Tragedy of the Commons and Its' Socioeconomic Effect on the Environment
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Tragedy of the Commons and its’ Socioeconomic Effect on the Environment by Vickie Mills and Larry Collins, Altavista Combined School I . Abstract A. This is a collaborative activity which comes at the end of a lesson on the tragedy of the commons from the economics’ perspective and the socioeconomic effect on the environment from the environmental science perspective. Each teacher taught the basic concepts to their own classes and then traded classrooms to teach the other teacher’s students. After teaching both economic and science concepts to all students, three projects were completed by all students. This lesson takes two weeks to complete. Project One: Students participated in a town wide cleanup day as the kick start to this lesson. Every student who participated received extra credit for the nine week grading period. (One should check with their principal to make sure this is acceptable procedure.) All students must write a one page report entitled: Why does Altavista Need a Town Wide Cleanup Day? Project Two: In teams of two or three, students researched and created a public awareness campaign which could be presented to the town Mayor. This campaign must be centered on one segment of how the tragedy of the commons affects the town of Altavista and how it can be corrected. The top two from each class receives a prize of candy. The top two from all classes will be presented to the town Mayor and the Town Council. The winning campaign will be featured in the local paper and the team will receive gift cards from Wal-Mart. Project Three: Students will create a brochure on environmental laws and the student’s civic responsibilities concerning these laws. B. This activity covers all of the forms of learning associated with Neil Fleming's VAK/VARK model which states that there are basically three types of learners: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. We also used the KUD model (appendix E) for our lesson plan. By combining our efforts, skills sets, and knowledge bases, we were able to collaboratively expose our students to a more expansive learning environment. We used local examples of environmental problems and solutions to those problems. The students were able to see how one area of learning overlaps into another. 1 III. Economic Content and Key Concepts A. CT28: Examine Community issues related to an industry/organization • Impact of the organization on the community (e.g., provision of jobs, tax revenue, and goods/services; involvement in community programs/activities; environmental impact) • Impact of the community on the organization (e.g., employee base; local taxes and regulations; local government services such as roads, schools, utilities; other local services) CT29: Examine health, safety, and environmental issues related to an industry/organization. EPF1d: The student will demonstrate knowledge of basic economics concepts and structures by: d) identifying factors of production. EPF.2a The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of producers and consumers in a market economy by: a) describing how consumers, producers, workers, savers, investors, and citizens respond to incentives. EPF.8a The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of government in a market economy by: a) identifying goods and services provided by government to benefit society. EPF.9e The student will demonstrate knowledge of the global economy by: e) describing the costs and benefits of trade barriers. Environmental Science Content and Key Concepts SOL ES 6CThe student will understand and investigate the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources. Key concepts include: resources found in Virginia. SOL ES 6DThe student will understand and investigate the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources. B. The CT Standards, the EPF Standards, and the SOL Standards are all 9-12 grade appropriate. C. Terms: Ms. Mills will introduce terminology needed for understanding of the impact of the Tragedy of the Commons on the environment. • Conservation-prevention of injury, decay, waste, or loss; preservation: • Natural Resources- Materials or substances such as minerals, forests, water, and fertile land that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain. • Positive Externalities- A positive externality is a benefit that is enjoyed by an unintended ‘third party' as a result of an economic transaction. • Negative Externalities- A negative externality is a cost that is suffered by an unintended ‘third party' as a result of an economic transaction. • Tragedy of the Commons- Is an economics theory by Garrett Hardin, according to which individuals, acting independently and rationally according to each one's self-interest, 2 behave contrary to the whole group's long-term best interests by depleting some common resource. • Brochure-a small book or magazine containing pictures and information about a product or service. • Proposal- the act of offering or suggesting something for acceptance, adoption, or performance. • OSHA- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal organization (part of the Department of Labor) that ensures safe and healthy working conditions for Americans by enforcing standards and providing workplace safety training. • EPA- The Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the United States federal government whose mission is to protect human and environmental health. • Clean Water Act of 1972- This Clean Water Act is the primary legislation concerning water pollution and its regulation. • Clean Air Act of 1972- The Clean Air Act was first enacted in 1970 and authorized the establishment of federal and state regulations that limit emissions stationary and mobile sources of air pollutants. Mr. Collins will introduce terminology needed for understanding of the environmental laws and conservation of natural resources. • Renewable Resource-a resource that can be replaced relatively quickly by natural processes • Nonrenewable Resource-a resource that forms at a much slower rate than the rate at which it is consumed • Natural Resource-any natural material that is used by humans • Environmental costs and benefits-the pros and cons of how ones daily actions affect the environment • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act-it ensures that the EPA will monitor a cradle to grave approach to hazardous waste management • National Environmental Policy Act-Encourages a constructive and harmonious relationship between humans and their environment • Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act-requires registration of pesticides • Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act-Prohibits ocean dumping of wastes except with a permit at sites designated by the EPA • Safe Drinking Water Act-Requires the EPA to set limits for maximum allowable level of contaminates in public drinking water systems • Endangered Species Act-Prohibits federal action that jeopardizes the habitat of species in danger of extinction and prohibits the taking of such species by any person • Toxic substances Control Act-Mandate the EPa to review more than 50,000 existing chemicals and approximately 1000 new chemicals each year to identify and, as necessary to regulate their manufacture, sale, sue, and disposal to prevent “unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment”. D. Up to this point, students have read the chapters, listened to lecture, had class discussion, wrote a one page opinion paper, watched a YouTube clip on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, completed a worksheet, created brochures, and created a Public Awareness Campaign proposal for the Mayor. Using a variety of teaching strategies helps reach all students and reinforces the lesson’s concepts. 3 IV. Economic Standards and Student Learning Outcomes A. Objectives Upon completion of this chapter, students will be able to: • Know: o The government’s role in preserving natural resources and how to conserve them. o Positive and negative externalities. o Methods of how they can conserve natural resources. • Understand: o The importance of conservation and its’ impacts on natural resources o How positive and negative externalities affect their environmental behaviors o The environmental laws associated with natural resources and their civic responsibilities • Be Able To Do o Compare and contrast privately owned parks and publicly owned parks o Assess the pros and cons of the government’s role in conservation o Students will create a conservation plan of improvement for the local community. IV. Economic Standards and Student Learning Outcomes a. Students will understand the importance of conservation and its’ impacts on natural resources. b. Students will understand how positive and negative externalities affect their environmental behaviors. c. Students will understand the environmental laws associated with natural resources and their civic responsibilities. d. Students should know the government’s role in preserving natural resources and how to conserve them. e. Student should understand positive and negative externalities and how they relate to the environment. f. Students should know methods of how they can conserve natural resources. B. All of the CT’s, the EPF’s, and the SOL’s were covered by one or more of the activities. V. Instructional Process 1. Our “introductory hook” was the annual Town Cleanup Day. Any student participating received extra credit, which was approved by our principal. If your town does not have a formal cleanup day, you could organize one for a few hours on a Saturday. By making this an extra credit assignment, no student