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Looking Toward the Future

Bridging Ecological Challenges: Japan and the United States

Compiled By: Kimberlee A. Johnsen Length: 7-8 Class Periods.

At the end of this unit the students will know and be able to:

a. Understand the definitions and impact of greenhouse gasses, global warming, carbon dioxide, atmosphere, deforestation, ecosystem, climate change, atmosphere, topography, solar energy, clean coal, Industrial Revolution, fossil fuel, drought, renewable resources, non-renewable resources, and Kyoto Protocol.

b. Study and debate about the possibility of a Greenhouse Effect and how it will affect physical and human geography.

c. Evaluate the Kyoto Protocol and the United States, Japan and other countries position on tackling climate change in the current year and in the future.

d. Research and develop new plans/projects that citizens in local communities and around the world can enact to help the environment.

Essential Questions:

a. What has (your home state) and (your local town/city) done to combat ecological changes and conserve energy?

b. What has the United States and Japan done to conserve energy?

c. What ecological reforms did President Obama present during his campaign in 2008? What reforms have been put into place since President Obama was elected?

e. What actions has the Japanese government made since 2000 to fight the possibility of global warming and ecological changes?

f. How can the United States and Japanese government work together to fight global warming locally and globally?

A.) Class One: Teacher Introduction and Student Pre-Reading Assignment:

1. For homework students should pre-read about greenhouse gasses, global warming, carbon dioxide, atmosphere, deforestation, ecosystem, climate change, atmosphere, topography, solar energy, clean coal, Industrial Revolution, fossil fuel, drought, renewable resources, non-renewable resources, and the Kyoto Protocol.

a. In addition to reading, students should also write two questions that they have about the reading and vocabulary they have completed.

b. Students should expect a short quiz on important vocabulary terms listed above at the start of the next class period.

B.) Class Two: Homework Assessment and Teacher Introduction

1.) Students should be given a short quiz on the reading assignment. They should be able to define and identify what global warming, greenhouse gasses and other pertinent vocabulary terms.

a. After the quiz the students and teacher should review the important vocabulary and draw connections to the importance of these terms.

b. The teacher should have the students place their homework questions in a box/container and have a volunteer choose a question. During a 15-minute review session the students should answer questions in a discussion type setting. This will serve as an additional review for the homework reading.

2. Next, students will view a short cartoon clip from the Inconvenient Truth film that explains how greenhouse gasses are created and contribute to the possibility of global warming.

a. Inconvenient Truth Cartoon:

b. Additional Resource: Cartoon located at . Students can open this web page at home and practice the quiz questions that follow.

3. Students should next design their own comic strip to explain the impact of greenhouse gasses. Their comic strip should be four slides and contain at least five vocabulary terms relate to what they have learned so far in the unit.

B.)Class Three: Reading Comprehension/Analysis

1.) Next, the students will be given a copy of the following article: “The History of Global Warming.”

2.) Before students read aloud, the teacher should choose five reading strategy techniques for the students to follow as they read the article in class. Teachers should refer to the following website as a guide: .

a. Before reading the article students should write one-two sentences on a separate sheet of paper why reading this article (based on its title) would connect to their purpose of learning about the impact of global warming.

b. Next, students should also make several inferences about the text as they read the article.

c. For instance students should make a prediction, connect personally to the text, visualize future events in article, and lastly state their level of comprehension.

1. The comprehension test can be achieved by having the students fill in the following statement: “This information connects/does not connect to what I already know because_____.” or “This is/is not making sense because _____.”

3.)”More Disastrous Natural Disasters” - Computer Lab/Library/Computer Access

a. Students will create a comparison chart that outlines natural disasters that have taken place during the last decade in both the United States and Japan.

b. Students should list the following items: type of natural disaster, physical impact, human impact, financial impact, and results (ie. political changes, building reconstruction, and new improvements/reforms since disaster.)

4.) Assign Unit Project- Due: 6th or 7th Class Period

C.) Class Four: Kyoto Protocol Investigation and Debate

1.) Students should turn in their comparison charts and begin working on the next activity. Students will be assigned reading materials on the Kyoto Protocol prior to researching on the Internet.

2.) Next, the students should receive informational packets on the Kyoto Protocol and take brief notes. Students in small groups should identify pros, cons and any additional information they discover through their reading.

3.) Students should gain Internet access and retrieve the following website and locate the article: "Quitting the Kyoto Protocol: The United States Strikes Out Alone."

a. Students should read the above article and take notes to answer the following question in a five paragraph persuasive essay: Should the United States have agreed to sign the Kyoto Protocol along with Japan? Clearly identify the pros and cons of the treaty. In what ways did Japan and the U.S. benefit or struggle as a result of their decisions.

4.) Students should either choose sides or be divided into two groups for a class debate period. Students should access Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center on the Internet and print their assigned article: "US Should Support the Global Climate Treaty" or "The International Community Must Act Together."

a. Before engaging in the debate during the next class period, the students should thoroughly read their article and take detailed notes for homework.

D.) Class Five: Debate and PowerPoint Presentation

1.) Students should get into their debate groups and compare the notes they took before beginning the debate in class. In the pre-debate discussion students should brainstorm the rebuttals they might use against the opposing group.

a. Are there other plans that you believe the U.S. or Japan would support?

b. The teacher should monitor carefully and possibly provide incentives at the beginning such as extra quiz/test points or homework passes.

2.) After the debate, the teacher should display the PowerPoint presentation “Looking Toward the Future: U.S. and Japan”

a. The teacher should ask the essential questions: What has Rhode Island and Portsmouth done to combat ecological changes and conserve energy? What has the United States and Japan done to conserve energy?

i. Students should discuss these questions prior to viewing the PowerPoint presentation.

b. During the PowerPoint presentation the students should take brief notes on how people can save energy at home and in their daily lives and new technologies that can help the environment. After the PowerPoint presentation/discussion the students should answer the following question.

Essential Question: What actions has the Japanese government made since 2000 to fight the possibility of global warming and ecological changes?

E.) Class Six: Investigating Political Reforms: United States and Japan

1.) The teacher should assign the following essential questions to the students:

- What ecological reforms did President Obama present during his campaign in 2008?

- What reforms have been put into place since President Obama was elected?

2.) Using the Internet as a resource, the students should focus on researching the 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign. The students should research what goals Obama presented to the American people that dealt with energy issues, creating “Green” jobs, dealing with climate change, etc. Students should also record the specific plans that have been put into place since Obama was elected. Students should also be specific and record the websites they found useful on a separate bibliography page.

Suggested Resources:

E.) Class Seven: Small Steps Toward Ecological Reform: Begin At Home!

1.) Current Events Article: Each student should retrieve two current events articles from two different credible websites. The current events article should be printed and show proof of active reading. (ie. challenging vocabulary words defined, statistics/quotes highlighted and explained, etc) One article should cover reforms in Japan and the second should discuss reforms in the United States (other than their home state.) The information gained from the current event articles must be reflected in each student presentation.

a. Attached to the current events article should be a typed paper that includes three challenging vocabulary terms that are defined, a summary paragraph to discuss the basis of the article and two questions (one comprehension and one discussion.) The discussion question can be used in the student’s presentation.

2.) Project Scope: Students will be expected to complete a small 3-D model/project where they develop a plan for their household or school to “go green.” The student must write a detailed proposal that they could present to their school board, principle and parents.

3.) Five-Ten Minute Presentation: The students will act as if they were presenting to school board members, the principle, and parents in their local community. They must reflect current event articles that discuss recent reforms in Japan and the United States. After discussing the articles, the students may ask their discussion question to the audience. At the conclusion of the discussion, the students must include a transitional sentence where they should explain how their project model will bring positive change to their school and local community.

4) Explanation of 3-D Model/Project: Students should create a unique and detailed model of a project that will help the environment and help local people change their habits in a positive way that can also benefit the environment. All models should be 3-D and labeled clearly.

5.) Voting Process: At the conclusion of each presentation audience members will vote on whether or not they feel the project could be easily implemented in their local school or community. Votes will be tallied at the conclusion of all presentations.

Additional Resources & Related Websites:

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o “Opposing Viewpoints” Database

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