Make arrangements for student use of the school computer lab and/or media center for research. Collect materials related to controversial news topics. Provide material for the chart construction.

Handout - Environmental Issues
The following Internet resources may provide additional information. Preview these resources in order to aid student research
Earth Systems Core Experiments
Biosphere Internet Resources
Lessons and activities
Simple Machines
Deseret News Site for the 2002 Games (To find articles on specific subjects click on archives.)

Explain the following:
The Wasatch Mountains of Northern Utah are a great resource to the people in the state. The mountains cause rain and snow to fall in the valleys of the Wasatch Front. The winter snow that falls in the mountains can be stored in reservoirs to be used for agriculture during the summer. Maybe you (students) like to ski or snowboard, or fish. The mountains provide an awesome place for recreation and relaxation.

People from all over the world visit Utah for winter sports and recreation. The 2002 Olympic Winter Games will bring even more people to our mountains. Utah will change with the Olympics. There are many people who say that the Games will boost the economy of the state and provide jobs and other opportunities. Others think that the Games will cost the taxpayers millions of dollars and negatively impact the pristine mountain environment.

Review the concepts of hydrosphere, geosphere, atmosphere and biosphere systems of Earth. Explain that systems of the Earth do not act independently of each other. Everything is interconnected.

The focus of Earth Systems Science is to determine how all the systems work together and what effect one change in a system will have on other Earth systems. For example, what will happen to the biosphere (life) if additional carbon dioxide is placed in the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels?

One of the most important aspects of science is gathering information that is accurate and unbiased. There are many opinions about the Olympics coming to Utah.

Discuss with students why finding unbiased information is sometimes difficult. Discuss why facts must be separated from opinions in order to form an accurate hypothesis.

Ask students to find several newspaper or Internet articles that deal with an environmental topic. Examples of topics might include gun control, fluoridated water, the Legacy Highway, etc.

Read each article. Record statements that are facts (supported by evidence) in one column and those that are opinions in another. Use this information to write a paper about the issue. Be sure to quote a source for any facts that you may use. In the conclusion of the paper, state your opinion on the issue, which can be supported by facts you listed.

Explain that many people believe that if something is written in a newspaper or reported on the news, it must be factual and accurate. Discuss with students why people believe the information reported by the media when many times it is not reported accurately?

Below is a sample chart to identify issues that relate to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and Earth systems. Ask students to do the following:

Students will:

Students are invited to use computer and digital video technology to produce a documentary video on a topic related to the 2002 Winter Olympics and Earth Systems and share the video with classmates.