed discussion about the chapter with your group to start brainstorming about a solution. In order to come up with solutions, you have to have great questions. You will research the problem that is described in the chapter and then design a detailed, measurable and actionable solution to a world environmental problem. Your final project will be an infographic to represent your solution, evidence and steps to achieve your environmental goal.

Chapters

Each group will select one chapter to focus on. Once the chapter is selected on the board, no one else is allowed to select that chapter for their focus. Highlight the chapter you are focusing on below.

Chapter 2: Our Future: Mumbai, India

Chapter 3: We are Not Alone? Borneo, Southeast Asia

Chapter 4: What Are We Doing? Linfen City, China

Chapter 5: Distance Consequences: Shishmaref Village, Alaska

Chapter 6: Nature’s Oxygen Factory: The Amazon Jungle

Chapter 7: The Reality of Our Actions: The Fresh Kills Landfill, New York

Chapter 8: Where the Currents Take Our Trash: The Eastern Garbage Patch, Pacific Ocean

Chapter 9: The Greatest Problem No One Has Heard About: The Great Lakes, Duluth, Minnesota

Chapter 10: Where to Spread Your Wings: Santa Monica, California

Website to access the book:

Checklist

☐Handout: While You Read

☐Handout: Idea Circles

☐Handout: Research

☐Solutions Brainstorm-sketch on paper

☐Infographic-electronically submitted

Extra Credit

An extra credit option is available if you chose to accept the challenge. There are a few options, and various levels, that are listed below and are broken up into 3 different categories.

Field Research: Participate in research, that pertains to your environmental problem and report your findings. You can conduct your own research or you can participate with a professional study.

Field Trips: Visit the location and create a scrapbook with pictures and information you learned on your trip.

Interview: Contact an individual in the field you are focusing on and interview them. Design questions to ask them and report back on what they said in a digital format (iMovie, podcast, prezi, etc.)

Field Research / Field Trips / Interviews

Doing a beach clean up and analyzing the trends in the trash collected
La Bio hackers-analyzing the affects of invasive species
Taking ozone readings in different parts of the city, using strips that you make

Hyperion Treatment plant
Santa Monica Community recycling center
Ocean institute, Dana Point
Tree People
Farmers Market
Composting seminar
Sustainable Farm

American Lung Association of LA county
Los Angeles City Bureau of Sanitation
Southern California Edison
Los Angeles Oiled Birds care and education Center at Fort MacArthur

Calendar

Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
Week 1: May 5-8 / AP EXAM!!! / Intro to the project
Choosing chapters
Explanation of packet
Reading / Finish Reading and annotations
Handout: While you read **Checked
Week 2: May 11-15 / Idea circles
Possible solutions
Handout: Idea circles **Checked / Research handout / Research continued
Handout: Research **Checked
Week 3: May 18-22 / Designing the actual solution
Steps that need to be taken / Rough sketch of infographic
-Specific, and nothing copied
Solutions brainstorm **Checked / Intro to infographics
(T led)
Week 4: May 26-29 / Designing the infographic / Designing the infographic / Finishing infographic
Week 5: June 1-5 / Presentations on problem and solution / Presentations continued…. / Final discussion and impact on the world

While You Read

While you read, you should annotate the text and fill out the following graphic organizer. You will be looking at this chapter through 3 lenses. First, what is your personal connection to what is being discussed? Secondly, how does this chapter relate to what we have learned in class? Lastly, how does this chapter connect to the whole world? For each section, you will have to give a quote that sparked your thinking and then your connection to the quote.

Personal

Quote/Fact / Page # / Connection

Connection to Class

Quote/Fact / Page # / Connection

Connection to Real World

Quote/Fact / Page # / Connection

Questions you still want answered…

In this section, write questions that you need for clarification, questions that will maybe lead you to a solution or the big questions that capture what you are reading in the chapter.

Quote/Fact / Page # / Question

IDEA Circles

Big questions or fascinating ideas that I want to talk about during the discussion:

______
______
______

Expectations and Group Roles

This section is a guided group discussion about the chapter that you selected. First, assign *******roles to each group member**** (if you have roles in place already, just use that. If not, I would just have a facilitator and a backup facilitator). This is an active discussion and everyone needs to participate, bringing up the questions and ideas you wrote down in the section above.

Questions to guide discussion

What are the environmental problems?
What evidence supports the fact that it is a problem?
Where did this problem start? Does it affect anywhere else in the world?
Is there anyone acting on this issue?
Are there solutions mentioned in the chapter?
What additional information do we need?

Notes:

______

Research

In order to design a solution you need to know the details behind your environmental problem. Use the resources at the end of the book to do some additional research and find factual information to inform your reasoning behind your solution. You must use at least 3 of the references in the back of the book, and 2 additional reliable resources you find on the internet. You also need to keep track of the resources to include in your works cited section of your infographic.

Source 1

Title of website: ______Date accessed: ______

Author: ______URL: ______

Facts

______

Connection to problem or solution

______

Reliability?______

Source 2

Title of website: ______Date accessed: ______

Author: ______URL: ______

Facts

______

Connection to problem or solution

______

Reliability? ______

Source 3

Title of website: ______Date accessed: ______

Author: ______URL: ______

Facts

______

Connection to problem or solution

______

Reliability? ______

Source 4

Title of website: ______Date accessed: ______

Author: ______URL: ______

Facts

______

Connection to problem or solution

______

Reliability? ______

Source 5

Title of website: ______Date accessed: ______

Author: ______URL: ______

Facts

______

Connection to problem or solution

______

Reliability? ______

Expectations for the Infographic

When you are creating an infographic, it must be a concise and impactful representation of your solution. You want to empower people to act on your solution!

Things you need to include:

☐Names of all group members (small font)

☐Title-Something interesting that provokes emotion

☐Problem-State the problem and have evidence that supports that it is a problem that should be addressed

☐Solution- State the solution in detail. It must be:

☐Specific

☐Actionable

☐Measurable.

☐Specific steps-What steps need to be done in order for this solution to actually happen

☐Evidence and reasoning-Why should I care? What facts support my problem and solution?

☐Works cited- in MLA format, cite your sources (small font at the bottom)

Assignment: You Are Here InfographicName: Period:

Category / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 / Your score
Use of Class Time / Used time well. Focused on getting the project done without distracting others. / Used time well. Mostly focused on getting the project done without distracting others. / Used some time well. Some focus on getting project done but occasionally distracted others. / Did not use class time to focus on the project OR often distracted others.
Title / Title is informative, engaging, and accurately related to the problem addressed in the infographic. / The title meets 2 of the standards for a “4.” / The title meets 1 of the standards for a “4.” / The title meets none of the standards for a “4.”
Problem Addressed / The problem addressed in the infographic is clearly stated. The description of the problem is supported with 4 pieces of evidence. / The problem addressed in the infographic is clearly stated. The description of the problem is supported with 3 pieces of evidence. / The problem addressed in the infographic is unclear or lacking. The problem is supported with 2 pieces of evidence. / The problem addressed in the infographic is unclear or lacking. The problem is supported with fewer than 2 pieces of evidence.
Solution / The solution is clear and easy to understand. The solution is specific, actionable, and measureable. / The solution is clear. The solution is specific, actionable, and measureable. / The solution is unclear. The solution is missing one of the following: specific, actionable, or measurable. / The solution is unclear. The solution is missing two of the following: specific, actionable, or measurable.
Solution Evidence Accuracy / At least 4 accurate facts/concepts support the solution displayed in the infographic. / 3 accurate facts/concepts support the solution displayed in the infographic. / 2 accurate facts/concepts support the solution displayed in the infographic. / Fewer than 2 accurate facts/concepts support the solution displayed in the infographic.
Solution Reasoning / Each fact/concept is backed up with reasoning as to why this fact supports your problem or solution. The reasoning is sound. / Most of the facts/concepts are backed up with reasoning as to why this fact supports your problem or solution. The reasoning is sound. / Some of the facts/concepts are backed up with reasoning as to why this fact supports your problem or solution. The reasoning is unclear or unrelated. / None of the facts/concepts are backed up with reasoning as to why this fact supports your problem or solution. The reasoning is unclear or unrelated.
Graphics - Relevance / The graphics used represent information appropriately and help to tell the message of the infographic. / Most graphics represent the information appropriately and support the message of the infographic. / All graphics relate to the topic but do not represent appropriately and do not support the message of the infographic. / Graphics do not relate to the topic and do not support the message of the infographic.
Graphics - Visual / Color, shape, size, and arrangement of graphics
contribute meaning to the overall message. / Color, shape, size, and arrangement are eye catching and contribute some meaning. / Color, shape, size, and arrangement are present but do not add to the information. / Color, shape, size, and arrangement are distracting or misleading.
Design/layout / The design/layout is neat, clear, and visually appealing. It invites the reader to take a closer look. / Is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness. It invites the reader to take a closer look. / Is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy. It distracts the reader from the message. / Is distractingly messy, unattractive, or very poorly designed. It distracts the reader from the message.
Mechanics / Capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout. / There is 1 error in capitalization or punctuation. / There are 2 errors in capitalization or punctuation. / More than 2 errors in capitalization or punctuation.
Grammar / There are no grammatical mistakes. / There is 1 grammatical mistake. / There are 2 grammatical mistakes. / There are more than 2 grammatical mistakes.
Image and info Credits
(0 or 1 pt) / Credit/citations provided for all images and research information presented in MLA format.
4: 45- 44 3.75: 43- 41 3.5: 40- 39 3.25: 38- 37 3: 36-34
2.75: 33- 32 2.5: 31- 29 2.25: 28- 26 2: 25- 24 NP: 23 / TOTAL
/45