Human Impact Project

Purpose

Content
Expectation
Assessed
Students
will:

Task

Students will identify and build a persuasive project showing their personal
impact on the planet and ways in which we can improve life here on earth
given the available resources. Activities will build up to an Earth Day
Celebration and school community service.
I can explain how human activities (surface mining, deforestation,
overpopulation, construction and urban development, farming, dams,
landfills, and restoring natural areas) change the surface of the Earth and
affect the survival or organisms (E.ES.07.41).
I can describe the origins of pollution in the atmosphere, geosphere, and
hydrosphere (car exhaust, industrial emissions, acid rain, and natural
sources) and how pollution impacts habitats, climatic change, threatens or
endangers species (E.ES.07.42).
Imagine that you are in charge of creating a new informative and courageous
plan to save our planet from eminent doom. You need to create an ad
campaign to inform people how their habits are impacting the world around
them. Your job is not only to educate them, but also to persuade them to
Change their habits to benefit the planet and preserve life.
Required Elements: Must use the vocabulary from this unit and create a tool
to use to review vocab
Must list 4 pieces of evidence to support the Human Impact on EACH Sphere
The product can come in many forms examples are:

Project
Choices

Requirement
s

Website
Prezi / Powerpoint
Flyer
Screen Cast
Pod Cast
Video
Create a Student Survey on Human Impact
Create a Project Rubric with a fully completed Project as an example
Fake Facebook Page
Create a Cartoon
Write a Song
School Recycling Project/ Green Garden
Create a Formal Unit Test with a study guide and answer keys.
Design and get teacher approval for your own project idea

Support your argument with relevant background information about each

sphere and the Human Impact on our planet
Use at least 4 pieces of evidence from each of the 4 spheres (16 total)
Each sphere must have data constructed by the group and represented
by a graph, table or chart.
Be sure to give credit to your informational sources
Follow the rubric below

Scor
e
4

Purpose/Focus

claim is clearly
stated, focused
and strongly
maintained
alternate or
opposing claims
are clearly
addressed
claim is
introduced and
communicated
clearly within the
context
claim is clear and
for the most part
maintained,
though some
loosely related
material may be
present
alternate or
opposing claims
are described
context provided
for the claim is
adequate
may be clearly
focused on the
claim but is
insufficiently
sustained
alternate or
opposing claims
may not be
addressed or
described
claim on the
issue may be
somewhat
unclear and
unfocused
may be very brief
alternate or
opposing claims
may not be
identified
claim may be
confusing

Organizatio
n

Elaboration
of Evidence

Presentation

logical
progressio
n of ideas
from
beginning
to end
effective
introductio
n and
conclusion

The project
provides 4 or
more pieces of
thorough and
convincing
support/eviden
ce for the claim
that includes
the effective
use of sources,
facts, and
details.

adequate
progressio
n of ideas
from
beginning
to end
adequate
introductio
n and
conclusion

The project
provides 3 or 4
pieces of
adequate
support/eviden
ce for the claim
that includes
the use of
sources, facts,
and details.

uneven
progressio
n of ideas
from
beginning
to end
conclusion
and
introductio
n, if
present,
are weak

The project
provides 2 to 3
pieces of
uneven,
superficial
support/eviden
ce for the claim
that includes
partial or
uneven use of
sources, facts,
and details,
and achieves
little depth.

few or no
transitiona
l
strategies
are
evident
frequent
unconnect
ed ideas

The project
provides
minimal
support/eviden
ce for the claim
that includes
little or no use
of sources,
facts, and
details.

Vocabulary,
graphics,
sound, video
enhance
understanding
of concept,
ideas and
relationships.
Effective and
consistent use
of punctuation,
capitalization,
and spelling
Vocabulary,
graphics,
sound, video
assist
understanding
of concept,
ideas and
relationships.
Adequate use
of punctuation,
capitalization,
and spelling
Some
vocabulary,
graphics,
sound, video
are unrelated to
the topic/theme
and do not
enhance the
overall
concepts.
Inconsistent
use of
punctuation,
capitalization,
and spelling
Vocabulary,
graphics,
sound, video
distract from
the topic/theme
Errors are
frequent and
severe and
meaning is
often obscure

An explanation gets no credit if it provides no evidence of the ability

to evaluate the impact of Humans on our planet.

Score

Purpose/Focus

claim is clear and for the most part

maintained, though some loosely
related material may be present
alternate or opposing claims are
described
context provided for the claim is
adequate

may be clearly focused on the claim

but is insufficiently sustained
alternate or opposing claims may not
be addressed or described
claim on the issue may be somewhat
unclear and unfocused
may be very brief
alternate or opposing claims may not
be identified
claim may be confusing

Purpose/Focus

claim is clearly stated, focused and

strongly maintained
alternate or opposing claims are
clearly addressed
claim is introduced and communicated
clearly within the context

Elaboration of
Evidence

Presentation

logical progression of
ideas from beginning to
end
effective introduction
and conclusion

The project provides 4 or more

pieces of thorough and convincing
support/evidence for the claim
that includes the effective use of
sources, facts, and details.

adequate progression of
ideas from beginning to
end
adequate introduction
and conclusion

The project provides 3 or 4 pieces

of adequate support/evidence for
the claim that includes the use of
sources, facts, and details.

uneven progression of
ideas from beginning to
end
conclusion and
introduction, if present,
are weak
few or no transitional
strategies are evident
frequent unconnected
ideas

The project provides 2 to 3 pieces

of uneven, superficial
support/evidence for the claim
that includes partial or uneven
use of sources, facts, and details,
and achieves little depth.

The project provides minimal

support/evidence for the claim
that includes little or no use of
sources, facts, and details.

Vocabulary, graphics, sound, video

enhance understanding of concept,
ideas and relationships.
Effective and consistent use of
punctuation, capitalization, and
spelling

Vocabulary, graphics, sound, video

assist understanding of concept,
ideas and relationships.
Adequate use of punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling

Some vocabulary, graphics, sound,

video are unrelated to the
topic/theme and do not enhance
the overall concepts.
Inconsistent use of punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling
Vocabulary, graphics, sound, video
distract from the topic/theme
Errors are frequent and severe and
meaning is often obscure

An explanation gets no credit if it provides no evidence of the ability to evaluate the impact of Humans on our planet.

Score
4

Organization

Organization

claim is clearly stated, focused and

strongly maintained
alternate or opposing claims are
clearly addressed
claim is introduced and communicated
clearly within the context

claim is clear and for the most part

maintained, though some loosely
related material may be present
alternate or opposing claims are
described
context provided for the claim is
adequate

may be clearly focused on the claim

but is insufficiently sustained
alternate or opposing claims may not
be addressed or described
claim on the issue may be somewhat
unclear and unfocused

Elaboration of
Evidence

Presentation

logical progression of
ideas from beginning to
end
effective introduction
and conclusion

The project provides 4 or more

pieces of thorough and convincing
support/evidence for the claim
that includes the effective use of
sources, facts, and details.

adequate progression of
ideas from beginning to
end
adequate introduction
and conclusion

The project provides 3 or 4 pieces

of adequate support/evidence for
the claim that includes the use of
sources, facts, and details.

uneven progression of
ideas from beginning to
end
conclusion and
introduction, if present,
are weak

The project provides 2 to 3 pieces

of uneven, superficial
support/evidence for the claim
that includes partial or uneven
use of sources, facts, and details,
and achieves little depth.

Vocabulary, graphics, sound, video

enhance understanding of concept,
ideas and relationships.
Effective and consistent use of
punctuation, capitalization, and
spelling

Vocabulary, graphics, sound, video

assist understanding of concept,
ideas and relationships.
Adequate use of punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling

Some vocabulary, graphics, sound,

video are unrelated to the
topic/theme and do not enhance
the overall concepts.
Inconsistent use of punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling

may be very brief

alternate or opposing claims may not
be identified
claim may be confusing

few or no transitional
strategies are evident
frequent unconnected
ideas

The project provides minimal

support/evidence for the claim
that includes little or no use of
sources, facts, and details.

An explanation gets no credit if it provides no evidence of the ability to evaluate the impact of Humans on our planet.

Vocabulary, graphics, sound, video

distract from the topic/theme
Errors are frequent and severe and
meaning is often obscure