Environmental
Magazine Project
Program
Area
This assignment
can be presented as soon as the keyboard has been mastered and
student have typed a simple one-page essay. Background This introductory
keyboarding activity provides students with communication-enhancing
skills, increasingly recognized as a tool of literacy. In addition
to regular assignments, students should have opportunities to
develop communication-related skills at the keyboard. They should
be encouraged to create, revise, format, proofread, edit and correct
their communications.
Learning
Outcomes
Teaching,
learning and evaluation will focus on the student's ability to:
- Increase
keyboarding skills;
- Work
in groups to produce a magazine.
Nature
and Scope of the Project
Working
in groups of four, students prepare a section in an environmental
magazine. Students will be copying-typing from partially-arranged
information. Each assignment is less than one page in length.
Each section of the magazine will require the following skills:
- A title
page (using centering)
- A one-page
essay (using correct essay format)
- A block
enumerated list
- Use
of the photocopier.
Students
will key in the assignments, assemble the articles, photocopy
sufficient copies for the class and collate the materials. Topics
can be chosen from the following:
- Improving
the Environment
- The
High Pollution Driver
- Reducing
Your Household Garbage
- Localizing
the Food Industry
- Making
the Most of Your Bicycle
- Indoor
Air Pollutants
- Keeping
Clean Without Using Chemicals
- The
Garbageless Lunch *
- What
Did Your Lunch Cost Wildlife? *
- Who
to Cut Down on Waste Plastic
- Should
the Tobacco Industry Be Restricted Phillip Morris? *
* These
projects require skills in reading and synthesizing information
from a variety of articles as well as composing new text using
the keyboard.
Timing
Three periods
are required for the completion of this activity. The first is
for the completion of the following activities:
- develop
background information;
- select
work group;
- choose
topics;
- outline
expectations;
- timelines;
- evaluation;
- locate
materials;
- review
format of documents.
The second
period is for the keying in of documents, and the fourth is for
photocopying and collating.
Classroom
Development
Students
may be familiar with the environmental issues either through other
classroom experiences or from general knowledge. Some time will
be needed to explain the details of the issues and draw on students
knowledge.
Since all
aspects of the project cannot be completed simultaneously, it
may be necessary to have independent keyboarding assignments for
students to work on at their own pace.
Resources
Seymour
J. and H. Giradet. Blueprint for a Green Planet. New York,
1987.
The format
for this module is based on an article by Sheila Culliford of
Sir Oliver Mowatt Collegiate Institute which appeared in the
OBEA Newsletter, Volume 11, Number 2, Summer 1991, page 11.
The Green
Teacher. August 1990, Number 19.
What
Did your Lunch Cost Wildlife? Canadian Wildlife Federation.
Project Wild. 1986
What
You Wear Is What They Were. Canadian Wildlife Federation.
Project Wild. 1986.
Lewton,
L.H. and M.M. Ford. Taking Sides. The DPG Group Inc., Sluice Doeh,
1990.
Co-operative
Learning Strategies
Group membership
may be determined on the basis of student's individual interest
in the various topics, by numbering off the class (1... 2... 3...
4...) according to the seating plan, or by teacher selection to
ensure that all groups have members with certain key skills.
- Each
group will need to complete the following tasks:
- Determine
the topic and locate the resources;
- Assign
keying, photocopying and collating tasks to members;
- Editing
and proofreading of the group's project.
- One
additional group of four students will be needed to collate,
bind and distribute the final product. This group will also
prepare an editorial for the front of the magazine.
The teacher
may choose to give individual instruction to small groups of students
completing specialized tasks. For example, one member of each
groups will need to know the formatting rules for essays; a second
member of each group will need to know how to format a blocked
enumeration; a third member will need to know how to key in attractive
cover pages; and a fourth member will need to know how to photocopy
efficiently. With this method, students can bring their specialized
talents back to their home groups.
Improving
the Environment
A four-point
plan for improving the environment.
- Assess
the Consequences Most everyday activities either improve or
make the environment worse.
- Encourage
Positive Changes Throwing away excessive amounts of garbage,
wasting water, or using pesticides, fall into the category of
avoidable damage to the environment.
- Cut
Down What Cannot Be Cut Out Some actions, like driving a car,
are almost impossible to avoid, in North America due to our
poor public transit system. Take steps to reduce the damage
caused by cars.
The
High Pollution Driver
How to
Avoid Being a High Pollution Driver:
- Leave
Your Car at Home Walk and cycle more often, since this is better
for both you and the environment. Using public transportation
is generally faster and always cheaper.
- Avoid
the Car Change Habit Looking after a car is far better for the
environment than buying a new one.
- Check
Your Driving Techniques Avoid sudden acceleration which increases
the emission of pollutants. Frequent hard braking wastes energy.
- Keep
Your Car Properly Maintained Preventing rust is better than
using toxic rust removers. Wash your car frequently to remove
road dust and salt (using cold, recycled water).
- Have
the Engine Tuned Regularly Regular tune-ups ensure that your
car burns fuel efficiently.
- Choose
Your Car Carefully When buying a car, put pollution control
high on your list of criteria.
Help
Localize the Food Industry
- Buy
Locally Buy food that has been produced near where you live.
This saves on transportation costs and saves energy.
- Ask
Questions Find out where the meat you buy has come from and
what methods of farming are used there.
- Read
Labels Notice where the food you are buying has come from. Avoid
produce that has been imported from abroad where home brands
are available. Watch for chemicals in your food.
- Encourage
Change Ask food retailers to provide food that has been produced
locally or without causing environmental damage. Buy from Farmer's
Markets where possible.
Reduce
Your Household Garbage
- Do Not
Mix-up Your Garbage Collect glass, paper, metal and organic
garbage in separate containers. Compost kitchen waste in your
garden, and recycle toxic cleaners and batteries where possible.
- Apply
the Over-packaging Test Choose products that are contained in
the least amount of packaging. Never buy those that fail the
over-packaging test.
- Buy in
Bulk Whenever possible, buy the largest size. Six small cans
of pop produce far more waste than a single bottle containing
the same amount of liquid.
- Choose
Returnable Containers Choose returnable bottles over cans and
return them whenever possible.
- Choose
Natural Packaging Packaging made of paper or cardboard is often
preferable to plastic because it can be recycled. Class bottles
are usually better than plastic ones especially if they are
returnable.
Make
the Most of Your Bicycle
- Cycle
to School and Work If you drive, ask yourself if you could make
the journey by bicycle. Cycling is considerably more invigorating
than sitting in a car.
- Use
Cars for Long Distance Only Think of your bicycle as the vehicle
for local travel. Cars should only be used if other forms of
transportation are inappropriate.
- Press
for Cycling Facilities If you live in a built-up area without
cycleways, suggest to your local traffic planners that some
should be created.
Reduce
Indoor Pollutants
- Cigarettes
These produce a range of poisonous gases including carbon monoxide,
nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Action: stop smoking
- Gas
Stoves These stoves can produce carbon monoxide and nitrogen
dioxide, both of which cause respiratory problems. Action: ensure
proper ventilation
- Aerosols
These contain propellants which can be a health hazard. Action:
maintain adequate ventilation
Keep
Clean Without Chemicals
- Look
for Natural Ingredients Disregard all reckless claims about
revolutionary human-made ingredients. Stick to products that
are made from natural ingredients.
- The More
Simple the Better Plain soap and plain shampoo are just as effective
as most other products. Useless additional ingredients create
more pollution going down the drain and in chemical factories.
- Apply
the Over-packaging Test Buy whatever is contained in the minimum
amount of packaging. Cosmetics, in particular, are ridiculously
over-packaged. Apply the test.
- Cut
Down Quantity We are not as smelly or as dirty as advertisers
would have us believe.
Cut
Down on Waste Plastic
- Refuse
Plastic Containers for Fast Food You do not need them. Most
of these containers are thrown away within minutes. Paper bags
are all that are usually required.
- Do not
Buy Food Prepackaged in Plastic Excess packaging of small amounts
of food creates unnecessary plastic pollution. Whenever possible,
avoid prepackaged foods.
- Choose
Natural Materials in Clothing Avoid human-made fibers in clothing.
Avoid the plastic that is disguised as leather in shoes.
- Avoid
Disposable Plastic in the Kitchen Plastic is long-lasting, so
it makes no sense to use plastic in disposable objects. Use
plastic food boxes instead of throwing film and bags.
- Ask
for Biodegradable Packaging Try using paper or cloth bags when
shopping, or recycle your plastic bags by taking your own bag
when shopping. Avoid biodegradable plastic bags, as they may
cause more environmental problems than regular plastics.
Dismantling
the Garbage Mountain
Anyone
who has ever excavated an old country garbage dump in order to
turn the site into a garden will probably have been interested
in what was in it. All you will usually find in such dumps are
heel irons, the occasional old decayed boot, an old enameled saucepan,
and bits of pottery and broken bottles.
When people
of the future dig down into our garbage dumps, they will get a
fascinating and voluminous insight into our consumption habits.
Although the paper, cardboard, and kitchen leftovers which make
up over half of our household waste may have rotted down, vast
amounts of plastic, glass, and metal will still remain as evidence
of our day-to-day lives.
Plastic
will be more abundant that any other material. Much of it will
be broken and torn. It will not have disintegrated. The name of
shops will still be visible on plastic bags. Toy cars, razors,
yogurt containers and plastic plates will still be identifiable.
The High
Pollution Driver
No one
knows exactly how much guilt the car bears for acid rain, and
how much is due to power production, but the precise figures are
irrelevant. Car exhausts kill trees, and that much is certain.
The destruction
of the forests is not just a matter of picturesque views being
spoiled, or wildlife losing its home. In many places, trees hold
together the very land itself so that we can drive thousands of
polluting cars and trucks across it.
All gasoline-powered
cars harm the environment, but the polluting effects of driving
can be minimized by taking care in the way a car is used. Those
who do not take care simply aggravate pollution and, further,
reduce the lives of their cars, and sometimes their own lives
as well. Although high pollution drivers are often seen in old
vehicles, the speed-obsessed owners of high performance cars are
equally guilty of environmental thoughtlessness.
Localizing
the Food Industry
As the
demand for beef in North America goes up, the pressure on the
countries of Central and South America to produce more beef increases.
These counties have all established pastures by logging or burning
their forests. By 1985, two-thirds of Central America's accessible
tropical forests had been cleared or depleted to feed cattle for
wealthy Westerners.
Tropical
forests are being cleared at a rate of countless thousands of
square kilometers every year to make a short-term profit before
the land is ruined. This is an act of extreme foolishness because
tropical forests contain thousands of species of plants and animals
which are of critical importance for a wide range of scientific
research and the well-being of local people.
The soil
of these countries is useless without the tropical forests. Once
the canopy of trees is removed, the soil is destroyed by rain
and sun, and erosion quickly sweeps it away.
Poisons
of the Indoor Air
The dangers
of synthetic materials in the home are never more apparent than
when a fire breaks out. Today, more people are killed by toxic
fumes in house fires than succumb to the direct effects of fire
itself. But your home does not have to catch fire for you to be
affected by fumes from synthetic products. Indoor air is polluted
by them all the time. And of these air poisoners, one has become
especially notorious.
Many household
materials contain formaldehyde. It is found in insulating foams,
synthetic resins, disinfectants, medicines, glues in plywood,
chipboard and hardboard, laundry detergents, and even in some
cosmetics. Formaldehyde is now recognized as a dangerous pollutant.
Making
the Most of Your Bicycle
Bicycles
are the most economical and pollution-free form of transportation
yet invented. They run on nothing more than human energy derived
from a good meal. Instead of ruining the health of the owner,
as cars do, they actually improve it.
It is a
myth that cycling can only be popular where the land is flat.
What would happen if planners put as much work into cycle-ways
as they do into roads? Why should cars which, after all, cause
so many problems enjoy all the investment?
Constructing
permanent cycle-ways through cities is a cheap way of reducing
pollution and congestion. With good planning, many of the problems
cited against bicycles, the risk of accidents, pollution and theft,
can be solved. Why can't employers provide bicycle parking space
for employees as they often do for cars? Why can't weatherproof
paths be provided for cycling in winter?
Curing
the Cleanliness Obsession
The average
home is the scene of a seemingly endless battle to eliminate germs,
but the germs simply will not be eliminated. Our houses are cleaner,
tidier, shinier than ever before, but this is thanks to the use
of substances that make the world outside a worse place. Not only
that, but we have become convinced that our bodies, too, have
to be germ-free.
Of course
there is no such thing as a germ-free, odourless body, nor will
there be, but the advertisers persuade many of us that if we strive
to develop one, then we will have no shortage of friends, fame
and fortune in life.
People
of 16th century Europe covered everything with perfume to mask
the odours of daily life they considered bathing to be a source
of disease. Today the pendulum has swung in the other direction.
We are not just more hygienic, we are compulsive cleaners.
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