It’s Easy Being Green

Help Save Our Planet!

A WebQuest for 4th Grade Science

Moriah Bader, Lisa Boerboom, Katherine Decell, Kimberly Harston

Introduction

The most respected and intelligent scientists in the world have asked your team to help

them in their fight to save our planet.It is up to all of you to recruit others in your

community to clean up the environment and prevent further pollution!

What is “Green”?

In order to help the scientists you must first conduct some research on pollution and its effects on our planet. Before you begin click here to print the worksheet for recording your information. Now, CLICK on the pictures below to get started.

As you move through these websites ask yourselves:1. Have I seen this information before or is it completely new to me?2. What have I learned from researching this topic?3. What are the most important pieces of information I have found?

*Discuss your individual opinions with your group members.

Calculate your “Ecological Footprint”

Now that you have done your research, calculate the impact you currently have on our environment

~click on the tree to get started!

Were you surprised by your findings?

What can you do differently to reduce your impact on the planet?*use the provided worksheet for your answers.Discuss your individual results with your group members and together

decide on the five easiest ways for an individual to leave a smaller “ecological footprint”.

Recruit the community • Conduct additional research on various ways to clean up

and prevent pollution. • Click on the 3 pictures below to help get you started.

• Once you have investigated the problem, you must design a community clean up project.

• Finally you must create a flyer to promote “going green”.

The Process• Students will work in groups of three to complete this task. Each

student will take on one of the following role: investigator/researcher, project coordinator, flyer design coordinator.

• The investigator/researcher will utilize the group’s previous research to choose what “green” ideas will be used in the community project. This person will make a list of at least 10 clean- up activities and at least 10 preventative measures.

• The project coordinator will then decide how the ideas will be implemented in the community. This person will write a one page summary of how the community project will be conducted. Please include who will participate, which “green” ideas will be used, how long the project will take, and what the desired outcome is.

• The flyer designer coordinator will incorporate the “green” ideas in a visually appealing flyer to promote the community project.

Conclusion• After completing this WebQuest your group should have a greater

understanding of the causes and effects of pollution.

Can the effects of pollution be reversed?

If so, what measures must be taken?• You should now be armed with information on how to clean up current

pollution and prevent further environmental damage.

Will you make changes to your lifestyle? If so, what will you change?• You can use your knowledge to recruit others to join you in the fight to

save the planet and help people understand that they can make a difference regardless of their age or size!

Will you take on this challenge?

Do you want to learn more about ways to help our

planet and become an “EARTH SCOUT”?

If so, then click on the picture to get started!

Evaluation

1.) Team members will complete a peer evaluation form for each member of the group. Click here for the peer evaluation.

2.) Team members will be evaluated by the teacher using a rubric. Click here for the teacher evaluation.

GPS • S4CS1 Students will be aware of the importance of

curiosity, honesty, openness and skepticism in science and will exhibit these traits in their own efforts to understand how the world works.S4CS1c. Offer reasons for findings and consider reasons suggested by others.

• Type: Georgia Performance Standard• Status: State Approved• Grade Level: 4th Grade• Subject/Focus Area: Science

Credits and References• Earth Scouts. (2007). Retrieved June 8, 2008, from Earth Charter, U.S. Web site:

www.earthscouts.org

• Environmental Kids Club. (2007). Retrieved June 8, 2008 from United State

Environmental Protection Agency Web site: http://epa.gov/kids/

• Environmental Education for Kids. (2008). Retrieved June 8, 2008 from

Wisconsin Department of Natural Agency Web site:

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/index.htm

• Google.com(2008). [Kermit the frog image] (2007). Retrieved May 31, 2008 from www.gadgetell.com/images/2007/05/kermit.jpg

• The Green Guide for Kids (2007). Retrieved June 5, 2008 from

www.greenguideforkids.bogspot.com

• The Green Squad (n.d.). Retrieved June 8, 2008 from The National Resources Defense Council Web site: http://www.nrdc.org/GREENSQUAD/intro/intro_2.asp

• Hot Earth. Our Planet’s climate is changing. (n.d.). Retrieved June 8, 2008 from oneclimate.net Web site: http://tiki.oneworld.net/global_warming.climate_home.html?gclid+CND1gtbQ0ZMCFQGfhgodSkYwig

•IslandWood (2008). Retrieved June 8, 2008 from http://www.island.org/kids/impact.footprint/index.php

• Living a greener life. (2007). Retrieved June 8, 2008 from

eco savvy Website: www.ecosavvykid.com/Home_Page.html

• Reduce waste. If not you, who? (n.d.). Retrieved June 8, 2008 from

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Web site: www.reduce.org

Group Evaluation

Group # Beginning 1

Developing 2

Accomplished 3

Score

CLEAN-UP &PREVENTATIVE INITIATIVES (20 TOTAL)

Do not address problem

Not complete

Difficult to understand the

benefitComplete

Complete and Clearly

addresses the problem

COMMUNITY PROJECT

PROPOSAL

 Proposal is disorganized,

difficult to understand,

or incomplete

Proposal is complete, but

may lack organization  

Proposal is well thought out,

organized, and creative. 

FLYER

IncompleteDoes not relate to project

proposal

Complete but does not clearly relate to project

proposal

Complete, clearly relates

to project proposal

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WebQuest Peer Evaluation FormPlease rate your team members on the relative contributions that were made in completing your WebQuest assignment. Your ratings will not be disclosed to other students. Be honest in this evaluation!

Your Name: _______________________

In rating yourself and your peers, use a one to five point scale, where5 = Superior4 = Above Average3 = Average2 = Below Average 1 = Weak

EVALUATION ITEM Group Member Name:

____________

Group Member Name:

____________

Group Member Name:

____________

Participated in group discussions or meetings

Helped keep the group focused on the task

Contributed useful ideas

Quality of work done

Enter total scores here

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

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It’s easy being green webquest name______________________

What is “green”? (Look through the first websites before answering that question.)What have I learned from researching this topic?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What are the most important pieces of information I have found?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My definition of green.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My ecological footprint: The amount of land needed to support one person with this lifestyle- the land needed to grow all the food, provide materials to make everything they use, wear and then clean and recycle all the waste and by products for one personMy current ecological footprint is_________ football fields.Shade in the number of football fields to illustrate your current ecological footprint.

Change one behavior to see what happens with your footprint.What behavior did you change?______________________________________________My new ecological footprint_______Shade in the number of football fields to illustrate this footprint.

Now go back to your original answers and change a different behavior to see what happensWhat behavior did you change this time?________________________________________My new ecological footprint_______Shade in the number of football fields to illustrate this footprint.

As a group decide on the 5 easiest ways for an individual to leave a smaller ecological footprint._________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

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