THE ENVIRONMENT

Different Environments

'How many different Environments can you think of?'

  • Ask pupils to pair off and research together.
  • Feedback and expand ideas with another pair.
  • Feedback to whole class.
  • Discuss the difference between a rural and an urban environment, draw up a table of contrasts and comparisons and draw attention to the varying lifestyles of each.
  • Personal experience of another environment apart from local one.
  • Use spider diagrams to explore this area.
  • Record personal experiences of other environments.
  • Find a penfriend.
  • Try to set up a penfriend scheme allowing the children to communicate with other children living in contrasting environments.

Destruction of Environments

Leading question:

What can destroy the Environment?

  • Cutting down trees
    (trigger point for discussion: CO2 is not absorped)
  • Too many cars
    (trigger point for discussion: produce CO2 which warms up the atmosphere).
  • Intensive factory farming
    (trigger point for discussion: much METHANE GAS produced by animals).
  • Wasteful packaging (litter from fast food chains etc)
    (trigger point for discussion: landfills, chlorofluorocarbons still in much packaging)

All the above are greenhouse gases. Make pupils aware of this and link to the discussion of global warming.

Other areas

Leading question:

How many other ways can the environment be destroyed?

These various areas can be explored according to the varying teaching methods.

IDEAS: Try to explore the effect fast food chains have by promoting their type of diet - what re the environmental effects? Are there any added strains particular to the fast-food industry? See: treatment of factory farm animals

Specialist Vocabulary

Leading question:

'What words can be associated with McDonald's, fast-food?'

  • Pupils can make a list of the words that have come out in the lessons so far as well as adding their own topic related vocabulary.
  • Make one large, concise list for the whole class as a reference.

Vegetarianism

Our informative self help guide - further topics and issues for kids

Environmental Movements

  • Why do you think people set up campaigns?
  • Find out about one in particular that strikes you as essential. Why? What are it's aims and objectives?
  • Prepare a speech explaining about the campaign you have chosen to support for the rest of the class.

Project Work

  • What can I do to help care for my Environment. If I could do something to help my environment or different environment, what would I do?