Students begin with a discussion about environmental research.
The purpose of this collaborative activity is to give students the opportunity to begin thinking about the environment and to share their ideas with others before starting the task. They read the source materials to gain information about the environment and to consider various perspectives on the issue. Students then use the information they have gained from their readings as well as their prior knowledge to take a position on the issue. They will participate in a persuasive writing project, in which they will state their positions and support them with information from the source materials. This curriculum presents students with a variety of research problems that each student will attempt to solve.