Title: Everybody Needs a Clean Environment

Abstract: Our earth is fragile and becoming more polluted each day. How will we
protect it for future generations? It is interesting to note that our recognition of Earth Day
started with the efforts of one man, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin! While
we may not make such a recognizable contribution, each of us can make a difference in
protecting our environment. We need a clean environment, free of pollutants in the air,
water, and land. This lesson will give students the opportunity to research ways to
“reduce, reuse, and recycle” by creating a book Everybody Needs a Clean Environment
based on the pattern in the book Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor.

Grades: 4-8

Estimated Lesson Time: 8 or more class periods depending on the abilities of the
students and the availability of computers and research materials.

Standards:

(Standards for the English Language Arts)

4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written and visual language to

communicate with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different
writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different
audiences for a variety of purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions, media
techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print
and non-print texts.
7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and
questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data
from a variety of sources.
8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources to gather
and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

(National Science Educational Standards)

Science in personal and social perspective/ Content Standard F

Students will be aware of changes in the environment (3-4); Students will be
aware of populations, resources, and the environment (5-8); Students will be
aware of environmental quality (9-12)

Objectives:
• Students will be aware of the pollution that exists in/on our earth
• Students will research the forms of pollution using the Internet
• Students will follow the pattern of Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor to
create rules for “reducing, reusing, and recycling”.
 • Students will edit for punctuation, spelling, and usage
• Students will write to inform an audience
Instructional Plan:

Resources: Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor

The Clean Environment Graphic Organizer
The Clean Environment Task
The Clean Environment Rubric
The Clean Environment Form for Writing Rules
Web Links
http://www.encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761570933
Introduction to pollution and types of pollution
http://www.scorecard.org/
Hazardous waste
http://www.epa.gov/airnow/
Air pollution
http://www.epa.gov/region4/water/nps/
Water pollution
http://www.epa.gov/esaoswer/osw/rr.htm
Wastes
http://directory.google.com/Top/Science/Environment/Pollution_Prevention_and_
Recycling/Recycling_Information
Recycling
http://directory.goodle.com/Top/Society/Issues/Environment/Pollution?
Environmental issues

Preparation:

• Find the book Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor in the Easy section of
the library.
• Run off copies of the Task, Rubric, Graphic Organizer, and Form
• Bring in texts, articles, videos that might be informative to students
researching the pollution in the world.

Instruction and Activity:

Day 1 - Begin by finding out what students know about pollution. Let them brainstorm
the many kinds of pollution. After a list has been generated, ask students if they can
group these into categories (Air, Water, Soil, Hazardous Waste, Noise, Animal Extinction,
etc.) Tell students that they will be doing research in each of these areas to find out what
can be done to “reduce, reuse, and recycle” in order to have a cleaner environment for
ourselves and for those who come after us. Tell them that before they begin you want to
review the Task and the Rubric so that they will understand exactly what is expected of
them during the study. Hand them out, and go over them as a class. As a homework
assignment, and depending on the age of the students, you could have them bring in
articles from the paper that mention pollution anywhere on the earth.
Day 2 – If students have brought in articles about from pollution, briefly go over these
and add any new information to the list that was brainstormed on the first day. Tell the
class that before you hand them the Graphic Organizer that will be used to record
research data, you are going to read them a little book. Ask them to listen to how the
pattern of the book might be used for an assignment on a clean environment. Read
Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor. Point out that the Form they will use will
allow them to follow the pattern of the book. (If the book is not available, go directly to
the Form, reading it and discussing how students will be finding 10 rules that people can
follow to have a cleaner environment.) Hand out the Form for the books students will be
creating. Explain that the rules might be different for each student, depending on what
they each feel is important and obtainable by the average citizen, including themselves.
Either list or make copies of the Web Links for students to begin their research. If
computers are not available for all students, research can be made in small groups with
each student recording his/her own data. Let students begin their data collection.

Days 3-5 – Students should continue their research. Some could use texts or articles
collected.

Days 6-7 – Students should begin their Everybody Needs a Clean Environment books
using the Form that has been provided. Students should be reminded that the rules will
be the topic sentences, but the detail sentences in the rest of the paragraph should explain
how the rule could be accomplished. Remind students that the rubric explains the need
for correct punctuation, spelling and usage when writing for an audience. Encourage
students to illustrate their rules with drawings or pictures. Tell them that they will be
presenting their books to the class.

Day 8 – Sharing day. Let students present their books to their classmates. Ask students
to look for similarities in the rules. Point out that each person can contribute to the
cleaning up of the earth by “reducing, reusing, and recycling”.

Extensions:

• Have students share their books with other classes.

• Ask the local library to showcase the books.
• Read the books on Earth Day

Assessment:
• The Rubric
• Teacher observation
• Class discussions
 TASK FOR EVERYBODY NEEDS A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT

TASK: Our earth is fragile and becoming more polluted each day. How will we protect
it for future generations? It is interesting to note that our recognition of Earth Day started
with the efforts of one man, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin! While we may
not make such a recognizable contribution, each of us can make a difference in protecting
our environment. We need a clean environment, free of pollutants in the air, water, and
land.

Your task will be to research and record information that you find at web sites to explain
the pollution that is occurring on our earth, the things being done to change these
atrocities, and ways that you and your family can act now to prevent these pollutants
from further destroying our earth.

You should research for pollutants in the water, the air, and the soil. You should research
hazardous wastes, noise pollution, and ways to “reduce, reuse, and recycle” to prevent
further pollution. What is being done by the Environmental Protection Agency? What
other organizations are trying to protect our earth? What are they doing? Can you help?

Using the Form provided you and the pattern from Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd
Baylor, you are to create your own book entitled, Everybody Needs a Clean Environment.
After you have researched and recorded your information on the Graphic Organizer,
create ten rules for keeping our environment cleaner. Try to find ways that you and your
family and friends can actually do.

Each rule will be the topic sentence for a paragraph that explains why your rule is
effective and how it can be accomplished. Remember that you will be writing for an
audience, so correct spelling, punctuation, and usage is essential. The rubric should guide
you. Be prepared to share your book with your classmates in an oral
presentation.
 RUBRIC FOR EVERYBODY NEEDS A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT

Advanced Basic Needs Revision

Graphic organizer is Graphic organizer is Graphic organizer is

completely and correctly mostly complete and incomplete or only
filled in correct partially complete

All 10 rules suggest At least 8 rules suggest Fewer than 8 rules are
ways to have a cleaner ways to have a cleaner suggested to have a
environment environment cleaner environment

Rules are written in Rules are mostly written Rules are just sentences
paragraph form with a in paragraph form with with no topic sentence
topic sentence and detail some detail sentences or detail sentences
sentences

Book uses the pattern The pattern form is The pattern for the book
from Everybody Needs mostly followed is incomplete
a Rock by Byrd Baylor

Book shows that the Book shows some Book shows very little
data recorded has been research of data on the research has been done
thoroughly researched environment

Few to no errors in Some errors in spelling, Many errors in spelling,

spelling, punctuation, or punctuation, and usage punctuation, and usage
usage do not interfere with interfere with
understanding understanding

Oral presentation is Oral presentation is Oral presentation is not

effective, can be heard, acceptable acceptable
with eye contact to the
audience
Fill in each blank with a way to prevent the pollutions that are given.
Try to find things that you, your family, and your friends can do. Find
ways to “reverse, reuse, and recycle!

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER FOR

EVERYBODY NEEDS A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT

Hazardous Waste Water Pollution

__________________________
________________________
__________________________
________________________
___________________________
________________________
___________________________
________________________

Air Pollution Noise Pollution

____________________
__________________
An Unclean
____________________
Environmen
__________________
t
____________________ -
Has
__________________

Endangered Animals Soil Pollution

____________________ _________________
____________________ -
__________________
_____________________ -
__________________
 EVERYBODY NEEDS A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT

I’m sorry for kids who don’t have a clean environment.

I’m sorry for kids who have

SMOG AROUND THEIR CITIES,

POLLUTION IN THEIR RIVERS AND STREAMS,

HAZARDOUS WASTES IN THE SOIL AND EVERYWHERE,

SHRINKING FORESTS,

ENDANGERED ANIMALS,

OIL SPILLS,

LOUD, DEAFENING NOISES,

And other things like that

If they don’t have a clean environment!

That’s why I’m giving them my own 10 rules for having a clean environment. Not just
any environment, one that they can keep – maybe forever.

All right, here are the rules:

Rule 1
Rule 2
Rule 3
Rule 4
Rule 5
 Rule 6
Rule 7
Rule 8
Rule 9
Rule 10

All right, that’s ten rules. If you can think of any more write them down. I think we can
all help to preserve our earth!