Ecosystems Opinion Piece – Should the sale of meat be banned?

Assessment Rationale: Students will place themselves in the role of a journalist writing an opinion article for a respected news outlet. They must write a persuasive piece based on their choice of topic on an environmental issue involving a dilemma. They must demonstrate what they have learned throughout the unit by including knowledge and ecosystems, as well as relevant scientific vocabulary. An ecological diagram (food chain/food web/pyramid of biomass) must be included to help demonstrate understanding. They are also expected to demonstrate an understanding of balance and relationships in ecosystems. Students will need to research 3 to 5 extra sources and provide citations in a simplified MLA format for Grades 4-7.

Goal – To write an opinion article on an environmental issue involving a dilemma.

Role – You are a journalist writing for a respected news website.

Audience – Readers who are curious about environmental/societal issues and possible solutions.

Situation – You, a respected journalist, have come up with some new ideas for your latest opinion article. The topics you have come up with are potentially divisive – people may disagree strongly about the right thing to do.

You want to make sure your readers are persuaded by your opinion, so you will make sure your article is fully researched, backed up by science, and considers more than one side of the issue.

Product –

You must choose one of the following topics to write about:

Should the sale of meat be banned?
Should people be allowed to hunt invasive species to save native ones?
Should predators be introduced into an ecosystem to stop herbivores from overgrazing?
Should we grow Genetically Modified crops (GM crops) that are resistant to drought, in response to increasing demands for water?
Your own chosen topic, approved by your Science teacher. The issue must be related to the protection of ecosystems and present a debatable choice between two sides.
You must include the following:

An article that is 400-600 words long. Your article must agree or disagree with the suggestion given. You may not go over the word limit. Submit a Word or pdf file.
A diagram to help explain your opinion: pyramid of biomass, food chain or food web.
Science knowledge and vocabulary from this unit.
Three to five sources that you used for research.
MLA citations for each source you used, including citations list and in-text citations. Cite your diagram as well if it is not your own.