Responding to concerns in a concerted way: exploring the role of WEACT in addressing environmental concerns in Harlem.

Materials:

• Chart paper
• Markers
• Digital cameras & batteries
• Projector
• Computer use with internet connection
• Notebooks
• Articles

Learning objectives:

Essential Questions:

• What are some of the visible environmental problems in the Harlem/Morningside neighborhood? What are some problems beneath the surface? How can we address these issues?

• What is WE ACT? What role does WE ACT play in addressing environmental issues in the community?

• What research should be done in order to understand environmental issues in Harlem and accurately organize steps towards change?

PART I: Photography brainstorm

What are some of the visible environmental problems in the Harlem/Morningside neighborhood? What are some problems beneath the surface? How can we address these issues?

I. Identifying “visible” v. “invisible” environmental problems.

a. Read the following scenarios: “I see that there is litter overflowing from garbage cans into the park where children play” and “Testing the Hudson River water in a science laboratory shows that there is a large amount of bacteria in the water, likely resulting from sewage overflow.”

b. Discuss: What are the differences between these two observations? Which problem is easier to identify? Why?

c. Break students into groups of three.

d. Give each group a piece of large chart paper, and model a 2-column chart on the board for “visible” and “invisible” environmental problems. Have students brainstorm problems that they think the Harlem/Morningside community faces that are clearly visible and that are more difficult to target.

e. Have each group present their brainstorm to the class, and compile full-group brainstorm encompassing all issues students thought of.

f. Discuss as students share: Why do these problems occur?/What is the source of the problem? (i.e., “the garbage cans are not emptied efficiently” or “the sewer systems are not designed to handle the amount of rainwater the city receives”).

II. Environmental issues expedition

a. In their small groups, students will be given digital cameras and led on a walk through Harlem/Morningside. Students should take pictures that represent the environmental issues that they noted in part I. Think: how might a picture represent an invisible problem? (i.e., a picture of a car’s exhaust might represent air pollution).

III. Environmental issues photo gallery

a. When students return, we will project each group’s pictures so that the full group can see them.

b. Discuss:

i. What types of issues they represent?

ii. What was easier to photograph, visible or invisible environmental issues? Why?

iii. Why is it important to dig beneath the surface to find issues that exist that may not be visible to the naked eye?

c. Print out photos after lesson to display alongside brainstorm charts.

PART II: Article research on issues

I. Students in small groups, students will be given articles to read focusing on areas of environmental concern in Harlem/Morningside, and will be asked to think about the following:

a. What is the problem?

b. What is causing the problem?

c. How does the problem affect humans living in the area?

d. What is being done to address it?

e. What more could be done to address it?

f. What questions do you still have after reading this article?

II. Students should find a way to represent the article in poster format, creating a presentation that answers the questions above and educates viewers about the problem.

PART III: What is WEACT? What are they doing to address these problems?

I. Using the internet, students should visit www.weact.org and research what WEACT does to address the issue of concern that students read about. Students should respond to the following:

a. What community members are part of the WEACT response to your problem?

b. What are these people doing to help?

c. When did this problem begin, when did response to it by WEACT begin, when will a difference be seen?

d. Where does this problem take place?

e. Why should WEACT be concerned with this problem?

f. What additional questions do you have for WEACT in response to this problem?

II. Students should create a second poster detailing their answers to these questions after researching through WEACT. Note: Not all questions may be possible to answer.

III. Share with group - create a large list of the 5 W’s in relationship to WEACT - Who is involved? What do they do? Where? When? Why?

IV. Extension activity A: Imagine you’ve just been hired by WEACT - design a project that would fit with WEACT’s philosophy that addresses one of the problems that you found during your environmental issues expedition. Write up a report including who would be involved to fix the problem, what might be proposed as a solution, when this should occur, where, and why.

V. Extension activity B: Consider the problems you’ve found in the community and your solution created as a project of WEACT. How might engineers help to work towards a solution? Brainstorm a list of projects that might be possible for engineers to create in response to your problem.

PART IV: Listening/Questioning Activity – to develop active listening skills and interviewing techniques, to develop follow-up questions.

1. Students listen to a news story (e.g. story on NPR about environmental issue) as if they were going to tell someone else about it and take notes on what they feel are the important points.

2. From this, what are the “holes” in the story? What do students want to know more about? What confuses them or what more clarification do they need? Students write these things down.

3. Students form questions using prompts: What questions would you ask to get the additional information that you need?

Give students follow-up question prompts: “Tell me more about…”, “Could you give an example of…?” “Here is what I think you’ve said: … Is this accurate?”

  PART V: Preparing for Community Partner Interview: STARS are interviewing community partner WE ACT in order to understand what they do and to become active partners. STARS will need to be able to use their active listening skills to develop follow up questions.

1. ACTIVITY: Chart Brainstorm: In working with WE ACT to help address environmental issues in our community, what do we need to know? (e.g. what WE ACT does, who works at WE ACT, who does WE ACT work with, how do they work with the community, how do they get funding, environmental issues in Harlem, how can STARS support WE ACT, etc).

James will answer some of these questions in his presentation, but the STARS will need to gather and understand more information in order to get to know WE ACT and then become active partners.

2. STARS can develop a checklist of information they are looking for and what is important to know. STARS organize checklist under topic areas. Checklist is typed up and given to STARS for community partner interview.

3. Note takers can be appointed for certain topics. During the interview, students record the key information as provided by James. If issues have not been addressed in the presentation on those topics, students can develop follow up questions to ask during interview.

POST INTERVIEW ACTIVITY: After the interview, students will use the information they have gained to write a profile of the organization that could be used to educate other students, parents, and teachers about what WE ACT does.

POST INTERVIEW ACTIVITY: Students can also determine what additional research/information they may need to understand environmental issues as they relate to Harlem. They can keep a list and STARS can be assigned to do issue briefings to their other STARS.