Environmental Science: SOS Chapter 1 & Tragedy of the Commons
Name:____________________________________ Date:_________________
Introduction to Environmental Science
Chapter 1
Vocabulary List:
NGO
Environment
Environmental Science
Gifford Pinchot
Silent Spring
environmentalism
ecological footprint
extreme poverty
sustainable
conservation
utilitarian conservation
biocentric conservation
Tragedy of the Commons (activity)
Questions:
1. Who was Rachel Carson and what is she famous for?
2. List 4-5 Environmental Problems that the World Faces
3. What does Figure 1.9 mean? (p21)
4. Name 3-4 positive environmental changes that have occurred world-wide in the past 20 years or so.
5. www.redefiningprogress.org Use this website to calculate your ecological footprint. Explain your results
below. Do not print off the results – save paper and just explain below.
“What’s your Footprint? ”on Right Side – click on Ecological Footprint Quiz
Environmental Science: SOS Chapter 1 & Tragedy of the Commons
Name:____________________________________ Date:_________________
Student Data Sheets
FISH DATA TABLE
NAME OF LAKE: ___________________
Round One
Number of fish
in the lake [after
reproduction]
Number of fish
caught per person
Number of fish
caught per year
[by everyone]
Remaining Fish
Number of fish
caught per year
[by everyone]
Remaining Fish
YEAR ONE
YEAR TWO
YEAR THREE
YEAR FOUR
YEAR FIVE
TOTAL
Round 2
Number of fish
Number of
in the lake at the
caught per
beginning of the round
YEAR ONE
YEAR TWO
YEAR THREE
YEAR FOUR
YEAR FIVE
TOTAL
fish
person
Environmental Science: SOS Chapter 1 & Tragedy of the Commons
Name:____________________________________ Date:_________________
TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
Did anyone in your group take too many fish? How did that make you feel? Did everyone try to take as many as
possible? Why or Why not? Does society reward those with the “most”?
2.
Did anyone sacrifice the # of fish, for the good of the community? Why or why not? Does society ever reward that type
of person?
3.
In Game two... how did your strategy change, if at all? Does it make a difference to know what the rewards are?
4. Is it possible to maximize the number of fish caught/person AND the number of fish remaining in the pond at the same
time? Why or Why not?
5. Think of a local commons that you are familiar with. [parking lots, dorm social rooms, bathrooms, bookstalls, etc.] Do
similar situations arise? Explain. HOW might those problems be solved?
6. What are some natural resources that are common resources?
7.
What are the global commons? Are these being used wisely? Why or why not?
8. What can people do to use these resources most wisely?
Make Up: Google/Search Tragedy of the Commons
Environmental Science: SOS Chapter 1 & Tragedy of the Commons
Name:____________________________________ Date:_________________
Define:
Garret Hardin
Tragedy of the Commons: What is it? What is the Point or lesson?
Give an example of a “Tragedy of the Commons” in the Real World:
Make Up: Google/Search Tragedy of the Commons 1-2 page Report on Garret Hardin and the lesson of the Tragedy
of the Commons