Student Activities - Chapter 24

• 1. List all of the environmental problems your students can think of, and add a few of your own. Next, ask students to rank the list, choosing the top five most pressing problems. From the top five, have students pick the one problem that requires the most urgent attention. (There will be disagreement here, which itself points, in part, to the nature of environmental problems.) Allow students to explain why they ranked the top problem as they did.

What Can Each of Us Do to Help?

• 2. Whenever we read an article in a newspaper or magazine about pollution or loss of diversity, we are inspired to do something to change our behavior. Then, as time goes on, we forget our resolution, only to pay attention to some other facet of our lives.

Have students each make one resolution that is beneficial to the environment. Use the Ecology Focus" as a springboard for ideas, or have students come up with their own ideas. Suggest that they write down their resolution on the front of a notebook or calendar--someplace they turn to frequently. Ask them to stick to their resolution. Then, after a few days, check with them to see whether they are continuing to alter their behavior.

A few additional simple suggestions to help the environment:

Resolve to turn off lights when not in use.

Ride the bus, walk, or bike to class (rather than drive) once (or more) per week. Personal safety is a factor here, however.

Organize a carpool.

Run a number of errands at once, mapping out the shortest distance.

Stop using lawn fertilizers or herbicides.

Turn your heat down 3 degrees or your cooling system up 3 degrees (or more).

Turn off the television, stereo, CD player, radio, for several hours daily.

Recycle your discarded paper, even if it just means using the back side of it for notes and lists.

Use baking soda and water to clean surfaces in your bath and kitchen instead of harsh cleaners.