November 29 – December 5, 2012, Current Events Lesson Plan
Current Event:
Scientists recently found plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. It was previously known that plastics have polluted the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Plastic pollution is a danger to marine animals that may get tangled in plastic nets, bags, and packing materials or that may mistake plastic items for food. Another concern is that small fish feed on the smallest plastic pieces. The toxins are then passed up the food chain, possibly to human consumers of seafood.
Objective:
Pollution is one of the most serious problems facing humanity and the environment. Pollution can cause life-threatening diseases in both humans and wildlife. Finding ways to reduce pollution is a controversial topic. The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore the effects of water pollution.
Words to Know:
• Conservation
• Wildlife conservation
• Environmental pollution
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Great Lakes
• Ground water
• Hazardous wastes
• Ocean
• Plastics
• Water pollution
Discussion Topics:
1. Plastic pollution is one type of water pollution. Ask your students to name other ways that humans contaminate water. (They might say fertilizer run-off, sewage, oil spills, industrial waste.)
2. Ask your students to name ways in which they personally can help reduce water pollution. (They might say recycle plastics and other materials, don’t put chemicals down the drain, help clean a local river, decrease water usage.)
3. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a United States government agency that helps protect the nation’s environment from pollution. Ask your students how they think an agency like the EPA helps to reduce pollution. (They might say by developing legislation that minimizes pollution, researching the effects of pollution, enforcing environmental laws.)
4. Using World Book’s Living Green website, have students list sources of pollution and other environmental problems. Ask them to list ways they can help minimize these problems.