leader - naira

Group : Naira, Raavya, Annika, Taysha, Aanya, Elif

Impact of science and technology on our environment 

You will be divided into four groups and in your group, you will work on any ONE of the following broad areas: 

1. Natural disasters 

2. Endangered species 

3. New age diseases and impact on health 

4. E-waste and/or space junk 

Learning Outcomes: 

• Each group will research, brainstorm and come up with: 

1. a specific inquiry question within the context of their research 

2. the causes and consequences of the chosen incident/phenomenon that may have occurred anywhere in the world (preferably within the last 2 years) 

3. the actions/measures that we can take to prevent/mitigate such situations towards the well-being of the environment 

• Each group will present their research in the form of visual displays  

Group Leader: roles and responsibilities 

Each group will have a leader who will: 

1. ensure that all members are contributing to the shared goals of the team 

2. maintain a Padlet for the team, detailing the progress made in each lesson and the individual contributions of the team members. (one padlet per year group) 

3. coordinate with the other group leaders and come up with an overarching theme for the class (title of the project display) 

4. maintain discipline during the group work 

5. keep to the timelines 

6. ensure that all sources are acknowledged appropriately 

Due date: Presentations will be in the week of 13^th to 17^th May 2024 in the Science Lessons 

The assessment rubric for the Project Presentation is given below: 

Excellent 

Good 

Satisfactory 

Needs improvement 

Content 

• Context is very clearly set.  

• Inquiry question is very clear and focused.  

• Causes and consequences are well-researched and relevant to the topic. 

• Actions/measures are well formulated and clearly relevant to the topic. 

• The sources/ideas/images are always acknowledged appropriately. 

• Error-free 

• Context is mostly clear.  

• Inquiry question is mostly clear and focused.  

• Causes and consequences are mostly relevant to the topic. 

• Actions/measures are mostly relevant to the topic. 

• The sources /ideas/images are mostly acknowledged appropriately. 

• There are a few errors which do not hamper understanding. 

• Context is clear to some extent.  

• Inquiry question is moderately clear.  

• Causes and consequences are sometimes relevant to the topic. 

• Actions/measures are sometimes relevant to the topic. 

• The sources /ideas/images are sometimes acknowledged. 

• Some errors may hamper understanding and flow. 

• Context is not set.  

• Inquiry question is broad and unclear.  

• Causes and consequences are not relevant to the topic. 

• Actions/measures are not formulated or are not relevant to the topic. 

• The sources/ideas/images are not acknowledged. 

• Quite a few errors that hamper understanding. 

Structure 

• The presentation is very well-organised with clear labels, headings and illustrated with appropriate graphics/images – all subparts are well-connected. 

• The design and layout of the visual display are exceptionally aesthetic, demonstrating high level of creativity. 

• The presentation is mostly well-organised with clear labels, headings and illustrated with appropriate graphics/images. 

• The design and layout of the visual display are neat and pleasant, demonstrating some creativity. 

• The presentation is moderately organised with some labels, headings, and some graphics/images. 

• The design and layout of the visual display are mostly neat, with some distractions /limitations. 

• The presentation is not organised well, labels and headings are missing, graphics/images are missing. 

• The design and layout of the visual display are not organised well. 

Impact 

• The group presentation is exceptionally impactful, enriching, and insightful, inspiring the viewers to act towards the well-being of the environment. 

• Graphics/polls or other interactive tools aptly applied to fully engage the audience/viewers. 

• The group presentation is mostly insightful, convincing most of the viewers to act towards the well-being of the environment. 

• Some graphics/polls or other interactive tools applied to reasonably engage the audience /viewers. 

• The group presentation is moderately impactful, inspiring some viewers to act towards the well-being of the environment. 

• Minimal use of interactive tools to engage the audience /viewers. 

• The group presentation could not influence and inspire the audience. 

• Graphics/polls or other interactive tools are not applied to engage the audience /viewers. 

Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68839043; 

https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/reason-behind-the-dubai-flood/;  

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-cloud-seeding-and-did-it-impact-dubai-floods/ 

Context: Dubai is situated on the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is usually very dry. It receives less than 100mm a year of rainfall on average. Last week, on 17^th April 2024, in the city of Al-Ain – just over 100km (62 miles) from Dubai – about 256mm (10in) of rain was recorded in just 24 hours, the highest amount recorded since 1949. Such heavy precipitation is highly unusual in this desert climate region, known for its scorching summer temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. A lot of people claim that the unusual rain is caused by cloud seeding, a technique that aims to increase precipitation, a technology that is heavily utilized in the United Arab Emirates.  

Inquiry question: What could be the possible causes of such unusual flooding in Dubai? OR  

Is there adequate evidence to suggest that cloud seeding has caused this unusual flooding in United Arab Emirates? 

Causes: A few possible causes could be: 

• Global warming causing climate change: Warmer the air, more water molecules in the air will go from the liquid phase to the gas phase and the warmer air can hold more moisture - about 7% extra for every degree Celsius - which can in turn increase the intensity of rain. According to a climate scientist of University of Reading, the intensity of the rain was record-breaking, but this is consistent with a warming climate, with more moisture available to fuel storms causing heavy rainfall and the associated flooding. As humans continue to burn oil, gas and coal, the climate will continue to warm, and consequently the rainfall will continue to get heavier, leading to devastating floods. 

Students may research on: what is cloud seeding? How frequently were UAE authorities employing cloud seeding to address their water shortages? Do we have enough data/evidence to claim that cloud seeding was the cause of such unusual heavy rain? The meteorology department had confirmed that there was no such cloud seeding operations before the storm had hit. Also a warning of intense rainfall was already given by the meteorology department. 

Illustrations with appropriate acknowledgement can be used to make the presentation interesting and informative: 

Consequences: Students may research and analyse the effects of such unprecedented heavy rainfall and storm on the human beings, animals and plants. If this is a result of global warming, what other associated problems may arise? What were the short-term and long-term consequences? 

Measures that we can undertake to prevent such sudden weather change in the future: Students may brainstorm to arrive at the actions or measures that we need to take to reduce such sudden extreme weather events or natural disasters that threaten lives. 

Students may use interactive tools such as polls, feedback post-its, quizzes, games etc. to involve the audience. 

Do in-depth research, brainstorm in your groups and be as creative as possible! 

Take pride in your group work, we are looking forward to seeing some great presentations from all the groups!  

What Threat Space Junk poses to space travel:

How has Space junk grown in numbers:

Main Question: To what extent is space junk harmful to future space travel

Jihoon - the actions/measures that we can take to prevent these animals as well as design.

Ismail - Design the poster

Gen - the causes and consequences of the endangered animals.

Karmas - Effect of these animals going endangered .

Yohann: Graphical Design + Helping Joseph & Ahmed

Joseph, Ahmed: Other methods of prediction (Seismographs, Radon Leaks, etc.)

2) Causes of these animals going endangered .

3) How can this be stopped.

4) To what extent is human activities is causing endangered .

Britannica:

https://www.britannica.com/technology/space-debris

National Geographic:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/space-junk

Natural History Museum:

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-space-junk-and-why-is-it-a-problem.html

question options-

• Is international travel and trade the main cause for spread of yellow fever

• How does travel influence spread of diseases

• To what extent does international travel and trade lead to the spread of yellow fever

• Infectious disease risk and international tourism demand

question chosen-

• to what extent does international travel and trade lead to the spread of yellow fever.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/yellow-fever

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/yellow-fever

https://www.news-medical.net/health/How-Does-Travel-Influence-Spread-of-Disease.aspx

https://www.who.int/health-topics/yellow-fever#tab=tab_1

https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/international-trade-helps-spread-infectious-diseases-115122300259_1.html

raavya- research and phrasing ( plan for design of chart paper)

taysha - going through different links

elif - making pointers

aanya- jotting important points

aanya - pointers and design

Yellow Fever Overview

• Severe viral illness spread by infected mosquitoes in tropical Africa and Americas.

• Symptoms include fever, muscle discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and jaundice.

• Global spread accelerated by travel and trade.

Causes 

International Travel and Yellow Fever Spread

• Transfer of sick individuals from epidemics to non-epidemic areas.

• Infected travelers can spread virus to new mosquito-infested areas.

International Trade and Mosquito Disease Spread

• Trade networks, especially in tires, breed mosquitoes.

• Infected mosquitos on cargo ships or airplanes spread disease.

Rapid Urbanization in Endemism

• Creates a conducive environment for Aedes mosquito growth.

• Mosquitoes thrive in poor water and sanitation facilities.

Consequences

Yellow Fever Outbreaks

• Introduced into non-endemic areas.

• Sickens and kills prone individuals.

• Potential to bankrupt healthcare systems.

• Causes financial losses.

Global Health Security Threat: Yellow Fever

• Spread in low-risk regions.

• Highlights interconnectedness of health systems.

• Calls for coordinated responses.

Yellow Fever Economic Impact

• Disruption of trade and tourism.

• Exacerbation of economic losses due to travel advisories and restrictions.

Actions and Measures:

• Vaccination: Effective prevention method.

• Routine vaccination programs in endemic regions.

• Traveler vaccination requirements.

Mosquito Control Importance

• Use of insecticides, larvicides.

• Environmental management strategies.

• Essential for reducing mosquito populations.

• Interrupts transmission cycles.

Yellow Fever Surveillance and Early Detection

• Strengthening systems for prompt response to outbreaks.

• Early detection aids in timely control measures like mass vaccinations and vector control.

"Risk Communication for Yellow Fever"

• Public education campaigns.

• Raising awareness about yellow fever transmission.

• Informing travelers about vaccination requirements.

• Advising precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

"International Cooperation for Yellow Fever Prevention"

• Essential collaboration between countries, organizations, stakeholders.

• Sharing information, resources, expertise for global health security.

Yellow Fever Prevention

• Address root causes of transmission.

• Implement effective prevention and control measures.

• Foster international cooperation.

• Safeguard societal and environmental health.