Subject: Social Studies
Lesson Length: 35 - 40 mins
Topic: Environmental Issues Affecting Our World
Grade Level: 7
Standards / Framework:
Brief Description: Students will identify a current global issue affecting our environment and determine a method for resolving the issue.
Know Before You Start: Students should have an understanding of common global environmental issues.
Hook:
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Read and discuss the sample comic.
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Have students identify other things that can be harmful to the environment, e.g., The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, global warming, natural disasters, etc.
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Talk about why environmental issues are important and discuss possible solutions.
Activity:
- Introduce the following vocabulary:
- pollution
- global warming
- depletion
- degradation
- sustainable
- unsustainable
- deforestation
- biodiversity
- genetic engineering
- acid rain
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Have students select a current global environmental issue to research.
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Using the sample comic as a guide, have students create a three-panel comic about the issue and a possible solution.
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Information in the comic should include:
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The environmental issue.
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Who it affects.
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Where it is most harmful.
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A possible solution.
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Closure:
- Have students share their completed comics with the class. This can be done in a round robin style or with a gallery walk.
Differentiation:
- Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
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Use Think-Pair-Share strategy during whole group discussion.
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Provide a list of environmental issues.
Rainforest
The Ocean
National Parks
Beach
The Desert
Energy
