KILL THE MOSQUITOES OR KILL THE CHILDREN

(Author: Berdera, Valentin Conde)

Introduction
1. Silent Spring, a book by Rachel Carson started the public awareness of
environmental problems with toxic chemicals such as DDT. There is a lot of
controversy about DDT because science has proved it to be a very useful
chemical as well as being toxic and detrimental to the environment. Currently,
DDT is up for a debate once again. You need to determine whether or not DDT
should be banned worldwide. You will design a brochure that will provide
relevant and significant information about pesticide and DDT and their impact to
the environment.

II. Objectives
By the end of this activity, you will be able to:
1. Define what pesticides are.
2. Give examples of pesticides, their specific uses, and the health effects of
using these pesticides.
3. Give the chemical nature of DDT.
4. Discuss the effects and uses of DDT.
5. Give the benefits and limitations in using DDT.
6. Discuss the nature of malaria and its prevention from acquiring it.
7. Evaluate the environmental impact of pesticides
8. Design a brochure that will provide relevant and significant information about
pesticide and DDT and their impact to the environment.

III. Your task

Your team has been tasked by the DLS-CSB administration to help educate the
CSB community about the uses of pesticides and its impact to our environment.
As a team, you are to conduct research to incorporate necessary information on
your expected output which is a brochure. Your group has to design a brochure
that will provide relevant and significant information about pesticides and its
impact to the environment. This brochure will be distributed to the CSB
community to serve as campaign material in educating them about pesticides.

IV. Leader of each group should designate the following roles: chemist,
environmentalist, economist, and lay-out artist.

The Chemist will research on the physical and chemical properties of pesticides

The environmentalist will research on the impact of pesticides to our environment

and draft a simple environmental assessment.

The economist will research on the economic importance of pesticides, including

the specific livelihood relying heavily on the use of pesticides.

The lay-out artist will design the brochure based on accurate inputs fron his/her
classmates.
 All members of the team will work together to finalize the content and lay-out of
the brochure.

Share your information with your teammates and come up with a brochure with
condensed information that answers all the questions found in the INQUIRY AND
ANALYSIS part.

V. INQUIRY AND ANALYSIS

To help you achieve the objectives, you will need to answer the questions below.

1. What are pesticides?

2. What are examples of pesticides, their specific uses, and the health effects of
using these pesticides?
3. What is the chemical nature of DDT?
4. What is DDT used for?
5. What are the benefits and limitations in using DDT?
6. What is malaria, how do you get it, how do you prevent it?

VI. EVALUATION
Your brochure will be evaluated using the rubric ON THE NEXT PAGE
 BROCHURE RUBRIC
CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Writing Each section in Almost all Most sections Less than half of
Organization the brochure sections of of the brochure the sections of
has a clear the brochure have a clear the brochure
beginning, have a clear beginning, have a clear
middle, and end beginning, middle and end beginning,
middle and middle, and end
end.
Spelling and No spelling No more than No more than 3 Several spelling
Proofreading errors remain 1 spelling spelling errors errors in
after one errors remain after brochure.
person other remains after one person
than the typist one person other than the
reads and other than the typist reads and
corrects the typist reads corrects the
brochure. and corrects brochure.
the brochure.
Writing-Mechanics Capitalization Capitalization There are 1-2 There are several
and punctuation and capitalization capitalization or
are correct punctuation and/or punctuation
throughout the are correct punctuation errors in the
brochure throughout errors in the brochure even
the brochure brochure even after feedback
after feedback after feedback from an adult.
from an adult. from an adult.
Content accuracy All statements 99-90% 89-80% Fewer than 80%
in the brochure statements in statements in statements in the
are accurate the brochure the brochure brochure are
are accurate are accurate accurate
Attractiveness and The brochure The brochure The brochure The brochure’s
Organization has has attractive has well- formatting and
exceptionally formatting organized organization of
attractive and well- information material are
formatting and organized confusing to the
well-organized information reader
information
Graphics/Pictures Graphics go Graphics go Graphics go Graphics do not
well with the well with the well with the go with the
text and there is text, but so text, but too few accompanying
a good mix of many that and the text or appear to
text and they distract brochure be randomly
graphics. from the text. seems “text chosen.
heavy”

PBL adapted from:

Berdera, Conde Valentin. 2006. Courseware on Natsc 11 (Environmental Chemistry)