Topic 2) What we do to the Environment?
Debate over climate change and sustainability are significant political forces in trying to bring about social change. Concerns for environmental management in a sustainable way now permeate government and private plans for development. We need to develop a balanced view as to what constitutes good management of our environment and resources. This will require good will, sound ethical and moral values and understanding that compromise will be necessary to allow different criteria of different groups in society to have their ideas considered when making evaluation about future direction .
The Project for 2016
This Year, Students will address these essential questions in two parts.
What is a PBL?
This Year, Students will address these essential questions in two parts.
- Part 1 How do different components of the Environment Interact? a) Students will complete the tasks provided on "How do different components of the environment interact?" All tasks must be completed IN YOUR OWN WORDS by Friday August 12th 2016. b) Knowledge Assessment Task - Thursday 25th August 2016
- Part 2: Each group will analyse the driving question "Is it possible that we could cause our own extinction?". Students research the many problems that are linked to this question. They then choose one problem to investigate its impacts on the environment and determine a possible strategy or product that can be implemented to reduce these impacts. The group will then present their work to a panel of their peers using a "Shark Tank" format as well as a 300 word ABSTRACT. Your presentation will outline the issues relating to the group's Focus Area as well as the solution that has been devised to reduce the impact of the Focus Area on human survival - Friday 9th September 2016
What is a PBL?
- PBL stands for Project- Based Learning. This means that students actively explore real-world problems and challenges. This project will also deepen student's understanding by providing many opportunities to TEACH each other. If you can truly teach each other then you truly understand the concepts.
- Lessons are open in structure however students will need to complete all practicals to enhance their learning.
- Each student will need to complete Part 1 and Part 2 of the PBL.
Additional Resources
Watch the documenatry "An Inconvenient Truth" and complete the worksheet to gain an introductory insight into some of the issues that our planet is experiencing.
There is a very good website with many interactive activities to deepen your understanding of climate change and its affects on the Earth
|
Core Learning Intentions:
A) Understanding
B) Skills
A) Understanding
- Outline some interactions between the biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere using the carbon cycle
- Evaluate the impact that humans have had on the environment using scientific evidence (in terms of greenhouse effect, global climate change and ozone layer depletion)
- Discuss the different opinions that people have regarding the way in which we use Earth’s resources
- Recall the definition of an ecosystem
- Describe the movement of energy through an ecosystem through food webs
- Analyse the way in which biotic and abiotic factors can influence relationship within an ecosystem
- Evaluate conservation strategies used to promote environmental sustainability including modern and traditional (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders) approaches
- Evaluate ways in which conservation of the environment can be balanced with human requirements
B) Skills
- Safely plan, design and perform various types of first-hand investigations
- Identify controlled, independent and dependent variables
- Assess and control risks in first-hand investigations
- Record and present data in appropriate formats such as graphs and tables
- Use models to explain phenomena and make predictions
- Use appropriate primary and secondary sources to evaluate trends and relationships to propose solutions to given problems
- Evaluate scientific method in order to improve quality of data
- Use mathematic concepts and digital technologies where appropriate