Learning with PhotoImpact

Useful Internet Resources

• Migrations Social and Environmental Consequences
• Environmental Impacts of Large Dams
• Environmental Impact of Dihydrogen Monoxide
• Environmental Impacts of Hydropower
• Rethinking Environmental Impact Statements
• Student teams can use one of the major search engines to search specifically for information on their topic.

Materials

• Materials for teacher’s lessons on the negative impact on different natural environments
• Print, multimedia, and internet resources on various negative environmental impacts
• Computer with a word processor, internet access and PhotoImpact software
• Graphic layout materials
• Blank CD’s/DVD’s
• Presentation equipment

McREL National Content Standards Addressed

Geography

• Std.8 – Understands the characteristics of ecosystems on earth's surface
  Level III, Benchmarks 1, 2, 4, 5 Level IV, Benchmarks 1-4

• Std. 14 – Understands how human actions modify their physical environment
  Level III, Benchmarks 1-4 Level IV, Benchmarks 1-4

Science

• Std. 6 – Understands relationships amongst organisms and their physical environment
  Level III, Benchmarks 1-5 Level IV, Benchmarks 1-5

Procedures and Approximate Times for Completion

1. The teacher gives lessons on negative influences on various natural environments. ( 2 hours)
2. Student teams conduct their research. (1- 1 ½ hours)
3. Students synthesize their research into an outline for an oral report, and graphic layout for their multimedia poster.(1 hour)
4. Students create their oral report, and multimedia poster. (2 hours)
5. The teams present their oral report, and multimedia poster to the class, and answer any questions. (5 minutes per team)

Assessment
The following site has a wide variety of rubrics that you can look at in order to help you design a rubric that will meet your needs.

• Select from a Variety of Rubrics from MidLink Magazine at http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/ho.html
• You may also want to have your students reflect upon their projects and address the following in writing:
  • Given one of the other negative environmental impacts reported by another team, what do you think you could do to help mitigate those circumstances, and how would you go about doing it?
  • 20 years from now what do you think the situation will be in the natural environment you studied, and what do you think happened over time to create that result?