In this step of the process, students will engage in extensive research about the history, context, and relevant policies regarding the environmental issue they identified.
This is designed to be Step 3 in a larger community-action and problem-solving process where students will actively research and interview individuals involved with the issue.
Teaching Tips
Positives
There are multiple resources given on the website for all of the sections of the activity.
It encourages responsible and safe internet research and interacting with others.
Additional Prerequisites
The site contains many resources for helping students understand policies and practices, identify research questions, organize their research and process the information they gather.
There is no lesson plan given for this activity, so you will need to construct one using the given resources.
Differentiation
You could start by reviewing the goals of the activity and show students the video, then go through any vocabulary terms or internet sites recommended to research.
Help younger students generate research questions and help guide them in the process using the included graphic organizers.
Depending on the amount of research students need to do, this activity can vary greatly in the amount of time it will take. Adjust depending on the scope of research you want students to do.
If doing the full process, be sure to have students continue to gather their work in a project portfolio for use in the final reflection in the last step.
Scientist Notes
This video presents the need to dig deep, ask burning questions on environmental policies and community practices in their community, research on the problem using appropriate research methods and finding solutions. In reality, Environmental issues are complex. Using the stakeholder web to model and get a variety of responses will help unpack the complexity for students. This should be followed by a critical evaluation of responses, debriefing key findings.
Standards
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 1: Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries
D1.5.6-8 Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration multiple points of views represented in the sources.
D1.4.9-12 Explain how supporting questions contribute to an inquiry and how, through engaging source work, new compelling and supporting questions emerge.
D1.5.9-12 Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration multiple points of view represented in the sources, the types of sources available, and the potential uses of the sources.
Dimension 2: Civics
D2.Civ.13.6-8 Analyze the purposes, implementation, and consequences of public policies in multiple settings.
D2.Civ.13.9-12 Evaluate public policies in terms of intended and unintended outcomes, and related consequences.
Dimension 3: Developing Claims and Using Evidence
D3.3.9-12 Identify evidence that draws information directly and substantively from multiple sources to detect inconsistencies in evidence in order to revise or strengthen claims.
Dimension 3: Gathering and Evaluating Sources
D3.1.6-8 Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.
D3.2.6-8 Evaluate the credibility of a source by determining its relevance and intended use.
D3.1.9-12 Gather relevant information from multiple sources representing a wide range of views while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.
D3.2.9-12 Evaluate the credibility of a source by examining how experts value the source.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
