Acid Rain & the Adirondacks: A Chemical Perspective

With a partner (team of two), examine several examples of political advocacy media that environmental
groups have used to raise public awareness of environmental issues or to persuade politicians to take
a specific course of action regarding those issues. Discuss the question:

What are the characteristics of an effective advocacy message regarding an important environmental
issue?

Reach your own conclusions regarding these characteristics and then discuss them with your classmates.
Create a list of the characteristics to which you all agree. This list will serve as part of your Product
Quality Criteria for this challenge.

CHALLENGE: Working as a team, think of a local newspaper, a local politician, or a local organization
as a potential audience for your product. The team is to compose a letter and create a complimentary pamphlet to send to their selected audience. This should be designed to be mailed out (it is optional), so they are to be serious and professional. Each partner will get their own individual grade for what they produce.

Quality Standards:
  • Communicates in a way that is informative - contains at least 10 facts or pieces of information about acid rain that are scientifically verifiable.
  • Communicates in a way that is persuasive - expresses an opinion that is supported by convincing evidence or argument.
  • Conforms to the criteria for a “Quality Advocacy Message” set in class.
  • Your credentials are included.
  • Text is well written and basically free of spelling and grammatical errors.
  • Includes illustrations, graphs, or diagrams that are factually correct.
  • Specific law, policy, or ordinance is cited, if possible
  • Calls for a specific action to take place.
  • Research and computer lab time is used efficiently.
  • Challenge completed on time.
  • Both co-authors can respond to questions and defend choices regarding content/form of medium adequately.
You will be given 2 days in the computer lab to access the Internet as you research acid rain and its impact and have access to various software applications should you choose to use them.

Your final products are due fully completed and ready for presentation __________. Both co-authors should be prepared to respond to questions and defend your choices regarding any aspect of the work.

Related Resources
   Product Quality
Checklist
Date: ________                                                                     Class Period: ________
Product Author(s):

 
 Product Title/Name:
Acid Rain
Evaluator Name(s)
 
 Observed Standard/Criteria
Possible
Points
Rating
   Pamphlet
    
 
Contains 10 Facts about Acid Rain
 25
  
 
Includes at least self-created 1 visual element: picture, cartoon, diagram, graph, etc. (hand or computer drawn)
 25
  
 
Creative & attractive with image or design on the cover
  15
  

A paragraph that explains how writing to Congress or a newspaper could be helpful
 15

Appropriate format, basically free of spelling and/or grammatical errors 
10

 Letter
 		   

Includes correct and specific details about how Acid Rain affects you and others
 25

Addresses specific law or policy & expresses opinion
 25

Requests a specific action be taken
 15

Includes your "credentials"
 15

Correct letter format, basically free of spelling and/or grammatical errors
 10

 


 Project completed and handed in on time.
 10

 Bonus: actually mailed pamphlets and letters
 5




 
TOTALS
  100  

Comments: nf Northern Forest Partnership.