European Commission's funded project
„Education for Social Justice”
LESSON PLAN / DESCRIPTION
Within the framework of the project “Education for Social Justice”
Author: Mundis Sebris
Lesson topic: oxides, their impact on the environment
Objective of the lesson: foster understanding about the impact of gaseous oxides on the air
quality.
Duration: 40 min
The recommended age and the link to other study subjects: chemistry for 10th grade.
Required materials: overhead projector.
Course of the lesson:
Time
5 min.
Teacher’s activities
Student’s activities
The students play a role play.
The students set up a
Situation description.
cabinet for a court
The City Council has ordered coal as hearing.
fuel in order to ensure 14 000 000 MJ
of thermal energy per year. Other
competition applicants have filed a
court claim stating that the fuel has
been chosen unreasonably both
according to the feasibility study and
to the environmental impact. A part of
the residents are in favour of using
coal, because it is more favourable
financially, but the rest are against it
as they worry about the air quality in
the city.
In the previous lesson, the students
were assigned the following roles.
Required materials
Judge
Court secretary
A specialist in fuel gas treatment
technologies
State
Environmental
Service
expert in air monitoring
A tenderer for coal supply
A tenderer for natural gas supply
A tenderer for peat supply
A tenderer for wood supply
A tenderer for municipal waste
supply
3 residents, who prefer cheaper
fuel
3 residents who care most for air
quality
1
European Commission's funded project
„Education for Social Justice”
A journalist and an operator
20 min.
The teacher evaluates the students’
prepared presentations and how their
opinion is substantiated.
10 min.
The teacher evaluates the students’
prepared presentations and how their
opinion is substantiated.
5 min
The teacher assesses objectivity of
the judge’s decision.
The judge opens the Overhead projector
court hearing. The
tenderers are given
floor. Each tenderer
has 4 minutes.
The residents have their Overhead projector
say, explaining their
opinion about the impact
of fuel on the
environment.
The judge, with the
expert assistance
informs about the court
decision.
The teacher’s remarks on the progress of the class:
During the previous lesson, must make sure that the students have prepared their presentations
Criteria for getting the roles in the court hearing:
Maximum points for each role – 5 points.
Judge
1 point – 150 word summary prepared about the impact of fuel (firewood, coal, natural gas, and
municipal waste) on air quality;
1 point – hears out all stakeholders at the court hearing;
3 points – makes an objective decision.
Court secretary
5 points – recorded court hearing.
Expert in fuel gas treatment technologies
3 points – a 300 word summary about fuel gas treatment technologies
2 points – well-reasoned opinion
State Environmental Service expert in air monitoring
3 points – a 300 word summary on air monitoring in Latvia;
2 points – well-reasoned opinion
Tenderer for coal supply
1 point – a summary on the advantages of coal and on disadvantages of other fuel types (natural
gas, municipal waste, peat, and wood). 100 words.
2 points – a presentation of 5 slides, 4 min;
1 points – answers to journalist’s questions.
Tenderer for natural gas supply
1 point –a summary on the advantages of natural gas and on disadvantages of other fuel types
(coal, municipal waste, peat, and wood). 100 words;
2 points – a presentation of 5 slides, 4 min;
1 point – answers to journalist’s questions. 100 words
Tenderer for peat supply
1 point – a summary on the advantages of peat and on disadvantages of other fuel types (coal,
natural gas, municipal waste, and wood). 100 words.
2 points – a presentation of 5 slides, 4 min;
1 point – answers the journalist’s questions.
Tenderer for wood supply
2
European Commission's funded project
„Education for Social Justice”
1 point – a summary on the advantages of wood and on disadvantages of other fuel types (coal,
natural gas, municipal waste, and peat). 100 words.
2 points – a presentation of 5 slides, 4 min;
1 point – answers the journalist’s questions.
Tenderer for municipal waste supply
1 point – a summary on the advantages of municipal waste and on disadvantages of other fuel
types (coal, natural gas, peat, and wood). 100 words.
2 points – a presentation of 5 slides, 4 min;
1 point – answers the journalist’s questions.
3 residents, who prefer the cheaper fuel
2 points – 200 word summary about the fuel prices
3 points – well-reasoned opinion
3 residents, who care the most about air quality
2 points - 200 word summary about the health impact of oxides
Journalist and operator
3 points – questions prepared for the tenderers and residents
2 points – interviews
Fig. 1. A student’s created poster for the court hearing
[Fighting against polluted air]
3