Hands-on Activity: What's a Kid to Do? Environmental Letter Campaign

Pre-Req Knowledge

A general familiarity with the issues and problems of air pollution.

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Students learn how to write letters as part of an environmental action campaign.
• Students incorporate source materials into their speaking and writing (for example, interviews, news articles, encyclopedia information).
• Write and speak in the content areas using the technical vocabulary of the subject accurately.
• Read, respond to and discuss literature that represents points-of-view from places, people, and events that are familiar and unfamiliar.

Educational Standards

Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards - Science

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology

Colorado - Science

Materials List

• Paper and pencils
• Access to the Internet

Introduction/Motivation

Never underestimate the "power of one," especially when that "one" is part of "many." Letter-writing campaigns can be effective. Your letter can make a difference.

In this activity, you are going to take action by participating in a letter-writing campaign through Global Response (http://www.culturalsurvival.org/current-projects/global-response). Examine their website to see how their campaigns work. Read some of their success stories.

Good luck with your letter-writing campaign!

Vocabulary/Definitions

campaign: An operation or series of operations energetically pursued to accomplish a purpose: an advertising campaign for a new product; a candidate's political campaign.

Procedure

In Air Pollution unit, Lesson 10, students learned about technical engineering solutions for air pollution problems. In this literacy activity, they learn what they, themselves, can do to help with the solution to an environmental problem.

Global Response, an environmental action group based in Boulder, Colorado, regularly mounts effective letter-writing campaigns focused on pressing environmental problems. Global Response Kids (for ages 8-12) and GR Youth Action (for ages 13-18) are the youth-oriented arms of Global Response (see http://www.culturalsurvival.org/current-projects/global-response). You can join and become a Young Environmental Activist with Global Response. For example, in September and October 2003, young people were asked write a letter to French president Jacques Chirac to tell him why the New Caledonia coral reef needs to be protected and ask him to nominate the reef to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Following are examples of recent successful Global Response initiatives. These are two big victories in which letters from Global Response's Young Environmental Activists (YEA) made a difference!

• In August 2002, YEA members wrote to the president of Chile and asked him to stop the construction of a huge aluminum plant in the Aisen region. The people of Aisen opposed the Alumysa project because it would destroy much of their beautiful temperate rainforest and cause deadly air and water pollution. In July, the president of Chile made a speech warning about the environmental dangers of the Alumysa project. Right after the speech, the Noranda Company withdrew its application to build the Alumysa plant! Global Response received a letter from the people of Aisen that said, "A hug and many thanks to all who helped us win this victory!" That means you!
• In November 2002, YEA members wrote letters to the president of the United States Export-Import Bank in Washington DC. They asked him not to give a loan to companies that want to build the Camisea gas pipeline in Peru. This project would cause environmental destruction in tropical rainforests and threaten many endangered species like the giant otter. In August, the Export-Import Bank rejected the loan application for the Camisea pipeline! Doesn't it feel great knowing that your letters really help protect our forests, rivers, oceans and endangered species? Good for you! And, good for our planet!

Please note: Air pollution problems are relevant to most Global Response actions but are not necessarily the focus of the action. It should be possible in most cases, however, to create a tie-in to the Air Pollution unit. This is true of the Caledonia Reef action. The concern there is with the effect on the island (and reef) of all types of industrial pollution, including air pollution.

Observing

Research thoroughly before you write. The Global Response website provides sufficient background material on its current and ongoing campaigns for you to write an effective letter. Also, keep in mind all you have learned in the Air Pollution unit. Not all Global Response actions are related specifically to air pollution concerns, but most have a tie-in. In learning about air pollution, you have learned much about pollution in general.

Thinking

Letter writing always provides an opportunity for thought. Choose your words carefully for best effect. Mark Twain once said, "If I'd had more time I would have written a shorter letter." What do you think he meant? An old saying is, "You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar." (You can win people to your side more easily by gentle persuasion and flattery than by hostile confrontation.) How might this apply to your letter writing?

Writing

Global Response has proven that polite, positive, informed letters work. They are easy, inexpensive and powerful. Study Global Response's letter-writing tips, listed below (or at ): http://www.culturalsurvival.org/current-projects/global-response

• Make your letter personal. Tell why you care about this issue.
• Say that you are writing in support of the local communities and organizations that are working to protect the environment.
• Include the specific points that are listed in Global Response's online Campaign section.
• The addresses provided by Global Response are of equal importance. A brief, polite letter to each targeted official is more effective than a long letter to just one.
• Stick to the facts. One inaccurate statement, accusation or innuendo can invalidate an otherwise excellent letter. Quote relevant and valid facts from scientists and engineers.
• Avoid political or ideological issues unless specifically recommended.
• Applaud positive environmental steps taken by the targeted corporation, agency or government.
• Suggest why it is in the interest of the corporation, agency or government to prevent environmental destruction.
• Ask for a reply to your letter.
• Keep copies of responses you receive. Global Response provides updates to past campaigns and often issues "follow-up actions" on ongoing concerns.

Troubleshooting Tips

Plan on one 50-minute class session to introduce concepts (Observing and Thinking sections), and another 50-minute class session to coach students on letter writing.

Assessment

Pre-Activity Assessment

Use in-class call-out questions to check students' comprehension of background material.

Activity Embedded Assessment

Use call-out questions during the Thinking discussion to reinforce understanding.

Post-Activity Assessment

Review students' letters for grasp of the facts of the particular campaign, for grammatical correctness and overall persuasiveness.

Activity Extensions

Become a reporter for Kids for Saving Earth (see http://www.kidsforsavingearth.org/reporter.htm).

Investigate other youth-led environmental action groups listed at FreeChild.org (see https://freechild.org/technical-assistance/actions/). Consider joining one of the groups and report back to your class about your activities.

Activity Scaling

• This is an individual activity. While the students' work is checked for grammatical correctness, the best reward is the satisfaction of participating in the campaign.

References

Contributors

Copyright

Supporting Program

Acknowledgements

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. 0338326. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.