Introduction
This project begins with recognizing the severity of the environmental pollution we face every day and raising our voices to solve it.
Today, environmental pollution is not just a natural phenomenon but a direct threat to our survival. Respiratory diseases from fine dust, ecosystem destruction from marine debris, and extreme weather are already threatening our daily lives. We must know exactly what kinds of pollution we are exposed to and their root causes to take the first step toward solving and preventing them.
It is not enough to simply know the problem. The process of writing about it is crucial. Through writing, we can logically organize the scattered problems and solutions in our minds. Moreover, the essay you write becomes a powerful tool of persuasion to inform others about the severity of environmental issues and urge them to take action.
Task
Students will recognize the severity of environmental pollution through the materials provided by the teacher.
Watching the YouTube Video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqHp03RRTDs )
After watching the video, students will be able to identify the different types of environmental pollution.
Students will upload their thoughts and reflections to Padlet after watching the video. Through this activity, students can share their opinions with one another and brainstorm topics for their essays.
Process
Step 1. Teacher's Introduction:
The teacher gives a brief overview of the current global environmental pollution situation. This is a time to motivate the class on why we are starting this activity and what mindset we should have.
Step 2. Brainstorming (Video & Padlet):
Click the provided YouTube link and watch attentively. Through this, you will learn about the types and severity of pollution, such as water, air, and soil pollution.After watching the video, write down your thoughts and what you consider the most serious pollution problem on a Padlet board. Afterward, the teacher will briefly read your opinions aloud. This allows everyone to share diverse perspectives and thoughts with one another.
Step 3. Exploration and Feedback:
Choose one specific area of environmental pollution you are most interested in and research ways to solve it. You will have time to discuss your topic with the teacher and receive feedback. If you struggle to pick a topic, the teacher will have a 1:1 discussion with you to help guide your direction.
Step 4. Drafting:
Decide on an environmental topic you are interested in, research it, and outline the structure of your 3-paragraph essay to write the draft.
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Introduction: State the current status of the environmental issue and the purpose of your essay.
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Body: Present your Main Idea for solving the problem and clearly describe two Supporting Details to back it up.
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Conclusion: Summarize the body paragraph and conclude with a strong resolution or call to action.
Step 5. Teacher's Feedback:
The teacher will provide careful, first-round feedback on your submitted draft. Based on the rubric, your essay will be checked for logical validity, structural organization, vocabulary variety, and grammatical accuracy.
Step 6. Revising & Finalizing:
Carefully review the teacher's feedback and revise the pointed-out areas. Proofread your essay to see if there are any awkward sentences, and then submit your final version.
Step 7. Writing a Self-Reflection:
Use the provided form to look back on the activity. Honestly record any new realizations from your research, moments where you lacked vocabulary or got stuck on ideas, and the efforts you made like asking the teacher or doing extra research to overcome those hurdles.
Step 8. Final Presentation & Sharing :
After completing your self-reflection journal, we will have a time to present and share your journey with the class.
What to present:
The specific environmental pollution you considered most important.
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Your thoughts and feelings while researching the issue.
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The concrete solutions you proposed.
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What you learned and how you have grown through this project.
Students’ speaking skills or English fluency during the presentation will not be graded. However, your participation and attitude (both as a speaker and an active listener) will be included in your participation score.
The main focus of this presentation is not on perfect public speaking, but on sharing the environmental issues you value with your classmates. By doing this, we can learn about various practical action plans together. Through this shared experience, you can freely express your opinions and collaborate with your peers to discover even better solutions and feedback.
Evaluation
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Excellent (5 points) |
Good (3 points) |
Fail (2 points) |
|
|
Logical Thinking |
Outstanding logical flow. The Main Idea perfectly aligns with the topic, and the 2 Supporting Details are highly specific and valid. |
Average logical flow. The Main Idea aligns with the topic, but one of the Supporting Details is somewhat weak or lacks validity. |
Poor logical flow. The Main Idea is unclear or off-topic, and Supporting Details are either missing or invalid. |
|
Fluency & Accuracy |
Uses a very diverse and rich vocabulary. High grammatical accuracy demonstrates an excellent understanding of sentence structure. |
Uses relatively diverse vocabulary but with some repetition. A few grammatical errors exist, but they do not hinder the overall meaning. |
Repeatedly uses limited and simple words. Frequent grammatical errors make it difficult to understand the structure and meaning. |
|
Participation |
Strictly adheres to deadlines for both the draft and final essay. Highly active and positive attitude in Padlet sharing and accepting feedback. |
Generally meets deadlines. Participated in activities, but shows somewhat insufficient effort in reflecting the teacher's feedback in the final draft. |
Fails to meet deadlines. Low participation in activities like Padlet, and rejects feedback or shows insincerity during the revision process. |
|
Information Accuracy |
The information presented about the environmental issue and solutions is completely accurate, well-researched, and based on reliable facts. |
The information is mostly accurate but contains minor factual errors or lacks deep research in some parts. |
The information is frequently inaccurate, lacks proper research, or is based on unreliable facts. |
Conclusion
As we wrap up this WebQuest activity, students will gain the following valuable experiences and skills. First, you will develop a sense of responsibility and proper awareness of the environment by deeply exploring pollution issues that threaten our lives. Second, you will significantly improve your logical writing skills by structuring your thoughts into an Introduction-Body-Conclusion format and expressing them persuasively with valid supporting details. Third, through the process of researching independently, facing limitations, and improving through teacher feedback, you will cultivate true 'self-directed learning' and metacognitive (self-reflective) skills.
Credits
Video
1. Learn about Pollution | Environment Defilement | Cartoon
Thesis
1. https://www.dbpia.co.kr/journal/articleDetail?nodeId=NODE07212031 [유아의 자연친화적 환경교육 프로그램이 환경오염 예방과 실천 태도에 미치는 영향, 강영식, 2012]
2. https://share.google/hQgNv39NFEoKolbs7 [세종특별자치시환경교육센터 - 환경교육 목적과 목표]
3. https://www.dbpia.co.kr/journal/detail?nodeId=T17114629 [환경교육을 위한 초등 PBL 수업모형, 박근혜, 2024]
Articles
1. https://if-blog.tistory.com/12353 [교육부 공식 블로그:티스토리]
2. https://youtu.be/ntjtT1fuXj4?si=Zb6L5rUPFcQEJEHx [YTN 사이언스 투데이 - 학교 밖 친환경 교육..."학생 때부터 체계적으로"]
3. https://share.google/v894S5k1VXEMibAdO [환경일보 - 입시교육과 환경교육··· 무엇이 먼저인가?]
4. https://www.jbnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1371413 [중부매일 - 미래세대를 위해 환경교육은 선택이 아닌 필수]
5. https://www.newspenguin.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=11011 [뉴스펭귄-'지구를 살릴 거예요' 환경교육 실천하는 아이들]
Teacher Page
The Middle School 2nd year is a critical period when the ability to logically structure thoughts develops explosively. Having them write an essay on a global and timely topic like 'environmental pollution' is absolutely necessary to foster their critical thinking skills and establish their agency regarding social issues. Through process-based writing, students experience actual improvement in their writing skills via the draft - feedback - revision cycle, rather than obsessing only over the final product. By writing a Self-reflection, students develop metacognition, the ability to objectively review their own learning limitations and the efforts they made to overcome them. Also, active interaction through 1:1 discussions and Padlet sharing improves communication skills with both the teacher and peers.
If a topic is too broad for a middle schooler to solve, they might easily give up on writing. When a student struggles to pick a topic, the teacher must intervene and narrow it down to specific, actionable cases in daily life (e.g., plastic waste in the school cafeteria, pollution in the local river).
If a topic is too broad for a middle schooler to solve, they might easily give up on writing. When a student struggles to pick a topic, the teacher must intervene and narrow it down to specific, actionable cases in daily life (e.g., plastic waste in the school cafeteria, pollution in the local river).
For students who are afraid of writing, it is crucial to instill confidence by emphasizing that "our writing can change the world," rather than making them focus heavily on grading.