Environment Unit

Name: Nicole Maglio Grade: 6

Lesson Title: Its time to become an agent of change! Time: 55 Minutes
Curriculum Connections
Curriculum Area: Religion Curriculum Area: Drama
.
ML3: Demonstrate an understanding of the important personal B1.1 Engage actively in drama
responsibility that each person has to form their moral conscience exploration and role-play, with a focus on
as a sign of Christian maturity and a commitment to the call to identifying and examining a range of
holiness. [CCC nos. 1730-1775; 1776-1802; 1929-1933]).
issues, themes and ideas.
ML1.2: Explain through example, how Gods gift of human reason
B1.2 Demonstrate an understanding of
promotes human dignity (reason and conscience i.e. natural law,
work together to help us discern what is good and what is evil) and the elements of role to establish a
identify ways we can use reason to participate in the wisdom and dramatic context.
goodness of Creation (i.e. care of the created universe, natural and
human sciences, human development and building of communities, B1.3 Plan and shape the direction of the
etc.). [CCC nos. 1954-1960]). role-play by introducing new perspectives
and ideas.
ML2.2: With reference to the Churchs moral teachings, define the
meaning of conscience Curriculum Area: Social Studies
(see: Lumen Gentium, no. 16) and the process of conscience
formation and explain using
examples how an informed conscience can be helped when making
good moral decisions B1.3 Explain why some environmental
(to judge and act with knowledge). [CCC nos. 1776-1802] issues are of international importance
and require the participation of other
Curriculum Area: Environmental Studies
regions of the world along with that of
1 assess human impacts on biodiversity, and identify ways of Canada.
preserving biodiversity

1.1 analyze a local issue related to biodiversity (e.g., the effects of

human activities on urban biodiversity, flooding of traditional
Aboriginal hunting and gathering areas as a result of dam
construction), taking different points of view into consideration (e.g.,
the points of view of members of the local community, business
owners, people concerned about the environment, mine owners,
local First Nations, Mtis, Inuit)

Success Criteria:
Students will be successful when:

They can identify both concerns and solutions for both global issues as well as smaller issues in their
school community.
They can accurately play the role of a government official and convey a message about the importance
of saving the environment.
They can use gestures, words and movement to role-play a specific character.
They can reflect on the ways in which their environmental decisions impact the world, and how they can
make a change.

Blooms Taxonomy Multiple Intelligences:
Remembering/Knowledge Spatial/Visual
Understanding/Comprehension Linguistic/Verbal
Applying/Application Musical
Analyzing/Analysis Interpersonal
Evaluating/Synthesis Intrapersonal
Creating/Evaluating Logical/Mathematical
Bodily Kinesthetic
Naturalist
Equity, Social Justice, Anti-Oppression Education Framework:
In this lesson students will take a step back from their school community and look at the
environmental issues that affect Canada as a nation. Students will learn that even though they are
individual students, they have the potential and responsibility as children of God to influence others to
try and make a positive change. This will hopefully have some sort of domino effect where one student
strives to make a difference other people will follow in their footsteps.

Prior Knowledge/Connecting with Students

Show students news reports on environmental issues worldwide and local. Most of these issues
students may have heard of before through media, at school, or within their own homes.

Time: 5 Minutes
Materials and Resources:
News clips (YouTube)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M-B1_abhhc
Smart board/ blackboard (for T chart)
chrome books
student journals

Assessment: Minds On
What are you looking/listening for? What assessment tools and strategies are you going to use? Select the type of
assessment appropriate for this section of the lesson.
q Assessment FOR Learning q Assessment AS Learning q Assessment OF Learning
Diagnostic (oral) assessment to
determine what students know
about the environment prior to
commencing the unit.
Minds On: Activating Prior Knowledge
The teacher will begin the lesson by asking the students probing questions such as What are
your concerns about the environment? The teacher will then begin creating a T-chart on the
board with the headings Concerns and Solutions. For example, a concern for the earth
could be global warming and a solution can be to reduce CO2 emissions by walking more
often or carpooling. The probing question could include, Why should Canada be involved
with global environmental issues? Next the students will talk about environmental issues
within their school community. The teacher will create another T-chart where one of the
concerns could be wasting electrical energy and a solution could be to turn off lights when
students are not in the classroom. The probing question here would be, Why should students
and staff be involved with school issues? and If the Earth is a gift from God, what is our
responsibility as children of God?

Time: 10 Minutes
Assessment: Action

What are you looking/listening for? What assessment tools and strategies are you going to use? Select the type of
assessment appropriate for this section of the lesson.
q Assessment FOR Learning q Assessment AS Learning q Assessment OF Learning
Circulate classroom to assess
progress during lesson, students
are choosing relevant concerns
and coming up with relevant
solutions as agents of change.
Action
The goal for our students in this lesson is to become agents of change. We want to
encourage our students that even their small actions can have a positive impact on many
people. To incorporate drama in this lesson, each day a new student will be elected as the
new Minister of Environment and Climate Change. This activity will focus on the element of
drama, role/character. Students will consider the life as a new character using gestures,
movement, and ideas to convey messages. This Minister will be in charge of proposing a new
law that the students must abide by for one day in an attempt to reduce our ecological
footprint in the classroom and create a stronger moral conscience. The teacher will begin
modeling this with the example of having to work in darkness for the day, only working with
the natural light emitted into the classroom. Other examples may include packing a littler less
lunch to reduce generating garbage or not using the classroom sink to limit the amount of
water consumption.

Students will then have some time to research (using chrome books) what law they would
eventually like to put into effect. Students will be able to sign up for a day where they will be
the new Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Each student is responsible for signing
up for a day and creating their own unique law.

Time: 25 Minutes

Differentiated Instruction

Identify how you will differentiate this lesson to meet the needs of all learners.
Learning Environment Content Process Product
Allowing some Give students More time given to Shorter reflection
students to work ideas they can students to choose Student may
together choose from if topic/ date they will present feelings to
they are having a be elected. class as opposed
hard time coming Scribe for to reflection
up with something. reflection
What accommodations and/or modifications will you make:
Peer tutoring
Increased time
Decreased workload
Visual aids/Graphic Organizers/Manipulatives
Different mode of response (oral or dramatic explanation, drawing)
Technology
Direct support (Teacher, assistant)
Other
Assessment: Consolidation and Connection
What are you looking/listening for? What assessment tools and strategies are you going to use? Select the type
of assessment appropriate for this section of the lesson.

 q Assessment FOR Learning q Assessment AS Learning q Assessment OF Learning
Students will complete a
reflection journal in their
student journals. Students
can volunteer to share their
ideas and feelings this way
the teacher will have some
indication as to what the
students gained from this
activity.
Consolidation and Connection
To wrap up this lesson the students will be responsible to complete a reflection entry as an
exit card in their student journals. The students can write about their feelings knowing that
they will be making a difference in their school community, they can write about the
messages that their actions are sending to other people, how they are demonstrating a
personal responsibility for our earth, or how they are growing as Catholics through forming a
stronger moral conscience. Students will then complete part 2 of this reflection once they
have been elected as ministers of change, this second reflection will allow them to assess
themselves.

Time: 15 minutes
Next Steps
Going in depth on environmental issues
Getting into role as Ministers of change

1. The lesson to which I have chosen to expand on would be my lesson on Agents of

Change. This lesson was of great success and fits under the expectation of environmental
ethics. It is a cross curricular lesson to be completed in a grade 6 classroom. The lesson is
based on Science, Drama, Religion, and Environmental Curriculum, allowing for the lesson to
better resonate with students as discussed in previous Modules. I have presented in my lesson
plan the exact curriculum expectations, however I will expand on the Religious connections. I
feel as though this lesson focused on the area of Living A Moral Life, as this lesson highlights
our responsibility as members of the Catholic community to maintain and preserve our Earth
which was a gift from God. (ML3: Demonstrate an understanding of the important personal
responsibility that each person has to form their moral conscience as a sign of Christian maturity
and a commitment to the call to holiness. [CCC nos. 1730-1775; 1776-1802; 1929-1933]).
Students both learn and treasure the creation of God which exists on earth and come up with
ways to preserve them, and lead a simpler more gracious life. (ML1.2: Explain through example,
how Gods gift of human reason promotes human dignity (reason and conscience i.e. natural
law, work together to help us discern what is good and what is evil) and identify ways we can
use reason to participate in the wisdom and goodness of Creation (i.e. care of the created
universe, natural and human sciences, human development and building of communities, etc.).
[CCC nos. 1954-1960]). As students take part in this activity, through the actions of our Catholic
classroom community they will develop a conscience towards environmental issues. (ML2.2:
With reference to the Churchs moral teachings, define the meaning of conscience (see: Lumen
Gentium, no. 16) and the process of conscience formation and explain using examples how an

informed conscience can be helped when making good moral decisions (to judge and act with
knowledge). [CCC nos. 1776-1802]). I feel as though those areas within the Religion curriculum
allow for a deeper exploration of the the topic of environmental ethics, while also allowing
students to integrate faith into their daily lives.

2. In reviewing the Key Principles of Catholic Social Teaching I felt as though many of the
principles fit with the lesson. However, I would choose to focus on the Rights and
Responsibilities, Stewardship of Creation and Participation. Rights and Responsibilities,
promotes notions of community, protection and equality. This lesson, informs students of the
environmental issues that subordinate the poor and destroy our planet. In understanding the
subordination students promote the right to health for all regardless of where one lives. This is
done through the protection of the earth, as children of God where we are called to protect not
only Earth but all those who reside there. Stewardship of Creation focuses on the ways in which
we acknowledge the Earth as a gift from God and must treat it as such. Through doing so, we
show respect for the Earth to which God has created and gifted to us. The final Social Principle
to which I would like to emphasize is Participation. This assignment teaches students that all of
us have a right and duty as a Catholic to particiupate in the community. Through this activity
students will see how their participation can make a difference and how they can spark change
in the classroom community and perhaps build on this at home or within larger school or
community contexts. This assignment touches on many of the principles , however I feel
through addressing three this will resonate with students more effectively.

3. *Included in the above lesson plan*