Peace Corps

• Subject(s): Social Studies & Geography, Environment & Health
• Region / Country: Asia & Pacific Islands / Republic of the Philippines
• Grade Level(s): 3–5, 6–8, 9–12

Overview

As fish populations plummet, a Peace Corps Volunteer works with Filipinos to restore the sea life that the local people depend on for food. Watch slide show

Background Information

Additional Resources

The Coral Reef: A Hidden World
• www.peacecorps.gov/wws/multimedia/
  videos/coral/index.cfm

NOAA
• www.yoto98.noaa.gov/kids.htm
• oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/
  06laserline/background/edu/lessonplans.html

Facts about the Philippines
• www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.
  wherepc.asia.philippines
• www.loc.gov/rr/international/asian/philippines
  /philippines.html

UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Tubbataha Marine Park
• whc.unesco.org/en/list/653

Story by returned Peace Corps Volunteer Noah Jackson
• The Day the Turtle Cried

Objectives

After viewing the slide show and engaging in both class and small-group discussions, students should be able to explain

• How people can impact their local environment in positive and negative ways.
• Possible solutions for addressing environmental concerns.

Vocabulary

• sustainable: the way of making a living
• subsistence: the way of making a living
• mangrove: a kind of tree or shrub that grows along tropical shorelines, often in shallow water or swamps
• teem: to be full of things or to swarm with them, for example, with insects or fish
• sanctuary: an area set aside as a safe place for animals or plants
• biodiversity: the variety of plants and animals in a place
• diversity: variety, mixture

Procedures

1. Present the essential questions. Explain to the students that these are guiding questions that they should be able to answer by the end of the lesson.
2. Using a world map, locate the Philippines or ask a student to do so. Ask the students what they know about the Philippines . Proceed by providing some information about the culture and geography of the country.
3. If the students do not know what the Peace Corps is, give them some background information (www.peacecorps.gov). Then identify Tommy Shultz as a former Peace Corps Volunteer, and explain his role in helping some Filipinos begin to reverse the depletion of their fish populations on which they depend.
4. Before viewing Tommy Shultz's slide show, distribute a graphic organizer (e.g., a table with the headings Cause, Effect, and Solution). Ask the students to identify two or more environmental problems and their causes when they watch the slide show.
5. View the slide show with the students (distribute copies of the text for students who may profit from following along). Then have the students share their findings (causes and effects) while you record them on the board or on an overhead projector.
6. Ask the students what solution to the threats to the fish on the coral reefs Tommy Shultz identified in the slide show (e.g., Apo Island Sanctuary). Discuss the solution.
7. Ask the students in pairs to choose one problem that the class observed and develop a solution. The solution should be one other than an island sanctuary and should address the needs of both the wildlife and the community. If a pair finishes early, have them develop a plan for implementing their solution.
8. Have the pairs of students share their suggestions with the class.

1. Ask students to write answers to one or both of the essential questions:
• What factors must we consider in trying to resolve an environmental issue?
• Why do people behave in ways that damage their environment?

1. Ask the students to read "25 Things You Can Do to Save Coral Reefs," posted at www.yoto98.noaa.gov/kids.htm by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Then, in a class discussion, have the students suggest which options are viable for them and how they can help to protect specific reefs or coral reefs worldwide.

Extensions

Framework and Standards

Enduring Understandings

• People's actions can significantly affect the condition of their environment.

Essential Questions

• What factors must we consider in trying to resolve an environmental issue?
• Why do people behave in ways that damage their environment?

Standards

• Science: Content Standard C: Life Science
• Science: Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
• Social Studies: Theme I: Culture and Cultural Diversity
• Social studies: Theme III : People, Places, and Environments
• Social Studies: Theme IX: Global Connections

Author: Tommy Schultz

About the Author:

Tommy Schultz was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines from 2004 to 2006, assigned as a coastal resource management Volunteer in the Sustainable Island development program.