Download Newspaper Assignment

Name: __________ Hr: ____
Global “Human Population Caused” Environmental
Problem Newspaper Article
Your task: Write a news article that describes an environmental problem. Explain and discuss a
scientific solution to your problem. This discussion should include the good or bad consequence of
that scientific solution on one of the following factors: moral, ethical, social, economic, political,
cultural, or environmental.
Logistics: You are writing for other high school students. Size 12 font (text). Normal print type. Title.
Topics:
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Climate Change
Coral reef destruction
Overfishing
Ozone Depletion
Water Supply
Deforestation
Monarch kill in Mexico
Acid rain
Smog
Invasive species
Waste disposal
The future of Fossil fuels
Sea level rise
Ocean acidification
Species extinction
Pollinator decline
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Coral bleaching
Renewable energy
Eutrophication
Habitat destruction
Air quality
Indoor air quality
Lead poisoning
Sick Building Syndrome
Oil Spills
Overgrazing
Monoculture
Land degradation
Soil conservation
Urban sprawl
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat destruction
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Nuclear power
High-level radioactive
waste management.
Water crisis
Light pollution
Noise pollution
Environmental impacts of
reservoirs
E-waste
Landfill
Element usage, cellphones
Topic of your choice
(teacher approval needed)
In your article, make certain to use scientific language. Do not simply define them. You should use at
least 12 of the following vocabulary terms in the body of your article.
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Population
Community
Autotroph
Heterotroph
Decomposer
food chain
food web
trophic level
evaporation
transpiration
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nutrient
nitrogen cycle
carbon cycle
climate
greenhouse
effect
biotic factor
abiotic factor
habitat
resource
20. predation
21. symbiosis
22. primary
succession
23. population
density
24. immigration
25. exponential
growth
26. logistic growth
27. carrying
capacity
28. limiting factor
29. age-structure
diagram
30. demographic
transition
IB Score
Criterion D: Reflecting on the impacts of
Science
Task Descriptor
District
Score
0
The student is able to, with limited success
1-2
Developing
Limited
Partial
3-4
Basic
Simple
Inconsistent
 Outline the ways in which science in
used to address a specific problem or
issue
 Outline the implications of using
science to solve a specific problem or
issue
 Apply scientific language to
communicate understanding but does
so with limited success
 Document sources with limited
success
The student is able to:
 Summarize the ways in which
science is used to address a
specific problem or issue.
 Describe the implications of using
science and its application to
solve a specific problem or issue,
interacting with a factor
 Sometimes apply scientific
language to communicate
understanding
 Sometimes document sources
correctly
The student is able to
5-6
Proficient
Consistent
Accurate
7-8
Excellent
Exceptional
Extended
 Describe the ways in which
science is applied and used to a
address a specific problem or
issue
 Discuss the implications of using
science and its application to
solve a specific problem or issue,
interacting with a factor
 Usually apply scientific language
to communicate understanding
clearly and precisely.
 Usually document sources
correctly
The student is able to:
 Explain the ways in which
science is applied and used to
address a specific problem or
issue
 Discuss and evaluate the
implications of using science
and its application to solve a
specific problem or issue,
interacting with a factor
 Consistently apply scientific
language to communicate
understanding clearly and
precisely
 Document sources completely
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Outline an environmental problem caused by human overpopulation.
Outline a scientific application that is used or could be used to solve your
environmental problem.
The scientific application is applied. The implications of the application
are somewhat included how that application interacts with a specific factor
listed in the directions.
Scientific language is not used consistently or accurately. Fewer than 5
terms from the list below are used accurately.
The student cites sources of information but does not use MLA style or
only uses one source.
1
Summarize an environmental problem caused by human overpopulation.
Summarize a scientific application that is used or could be used to solve your
environmental problem.
The scientific application is described. The implications of the application are
included about how that application interacts with a specific factor listed in the
directions.
2
Scientific language is used consistently and accurately. Between 6 and 7 of the
vocabulary terms listed below are included using this standard.
The student cites at least 2 sources of information using MLA style.
Describe and explain an environmental problem caused by human
overpopulation.
Describe a scientific application that is used or could be used to solve your
environmental problem.
3
The scientific application is discussed. The implications of the application are
included about how that application interacts with a specific factor listed in the
directions.
Scientific language is mostly used consistently and accurately. 8 of the
following vocabulary terms listed below are included using this standard.
The student mostly cites at least 3 sources of information using MLA style.
Clearly describe and explain an environmental problem caused by human
overpopulation.
Explain a scientific application that is used or could be used to solve your
environmental problem.
The scientific application is discussed and evaluated. The implications of the
application are included about how that application interacts with a specific
factor listed in the directions.
Scientific language is used consistently and accurately. Between 9 and 12 of
the following vocabulary terms are included using this standard.
Population, community, autotroph, heterotroph, decomposer, food chain, food
web, trophic level, evaporation, transpiration, nutrient, nitrogen cycle, carbon
cycle, climate, greenhouse effect, biotic factor, abiotic factor, habitat, resource,
predation, symbiosis, primary succession; population density, immigration,
exponential growth, logistic growth, carrying capacity, limiting factor, agestructure diagram, demographic transition.
The student fully cites at least 4 sources of information using MLA style.
4