Sustainability and Tourism Location MEA

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  Model Eliciting Activity (MEA)

• Formative Assessment

  
  

  The teacher will give the students an article relating to sustainability and then have them answer guiding/reflective questions.

  The teacher will then bring the class back together to discuss the article and ask pointed questions such as, "What are some consequences of sustainable use of land?" or "What are some factors that qualify something as sustainable use?" to make sure that the students understand the article enough to be able to use it as a starting point for their models.

  Through the modeling component the teacher will monitor how students are making their selections and ask questions such as, "What made you weigh this factor more highly?" or "Why do you think that the company should care about this factor?" to make sure that students are using the data to make their models.

  The teacher will use the readiness questions as a formative assessment to help determine whether or not the students are ready to move onto the problem.

• Feedback to Students

  
  

  Students will receive continuous feedback from the teacher as he or she circulates the room and asks the group reflective questions. This will take place during the discussion of the informational text, reading passage 1, and reading passage 2 within the groups. The teacher will field any questions that arise during the course of the MEA.

• Summative Assessment

  
  

  Teachers will assess student performance using the student assessment rubric provided.

  Student Assessment Rubric

  The teacher will assess use the comprehension questions as part of the summative assessment.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  After completing the MEA, students will be able to:

  • Define sustainability.
  • Discuss the political, social, and environmental consequences of sustainable use of land.
  • Predict the impact of individuals on environmental systems.
  • Examine how human lifestyles affect sustainability.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of different factors that affect decision-making.
  • Synthesize a procedure for multi-step problems to aid in decision-making.
  • Evaluate reports based on data.
  • Collaborate with a team to reach an organized solution.
  • Identify information used to support ideas.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  The student should have a basic understanding of sustainability, its effect on the environment, and human impact on sustainability. Please cover the supplementary readings before beginning the MEA.

• Instructional Suggestions

  
  

  Before beginning the MEA, the teacher should have covered the information contained within the prior knowledge section.

  Day 1:

  • The teacher will introduce the idea behind an MEA and have copies prepared of the supplemental reading article for the students in class.
  • The teacher will pass out the informal data collection document, as well as copies of the article from the supplemental reading section.
  • The teacher will circulate through the room as students read and ask some of the questions to act as a formative assessment during the activity and collect the informal data collection as another form of formative assessment.
  • Once students are finished reading, the teacher will answer any additional questions students have and ask students to relate the reading to the standard and learning goals.
  • Then, pass out Reading Passage 1 and have the students answer Readiness Questions on their own.
  • After students have completed the readiness questions, the teacher will introduce the data set and letter template to the class, allowing them a few minutes to begin the activity on their own.
  • Finally, the teacher will break the students into groups to come up with one letter to submit back to the client for the group.
  • The group will have to jigsaw their information together to come to consensus on the direction their group will go.

  Day 2:

  • The students should start this day in their groups.
  • The teacher will pass back the letters to the client and Reading Passage 2 and then inform the students that the client included another data set that accompanies that information. (Unfortunately there are changes that need to be made, etc.)
  • The students will then re-evaluate their system and make necessary changes to the model.
  • They will complete Letter Template 2 and resubmit to the client.
  • This Letter Template 2 will act as part of the summative assessment for the activity.
  • The students will also answer the Comprehension/Readiness Questions at this time and these will also be part of the summative assessment.
  • The teacher will use the included rubric to complete the summative assessment of the students.

  The teacher can then either complete the extension activity, or assign additional readings from the Additional Material section of this Lesson Plan.

• Supplemental Reading

  
  

  https://web.archive.org/web/20130530133951/http://www.postcarbon.org/Reader/PCReader-Heinberg-Foundation.pdf

  This article provides background information about sustainability and addresses both content standards for this resource.

  SC.912.L.17.12 and SC.912.L.17.20

  Heinberg, R. and Lerch, D. (2010). The post carbon reader: managing the 21st century's sustainability crises. Healdsburg, Calif.: Watershed Media ;.

• Guiding/reflective Questions

  
  
  • Why do you think that?
  • How do you know if you have an answer to the problem?
  • Would your solution work in a different situation?
  • What are the most important things to consider in your procedure?
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?
  • Do you agree or disagree with your classmates' ideas? Why or why not?

• Reading Passage 1

  
  

  Reading Passage 1

• Readiness Questions

  
  

  Readiness Questions

  **The answers are included on this sheet, be sure to delete before making student copies.**

• Data Set 1

  
  

  Data Set 1

• Letter Template 1

  
  

  See accommodations.

• Comprehension/readiness questions

  
  

  Comprehension Questions

  Answers to Comprehension Questions

  These questions will assess:

  • LAFS.910.RST.1.1
  • LAFS.910.RST.1.2
  • LAFS.910.RST.2.4
  • LAFS.910.WHST.1.2
  • LAFS.910.WHST.3.9
  • SC.912.L.17.12
  • SC.912.L.17.20

• Reading Passage 2

  
  

  Reading Passage 2

• Data Set 2

  
  

  Data Set 2

• Letter Template 2

  
  

  See accommodations.

• Additional Instructions or Materials

  
  

  The websites will have advertisements- please check the website ahead of time to make sure the advertisements are not inappropriate.

  The Sustainable Development of Tourism:

  • http://sdt.unwto.org/

  A document that supports the MEA with information about sustainable tourism and qualifications to be considered sustainable tourism. Additionally, it explains differences between soft tourism, ecotourism, and sustainable tourism.

  • http://www.nfi.at/dmdocuments/NachhaltigerTourismus_EN.pdf

• Reflection question 2

  
  
  • Do you feel that the given factors were adequate?
  • Would you have presented the data in a different manner?
  • Explain what would you have changed in the presentation and/or explanation of this project?