P R O J E C T C A L E N D A R Project: It’s the end of the world. Start Date:

M O N D A Y T U E S D A Y W E D N E S D A Y T H U R S D A Y F R I D A Y

P R O J E C T WE E K O N E

Read summary and objectives. Video clips on sustainability.

Read case scene 1. Start response to case scene 1. Do with storybird.

Continue case scene 1. Complete case scene 1. Biosphere 2 clips. Start case scene 2. Do with storybird.

P R O J E C T W E E K T W O

Continue case scene 2.

Finish case scene 2. Students “calculate ecological footprint” (p. 9.) Do carbon footprint calculator (p.10). Graph results. Include all 8 items on p. 10 and total Earths from footprint calculator activity.

Continue graph. Finish graph, print, use for paper.

P R O J E C T W E E K T H R E E

Start written paper responses on ecological

footprint. (1 page on Word), refer to p. 13,

Finish written paper, print, submit both graph and paper. END PART 1. 100 points check rubric (p.14).

My Teacher Web Page Global Warming and read entire article Back to Basics (6 pages).

Prepare a wordle from article using 1 Q. and A. Copy both Q. and A. and

paste in wordle. Copy Q. to wiki and answer using the

main words from your wordle.

Start “An Inconvenient Truth” (93 mins.).

P R O J E C T C A L E N D A R

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

PROJECT WEEK FOUR

Watch “An Inconvenient Truth”.     

Finish “An Inconvenient Truth”. Writeboard discussion. (Global Warming) Use word to write your response, then copy and paste in writeboard. 

Finish writeboard. END PART 2. 25 points ea. response, 50 points total.

My Teacher Web Page Going Green, iTunes. Click on the info (i) for each podcast. Choose 3 and listen to them (5 – 6 mins. ea.). 

Post summary (2/3 sentences) on each podcast on the Voice Thread (Going Green), all under 1 reply. Label each post accordingly.

PROJECT WEEK FIVE

Respond (likes/dislikes/thoughts) to 3 other posts different from yours.  

Finish posting and responding. END PART 3. 10 pts. ea. summary, 5 pts. ea. other post. Total points = 45.

Start “The Day After Tomorrow” (124 mins.)

Watch “The Day After Tomorrow” 

Finish “The Day After Tomorrow”

Summary

What will happen when the Earth is no longer able to support human life? In this case students attempt to solve this problem by determining what elements would be necessary to build an entirely self-sustaining closed system modeled on Earth. They also look at ways of preventing this circumstance by examining their own ecological footprint and finding ways they can reduce their impact on the environment.

Learning Objectives

1. Define sustainability and carrying capacity and relate these terms to one another.2. Describe what components are necessary to create a self sustaining environment that can support human life.3. Explain how personal material use impacts the environment.4. Calculate their own ecological footprint based on their personal material use.5. Demonstrate proficiency in compiling and analyzing data using create a graph..6. Propose realistic ways in which they might reduce their ecological footprint.

Sustainability

Video Clip 1

Video Clip 2

Video Clip 3

Case Scene 1 Earth has exceeded its carrying

capacity. In a matter of months all natural resources will be exhausted and the planet will no longer be capable of supporting life. As part of a team of top-notch scientists, your government has tasked you to design an enclosed, self-sustaining ecosystem that will be used to support human life once the Earth’s resources are gone.

This must be a closed system in terms

of matter, with solar energy as the only external input. There are no limitations concerning space, building materials, and cost. This is a critical endeavor to save the human race.

Facilitation Questions

1.) How did we reach carrying capacity?2.) How would we know if we reached carrying capacity?3.) What things do we need in our environment to keep us alive?4.) What things do we want in our environment to keep us happy?5.) What sort of materials/components are present in the Earth’s

biosphere? How would you generate or maintain them in a closed system?

6.) What challenges would people face in your system? What would you have to give up?

7.) What sort of food should the system produce? How?8.) How would the system provide clean water and air?9.) How would human use impact the system over time?STORYBIRD

Case Scene 2

Dr. Hoffman, one of the scientists from the group, was frustrated. “I don’tknow what we’re going to do about the Earth’s problems,” he said. “All of

ourattempts to build a new biosphere have failed, and at the rate we’reconsuming goods we can’t survive much longer.” “We can’t give up yet,” said Dr. Jenkins, trying to rally some enthusiasm. “Ifwe aren’t able build a new biosphere, maybe we can find a way to save theone we have.” Dr. Mitchell was skeptical. “How would we do that? Right now we’reconsuming so many natural resources and reproducing so quickly that itwould take more than one and a half Earths to provide for our entirepopulation. There’s no way to save Earth unless we build a second one!” “No, don’t you see?” Dr. Jenkins said. “Dr. Hoffman already gave us theanswer…sustainability.” “I never said anything about sustainability,” Dr. Hoffman said.

Case Scene 2

“Yes you did,” Dr. Jenkins said. “You said we can’t survive much longerat the rate we’re consuming goods. We need to reduce what we consumeSo that just one Earth can support us. That’s sustainability. If we’re allconsuming less, the carrying capacity of the Earth will go up and we’ll

beable to stay here without a second biosphere!” “But how do we do that?” asked Dr. Mitchell. Dr. Jones had remained quiet up until this point, preferring to let hercolleagues reduce their frustration through argument before decidingWhat steps to take next. Now she has something to say: “I know all about sustainability, and how to go about achieving it. We allneed to start by reducing our ecological footprint.”

Facilitation Questions

1.) How does sustainability relate to carrying capacity?

2.) What does it mean to say we are consuming one and a half Earths worth of goods?

3.) What human activities hurt the environment?

4.) Are any human activities good for the environment?

5.) What is a person’s ecological footprint?

STORYBIRD

CARBON FOOTPRINT

CALCULATING YOUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT I never eat meat/dairy I eat meat/dairy at every meal

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

All of my food is locally grown All of my food is pre-packaged

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I walk/take public transit everywhere I drive everywhere

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I never travel away from home I travel several times a year

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I recycle/compost everything possible I throw everything in the trash

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I buy only used/pre-owned goods I buy everything new

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I often conserve energy at home I never conserve energy at home

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I often conserve water I never conserve water

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

CREATE A GRAPH

FOOTPRINT CALCULATOR

GRAPH

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT ASSIGNMENT

1.) INTRODUCTION – Complete the graph assigned and calculate your ecological footprint as instructed. Based on this information, come up with three different ways you could reduce your ecological footprint.

2.) REQUIREMENTS – For each of the three methods, give the following:

•What method you will use?

•Which of your categories (bars on the graph) it will affect?

•How will you implement this change in your daily life? NOTE: The change must be something realistic that you could actually do long-term.

•How will this change affect other aspects of your life (how will you compensate?). Ex. If you plan to reduce your meat intake, what other foods will you use to supplement your diet?

•What effect do you think this will have on your overall footprint?

3.) Turn in typed assignment and graph.

RUBRIC

REQUIREMENT POINTS  Completion of Footprint Wkst. 10

 

Completion of graph containing all elements from footprint Wkst. 

15

Neatness and organization of graph

10  

Three reduction methods including all requirements listed under number 2 (p.12). 

30

Realism of methods 15 

Neatness, punctuation, grammar 10 

Creativity 10 

TOTAL POINTS (100) GIVEN ( )