Gr.+6+&+8+-+Environment-Abuse+of+Resources

**Group Members: Laura D., Amanda S., Carolyn J. and Jamie M.**

 Subject: Synthesizing- Language Arts  Science- Environmental Issues  Visual Arts

 Grade: 6-8

 **__Key Learning:__**  Canada is a country of complex interconnectedness, where the abuse of our environment & resources may have serious, widespread consequences

 **__Frame Critical Challenge:__**  How does our use of resources affect the environment (positively and negatively)? Is it possible to influence the perspectives of others, through increased awareness, about their impact on environment and abuse of resources?

 Rough Notes:

 **__Type of Critical Challenge:__**  Design to Specs

 **__Culminating ideas/type of challenge to show learning:__**  Judge which environmental issue is most pressing to your future. Design a provoking visual that teaches others about it effects & impact on the environment.

 **__Criteria for Judgment: (What makes an environmental issue "pressing")__** long lasting impact impacts quality of life (+/-) directly affects you


 * __Criteria for Peer Assessment:__**

-environmental issues have depleted important natural resources-depletion of land (due to garbage), cutting down of trees, idustrial change, automotive pollution- air pollution, effects on the air, depletion of bodies of water, effect on fish in the water, consumerism, -use of resources in Canada (wants vs. needs of resources) -how people abuse resources -water- dumping of garbage, run-off into streams and lakes, newspaper articles about environmental concerns about water -each day show an image from, "Just a Dream" by Chris Van Allsburg, and begin to learn about the topic within the image and then revisit the image and have students judge whether or not it is a provoking image and rate its effectiveness
 * __Background Knowledge required:__**

-provoking- causes a reaction, shows a perspective or point of view, creates a discussion -visual- catches your attention, highlights the issue (abuse of resources), relays message with or without words -judge -rating scale -effective
 * __Critical Thinking Vocabulary:__**

-show the picture and infer theme. -discuss as a class -talk about the resource and how it is being depleted, why it's an environmental problem, -then at the end, reshow the picture, ask, "Was this a provoking visual to highlight the environmental concern?"
 * __Thinking Strategies:__**

-show Wall-ee as a follow-up if time allows

Inquiring mind Attentive to Detail
 * __Habits of mind (one or two to focus on)__**