Littering Is A Serious Problem

A Webquest from Ms. Montague PS 129

 

 

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PROBLEM

Litter is defined as waste products that have been disposed of improperly, without consent, at an undesirable location.  

 

Litter is a major problem in urban areas. Litter comes from different sources, and different people. For instance, it may be intentional litter by motorists discarding litter out of windows, pedestrians dropping litter on the street or footpaths, or people on picnics and at other public space events.

 

Litter can be harmful to people, animals and the natural environment, as it can threaten their existence and evolution. The major impacts involve the danger to public health, the risk of fire hazards, endangering, or even killing wildlife, and the serious damage to waterways. Furthermore, litter directly and indirectly affects the tourist industry and our quality of life. As a result of this irresponsible pollution, protecting the environment from litter requires significant resources, which instead could have been used for environmental preservation or development.

According to the Young Reporters for the Environment website, the following is the length of time it takes for litter to disappear naturally:

 

Paper: 6 months

Cigarette butts: 2-5 years

Banana peel: 3 months

Plastic bags: 10-30 years

Gum: 20-25 years

Aluminum can: 200-400 years

 

The ubiquitous corner stores within low-income neighborhoods are a production line for street litter. The presence of processed food is usually wrapped in a plastic packaging—everyone knows that this kind of trash will be around until the next millennium. Much of the food out of these establishments is harmful to human health. There is not only an environmental, but also a health impact due to the location of these establishments within impoverished communities.

 

 

TASK:

Numerous studies exist that support the argument that people thrive both mentally and physically when they are surrounded by beauty. You are tasked with researching, identifying and writing a report on how littering impacts the beauty of the school environment we live in. 

 

 

PROCESS/RESOURCES

You class will be divided into groups of five students. Your teacher will assign one group member as the leader.

 

The leader will coordinate the group and see that all tasks are completed. Other members will be as follows:

 

The recorder who lists the problems the group finds concerning littering in the PS 129 area.

 

Two researchers who gather information and data about the problem of littering in the PS 129 area. This could involve observation, interviews with students, discussions with school staff and administrators, etc.

 

A presenter who will gather the data from the researchers and their reports. The presenter will organize the reports and display them for the class and others in the school community to see. Your teacher will guide you as to what will be expected.

 

You are to use the six step Public Policy Analyst. This process will carry you through the stages of discovery to choosing solutions to the problem of littering around PS 129.

 

What is the problem?

Where is the evidence?

What are the causes?

What is the existing policy?

What policies can you create to correct the problem?

What is the best policy to correct the problem

 

 

In your group, each person is responsible for contributing one paragraph to a one-page report in addition to a visual representation in which the problem of littering around PS 129 is examined and a viable and an easily implemented solution is presented.

 

 

Evaluation

The following rubric will be employed to evaluate the degree to which the problem was researched, and solutions were proposed.

 

 

Public Awareness Campaign : Littering at PS 129

CATEGORY

Excellent

Good

Just Ok

Needs Work

Brainstorming - Problems

Students identify more than 4 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.

Students identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.

Students identify at least 3 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.

Students identify fewer than 3 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.

Brainstorming - Solutions

Students identify more than 4 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.

Students identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.

Students identify at least 3 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.

Students identify fewer than 3 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.

Campaign/Product

Students create an original, accurate and interesting product that adequately addresses the issue.

Students create an accurate product that adequately addresses the issue.

Students create an accurate product but it does not adequately address the issue.

The product is not accurate.

Sources - Quality

Students include 4 or more high quality sources.

Students include 2-3 high quality sources .

Students include 2-3 sources but some of are questionable quality.

Students include fewer than 2 sources.

Sources-Citation

Information in all source citations is correct and in the format assigned.

Information in all source citations is correct but there are minor errors in formatting.

Information in almost all source citations is correct AND there are minor errors in formatting.

The information is often incorrect OR there are major errors in formatting.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Congratulations!

Your group has helped to identify the problem of littering around PS 129 and proposed solutions that will help the whole school community!

 

 


Standards

Common Core State Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1.A, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1.B, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1.C, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1.D

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1.A, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1.B, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1.C, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1.D, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.3

Standard 5 – Technology Education:  Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs