4—What Can We Do About Illinois Pollution Issues? 108 Environmental Pathways
Preparation
1. Have students bring newspapers, maga-zines,
advertising circulars, and other discard-ed
publication materials with photographs and
illustrations.
Procedures
Day One
1. Ask students to brainstorm ideas/answers
on a piece of paper or in their journals includ-ing:
• List at least five common pollution
problems found in your community.
• Pick two problems.
• What are some of the possible causes
of these problems?
2. Have students form groups of four. Have
them share their journal entries and discuss
their answers. Then have the group brain-storm,
discuss and write down their ideas for
the following questions:
• What do you think the future might look
like if nothing was done to correct these
problems?
• What steps could be taken to solve
these problems?
3. Tell the students that each group will be
making two collages. The first should depict
the group’s vision of what the future might
look like if nothing was done to correct the
problems. The second collage will depict what
steps could be taken to solve the problems
they have identified. Instruct them to cut out
and use photographs and images from the
magazines, newspapers and circulars they
have brought in. Allow them to draw any
images they cannot find in the illustrations.
Day Two
4. Give each group two pieces of poster
board or similar paper and the materials for
making the collages. Remind them what the
collages are supposed to depict. Recommend
that they look at both sides of the paper
before they cut out any images. Have the stu-dents
make the collages.
Day Three
5. Have each group share its collages and
the problems and solutions they identified with
the rest of the class. Have them list their top
two predictions and solutions.Write their
answers on the board and make note of any
similarities or common themes.
Wrap Up
Assessment
After all the groups have presented, the
teacher will write the following questions on
the overhead or chalkboard. Students should
individually prepare their answers and discuss
them in either a large or small group setting.
• What similarities do they notice between the
answers given by the different groups? Will
the proposed solutions affect individual
lifestyles? Will they cause people to live in dif-ferent
ways? Will they allow people to do
something they want to do, or force people to
do things they do not want to do?
• Will the proposed solutions affect people’s
financial situations? How will these solutions
be paid for? Would they affect the costs of
goods and services? Will they affect taxes?
Would they affect peoples’ jobs, either by
eliminating old ones or creating new ones?
• Who might be opposed to these solutions?
Would they only affect the wants or needs of a
few community members?
• What effect will the solutions have on air,
land or water quality?
Extensions
Community
• Have students interview a senior citizen from
their family or community about a pollution
problem they experienced. Students might
