Lesson Plan #: AELP-INT0136
Date: February 21, 2000
Grade Level(s): 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subject(s):
Description: Students investigate the WELL BEING of the local community as well as selected areas/regions of the state, nation, and world; realizing the need to conserve, and wisely manage, finite and renewable resources.
Goals: As a result of studying WELL BEING in built environments, students will demonstrate an understanding of: 1) the need to control human population growth/distribution and settlement - in order to ensure adequate resources and a quality lifestyle for inhabitants and to safeguard the interests of Nature, 2) the types/variety of human and natural resources to be found in given areas/regions, 3) ways by which natural resources are used/misused, by Man, in order to satisfy basic needs and to improve his definition of 'quality of life'.
Objectives: Students will: 1) define selected vocabulary and include in conversations and writings, 2) read about 'stewardship' and resources management, 3) write about 'stewardship' and resources management, 4) discuss 'stewardship' and resources management with guest speakers and site guides, 5) make bulletin board displays, 6) visit field-based sites and observe 'stewardship' practices and resource management, 7) view audiovisual presentations, 8) collect data at field-based sites as well as from print/nonprint materials and Internet web sites, 8) create audiovisual and written presentations, 9) role play personalities engaged in conservation/management scenarios, 10) locate geographical areas/regions on globes and maps, 11) collect/display samples of natural resources, 12) write columns for local/area newspapers, 13) speak to community groups about ways to maintain the WELL BEING of the local community -- and beyond its borders.
Materials: 1) globes and maps, 2) print materials (books, magazines, newspapers), 3) community resources (people, places, things, processes), 4) construction paper-paint-glue-tape, 5) audiovisual presentations (films, filmstrips, slides, videos), 6) Internet web sites, 7) role playing scenarios, 8) natural resource samples, 9) community groups, 10) cameras/videotape equipment and film/video tapes.
Procedure: Students will: 1) be engaged in a study of 'best practices' when it comes to managing and conserving finite/renewable natural resources, 2) interact with community resource people to learn about 'stewardship' and conservation practices, 3) identify areas of the state, nation, and/or world in which 'stewardship' and resource management strategies are effective -- and examples of their success, 4) identify areas of the state, nation, and/or world in which 'stewardship' efforts and resource management strategies have not been effective - and examples of their failure, 5) use print/nonprint and Internet resources to study 'stewardship'/conservation efforts, 6) use print/nonprint and Internet resources to study human resources management, 7) collect data and create reports, 8) identify characteristics of a community's WELL BEING, 9) study the topic: human population growth and sustainable environments, 10) talk about/write about strategies to ensure the WELL BEING of communities., 11) create bulletin board displays, 12) create matrix board displays.
Assessment: Students demonstrate knowledge and abilities by: 1) reading and talking about the characteristics of a community's WELL BEING; economic prosperity, a quality living environment, ample living space, employment opportunities, natural resources in ample quantities, 2) writing about strategies necessary to ensure the WELL BEING of the community for local newspapers, 3) creating audiovisual presentations, 4) asking questions of guest speakers and site guides, 5) creating bulletin board displays, 6) interacting with community groups, 7) creating visual displays such as samples of natural resources, 8) using globes and maps, 9) creating written reports to the class, 10) role playing characters in real-to-life scenarios, 11) collecting field-based data, 12) working cooperatively with classmates.
Useful Internet Resources:
World Resources Institute
http://www.wri.org
The Nature Conservancy
http://www.tnc.org
Conservation International
http://www.conservation.org
Environmental Defense Fund
http://www.edf.org
Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov
National Wildlife Federation
http://www.nwf.org
Wildlife Conservation Society
http://www.wcs.org