Teaching with the News

Global Environment: Considering U.S. Policy

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for "their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change." Climate change and environmental policy are becoming a core issue in the U.S. and around the world. Supporters of strong environmental measures hope that the United States will cooperate closely with other members of the international community to address environmental threats. Critics of such measures fear that, in the name of environmental protection, the U.S. economy will be hamstrung by internationally mandated regulations. What should U.S. policy be concerning global environmental issues? This lesson plan invites students to explore four divergent policy options on the question of U.S. global environment policy and then to articulate their own views.

This lesson includes:

Policy Options and Introduction: Four policy options have been framed to help students think about divergent policy alternatives, each driven by different underlying values, each with merits and tradeoffs. The Options provided have been developed with input from the research staff at the Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University. The Options can be printed for classroom use from the Choices web site.

Lesson Plan: A two-period lesson plan is provided. It is focused on role-play and deliberation exploring the four Policy Options. Teachers are encouraged to integrate the suggested background resources into their courses as appropriate.

The U.S. Role in the World Online Ballot: After consideration of this issue, we invite you to give students an opportunity to wrestle with larger question of America's role in the world using an online ballot activity. What do they think about America's role? What issues are of most concern to them? What kind of world do they want in the 21st century?

Additional Resources from the Choices Program

Global Environmental Problems: Implications for U.S. Policy is a one-week unit that explores the relationship between public policy in our country and the health of the planet. Background readings prepare students to thoughtfully consider the policy choices facing our country. A lesson on environmental science is also included. The policy options presented in this online lesson plan are excerpted from Global Environmental Problems. This curriculum unit, published by The Choices Program, is recommended by the National Science Teachers Association in NSTA Recommends.

Scholars Online provides video taped interviews with environmental researchers designed for use in classrooms, for homework, and for professional development.

Carbon Footprint Calculator What size is your carbon footprint? This tool estimates household carbon footprint and shows how different lifestyle choices, household features, and new technologies affect this.

Supplemental Materials for Global Environmental Problems: Implicatins for U.S. Policy provides links to additional resources related to this issue.

 

Additional Online Resources

The EPA Global Warming Site provides helpful background on a range of environmental issues.

POV Borders Environment is a PBS site that provides background on environment issues, discussions with professionals in various roles within the environmental field, links to a rich array of other resources, and a series of lesson plans on "earth, air, and water." The site map is particularly helpful

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Review a list of Choices publications: In addition to its online resources, the Choices Program publishes a wide range of curriculum units on historical turning points and current issues. All published units include extensive background readings and accompanying lesson plans. Ordering is available online.