Global Impact Project - The Issues

We have been brainstorming a list of environmental problems in our school, community, country and world. Below is the collection of environmental issues that we brainstormed as a class, and could be used for your Global Impact Project research. 

• Wasting energy
• Littering
• Oil Spills 
• Poaching (killing animals illegally)
• Air Pollution
• Water pollution (dumping in lakes)
• Toxic Waste - 
• Water contamination, soil contamination. 
• Noise pollution
• Smog (air pollution)
• Acid Rain (air pollution)
• Over-hunting
• Light pollution
• Fossil Fuels
• Smoking
• Wasting water, leaving the tap running
• Wasting Food
• Recycling
• Over farming
• Burning plastic (air pollution)

• Blue boxes aren't being used. Mess from Blue box?
• Poaching - illegal hunting
• Taking shortcuts to save money (eg. Sometimes companies sacrifice safety to cut costs. Makes it easier to break, like oil lines)
• Gas usage: More and more people are using gas. Car pooling? 
• Convenience foods --> too much packaging = lots of waste
• Busses would help to conserve gas, pollution, etc. 
• Carpooling -->pick each other up to go places
• McDonald's & Tim Hortons --> coffee cups on the ground Maybe make their stuff biodegradable
• Wasting paper
• Library vs buying books
• Forest Fires
• Deforestation (cutting down trees)
• Air pollution (eg. smoking, cars, industry, fireworks)
• Recycled backpacks? Use technology instead of paper
• Pens that break down in compost
• Composting
• Excessive Energy consumption: Video games using a HUGE amount of power to run, leaving lights on, leaving computers running, cruising Facebook forever
• Smoking -->pollution
• War, destruction, nuclear bombs
• Drive-thru's ppl leave cars running for a long time. 
• Cutting down forests for city expansion
• Water pollution -->gross lakes, plastic in the ocean
• Over Fishing

This list is not inclusive of ALL problems facing our community. If you can think of others issues that you think about please leave them in the comments below!

Once you choose an issue that you want to try to help, start researching to find out more about it. Make sure to use the Research Jot Note sheet to keep track of your research. (You can find a digital version of that handout in the Resources section.)  

Social: Resources Essential Vocabulary

Good day all! As you are well aware I'm sure, this week we are finishing up on the basic knowledge of our social Resources & Wealth unit before we begin our project. We are going to be participating in team challenges this week, as well as write a quiz on Thursday. On the quiz, students will need to be able to define the following terms. I've provided the definitions in case students have misplaced their versions.

1. Barter - The exchange of goods or services for other goods or services without the exchange of money. Also could include the act of debating the price of those goods. 

2. Trade - The exchange or buying and selling of goods and services in a market.

3. Economy - The wealth and resources of a region or country, including the production and consumption of goods and services. 

4. Wealth - Accumulated goods, possessions, or riches.  

5. Natural Resources - The raw materials or components of a finished product that are provided by the earth. 

6. Renewable Resources - A resource that replaces itself if carefully managed.

7. Non-Renewable Resources - A resource, such as oil or gas, that cannot be replaced once it is used up. 

8. Supply & Demand - We call our needs the DEMAND, and natural resources are the SUPPLY. Higher demand and lower supply equals higher prices. 

9. Steward - A person who cares for the land or for other people.

10. Environmental Stewardship - Careful management of resources to ensure that they are sustainable. 

11. Sustainability - An approach to development, economics, or society that considers the environment and tries to avoid wasting or using up natural resources, so that future generations will be able to meet their needs.  

Today we will update our notes with the work (and homework) you did yesterday to ensure that we are all on the same page. I will update this post when we have the definitions completed.

Boy in the Striped Pajamas

In class we have just finished watching The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. This film causes us to think about a few very important issues:

• The essence of true friendship
  
• The courage to engage in humane actions
  
• The uses and abuses of obedience and conformity
  
• The development and consequences of prejudice and discrimination 
  

Please consider these questions and answer them in complete sentences.

Innocence

1. What do “innocent” and mean when used to describe children?
2. Does Bruno and Gretel’s tutor take advantage of the children’s innocence in what he teaches them? How? What were these ideas? 
3. Although Bruno and his family have moved to a desolate place, Bruno continues to display his strong sense of adventure and creativity. What are some examples of this in the movie? Can you give an example from your own life when your sense of adventure and imagination allowed you to escape from a sad or painful situation? 
4. Why was it so hard for him to believe that his father could be involved in hurtful acts?

Friendship

1. Why do you think Bruno and Shmuel become friends and stay friends?    
2. The barbed wire fence is a physical separation between Bruno and Shmuel. What other types of separation does the fence represent in this story? 

Obedience & Conformity

1. How is obedience constructive and how can it be destructive? Give examples from the story of each. 
2. When are some examples in history when obedience or disobedience have been constructive or destructive? 

Prejudice & Discrimination

1. Have you ever been discriminated against? When have you witnessed discrimination against other people or discriminated against someone else?
2. When Bruno first finds out that Shmuel is Jewish, he says: “You’re a Jew. You can’t be. I think I should go now.” Why does Bruno react that way at first? 

Final Questions

1. When you hear someone make a biased comment about a group of people, what do you usu- ally do? How hard is it to stand up to prejudice and discrimination? Why? 
2. What do you think causes people to treat others in such horrific ways as was done during the Holocaust? Are there people being treated like this anywhere in the world today? What is or can be done to stop it? 

These questions are based on a discussion guide produced by the FILM Project with Harriet S. Mosatche, Ph.D.

youthfilmproject.org          boyinthestripedpajamas.com

PA - Monologue Performance Project

Today we begin a new dramatic journey! Today we will begin our monologue projects. Monologues are unique experiences on stage where the audience gets to see you alone on stage.

The project outline and marking rubric are below:

PROJECT OUTLINE

PROJECT RUBRIC

As you're working through verbing your script, check out this list of verb ideas, courtesy of sunnyhillsdrama.com

Also check out a few examples of monologues below. All of them are good, some are awesome. Use the videos to help give you some ideas for what you could do.

Wealth Distribution Simulation

During our simulation yesterday, you were placed into one of three groups. Those with great wealth, those with some wealth, and those with little wealth. Most of you were able to compete to see what group you would be in. Some of you started with advantages or disadvantages that made it easier or harder to acquire (get) wealth.

Reflect on (think about) this simulation, and use the other information that you have gathered through class and life to think about the following questions, and respond to them in the comments below.

1. Think about the people, groups, or countries who "have" the things they need and want, and the ones who "have not" the things they need and want? Who are the "haves" and the “have nots” in the world today? Which countries are the “haves” and the “have nots”? Who are the “haves” and “have nots” in our country today? In our state or community? Why do you think this is?

2. Do those with wealth have a responsibility to those who do not? For what reasons? Economic? Moral? Religious? Political?

3. Why might the “haves” give money or resources to the “have nots”? Is this a way to solve the problems of poverty?

4. Do you think there should be a redistribution of wealth and power in this country? Why or why not? If yes, how would you propose to accomplish this? What principles would guide your proposals for change?

Please make sure that your responses are GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT, in complete sentences, with proper spelling, capitalization and punctuation. Once you have responded yourself to these questions, feel free to comment on other's posts. Remember to be a positive cyber-citizen.

Social Studies Maps

By this point, you have discovered 7 different types of maps:

• Political Maps
• Topographical Maps
• Physical Maps
• Climate Maps
• Economic or Resource Maps
• Road Maps
• Thematic Maps(We talked about Population Maps)

In your opinion, which two (2) types of these seven (7) different maps are the most important and useful?

In your comment, please state which two maps you choose and why you think they are the most important or useful.

Literature Circles & Courage

Dictionary.com states that courage is: "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery."

Reflect on (think about) what you have read in your novel so far. Choose a character in your story that you think has shown some sort of courage. In the comments below, state your book, what character you have chosen from that book, and give THREE PIECES OF EVIDENCE that prove that your character has shown courage.