SNC 1D Ecological Challenge

SNC 1D – Ecological Challenge

Changing our habits can affect the sustainability of our planet and the ecosystems we are a part of.

Purpose: To analyze the impact of human activity on the ecosystem and assess the effectiveness of selected initiatives related to environmental sustainability. Challenge #1 : Where’s the Beef? – Food Conservation

We live in a world in which many people go to bed each night having eaten only enough to barely keep alive, while others wallow in excess. There are many solutions to this food crisis. We will explore one of them in this challenge.

For two days you will refrain from eating any meat and as many processed foods as possible (anything which comes in a box essentially). You cannot do this challenge if you are already living a vegetarian lifestyle or if health concerns prevent you from completing this challenge (such as anemia).

Pre-experience reflection

In your group, discuss the following questions. After the discussion, you are to summarize your findings in your own words.

1) Are there any stereotypes associated with being a vegetarian?

2) How easy/hard will you find it to not eat meat/processed foods? 3) Why did you choose this project over the others?

4) Why do you think that this is an important environmental issue? Relate the consumption of meat to things we discussed in class. (ie, Energy pyramids, etc.)

5) What are some strategies that you could use to help you succeed in this challenge? Analysis Questions Pre-challenge

1) Before the challenge period begins, record what you eat/ate for a day. How much meat do you typically eat in a day? In a week? In a year? How about in a lifetime?

2) How will you replace meat protein in your vegetarian diet? Describe at least three ways you will get protein.

During the challenge

3) Record what you eat throughout the challenge period in the attached table. Include quantities. 4) How much less meat did you eat throughout the challenge period?

5) Record any feelings, frustrations, comments or concerns you have throughout the challenge period.

Post-challenge 6) What would the impact on the environment be if our school served vegetarian meals for one day every week? Would there be a positive or negative reaction from the student body?

7) Has this affected your outlook on what you eat? What changes, if any, will you make to your diet?

Research Question 1) Summarize why a diet consisting largely of meat is considered harmful to the environment. Cite your sources of information.

Hand-in Checklist ❏ Title page with name of project, course code, student name, teacher name, date. ❏ Answers to pre-experience reflection questions. ❏ Answers to analysis questions. ❏ Answers to research question.

Challenge #2 : Down the Drain – Water Conservation It accounts for up to 70% of your body and you wouldn’t be able to survive longer than a week without it. Water is arguably the Earth’s most important natural resource. We assume that this resource will always be present and we therefore have a tendency to misuse it. The world's supply of fresh water is running out. Already one person in five has no access to safe drinking water and the number of people without access to this vital resource grows daily.

For two days you will conserve as much water as you can. One method is to limit the frequency and time within your shower. For two days, you will limit yourself to only one 5 minute shower per day. You will have the opportunity to explore other avenues of water conservation as well. During this time period, you are to also refrain from taking baths and sitting in hot tubs.

Discuss the following questions with classmates. After the discussion, you are to summarize your findings in your own words in your project journal.

1) What are some of the reasons you might take a long shower?

2) Estimate the average shower length of each member of your group.

3) Describe some ways to reduce your shower to 3 minutes.

4) What would some of the challenges be for you? 5) Why did you choose this project over the others?

6) Estimate the total amount of water you would use in a typical week, year and lifetime.

7) Why do you think this is this an important ecological issue?

Analysis Questions Pre-challenge 1) Before the challenge period begins, record how long your typical shower is. How will you time your showers throughout the duration of the challenge?

2) How much water do you use in a typical shower? What are some ways in which this could be measured? Describe how you will measure this, and then do so.

3) Record the times for each of your showers through the challenge period in the attached table.

4) How much water do you think you used in showering during the challenge period? How much less is this than usual? How much water would you save if you continued this for a year? How about over a lifetime?

5) Record any feelings, frustrations, comments or concerns you have throughout the challenge period.

Post-challenge

6) What are some other ways that you could conserve water? Research Questions 1) Quantitatively compare the amount of water used in a typical bath and in a typical shower. Cite your source of information.

Hand-in Checklist ❏ Title page with name of project, course code, student name, teacher name, date. ❏ Answers to pre-experience reflection questions. ❏ Answers to analysis questions. ❏ Answers to research questions. Challenge #3 : Waste Not, Want Not – Zero Garbage Challenge

North Americans generate garbage at an astonishing rate – almost twice as much trash as our European counterparts. A tour of a local landfill site would indicate many problems. We often do not take the time to sort out what can be reused, recycled or composted before throwing our stuff into the garbage can. For two days you will attempt to throw out absolutely nothing. You will need to possibly change your buying habits and will definitely have to rethink what can be thrown into the trash. And no, it is not alright to store your garbage up for the two days and throw it out after the challenge period!

Discuss the following questions with classmates. After the discussion, you are to summarize your findings in your own words in your project journal.

1) Brainstorm a list of all the garbage items the members of your group throw away in one day.

2) What are some of the changes you will have to make to daily routines?

3) What will some of the challenges be for you?

4) Why did you choose this project over the others? 5) How much garbage do you produce in a typical week? In a year? How about over a lifetime?

6) Why is waste management an important ecological concern?

Analysis Questions Pre-challenge

1) Before the challenge period begins, record everything you throw/threw out over a day. 2) How much garbage do you estimate your family throws away in a typical week? In a year? How about over a lifetime?

3) Record every piece of garbage you throw out throughout the challenge period in the attached table. Explain why it had to be thrown out.

4) How much less garbage did you throw out during the challenge period?

5) Record any feelings, frustrations, comments or concerns you have through the challenge period.

Post-challenge

6) Is a “no garbage” lifestyle a feasible way for students to help the environment? Why or why not? 7) Suggest some ways the school could contribute to students and teachers throwing away less garbage. Why are ideas like yours not already in place?

Research Questions 1) Look up what can be recycled in Ottawa, and list 2 or 3 items that you were surprised could be recycled. Cite your source of information.

Hand-in Checklist ❏ Title page with name of project, course code, student name, teacher name, date. ❏ Answers to pre-experience reflection questions. ❏ Answers to analysis questions. ❏ Answers to research questions. SNC 1D Ecological Challenge Rubric Name: ______

Overall Expectation B1. Assess the impact of human activities on the sustainability of terrestrial and/or aquatic ecosystems, and evaluate the effectiveness of courses of action intended to remedy or mitigate negative impacts. Categories 50-59% 60-69% 70-79% 80-100% (Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3) (Level 4) Thinking and Investigation Use of processing skills Uses processing Uses processing Uses processing Uses processing and critical/creative skills and skills and skills and skills and thinking strategies critical/creative critical/creative critical/creative critical/creative (performing and recording, thinking strategies thinking strategies thinking strategies thinking strategies gathering evidence and with limited with some with considerable with a high degree data, analysing, evaluating, effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness of effectiveness forming and justifying conclusions on the basis of evidence ) Application Proposing courses of Proposes courses Proposes courses Proposes courses Proposes highly practical action to deal of practical action of practical action of practical action effective courses with problems relating to of limited of some of considerable of practical action science, technology, effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness society, and the environment Zero Garbage Challenge Recording Sheet

Day 1 Date: ______

Waste categories (check one for each disposed item)

Disposed Item Organic Plastic Paper & Metal Hazardous Other paper material products

Total items Zero Garbage Challenge Recording Sheet

Day 2 Date: ______

Waste categories (check one for each disposed item)

Disposed Item Organic Plastic Paper & Metal Hazardous Other paper material products

Total items

Water Conservation Challenge Recording Sheet Day 1 Date: ______

Duration of Shower Water Use Calculator (mins x Total Water Use in litres (L) ___ /litres of water per minute

Day 2 Date: ______

Duration of Shower Water Use Calculator (mins x Total Water Use in litres (L) ___ /litres of water per minute

Water use Calculator

If you are not sure the type of showerhead you currently have or its flow rate it is easy to figure out. Simply collect the water coming out of your shower in a container for 10 seconds. Measure the volume of water and multiply by six. This is how much water your showerhead is using every minute.