4.1 An environmental health programme

Life orientation

Grade 9

Good health and social development

Module 23

An environmental health programme

Activity:

To plan an environmental health programme and ways to implement it in your community

[lo 1.2]

Preparation:

Learners and educators bring regional or local newspapers to school and cut out all the articles that deal with the environment and pollution. For example, they may deal with the pollution of the local river, or air pollution as a result of a coal mine near your town, etc.

Step 1

In class briefly describe the reports or articles and classify each by writing the classification in red above the piece, e.g. Air Pollution.

Step 2

Each learner now writes anonymously the risk area that he or she regards as being the most serious of all on a piece of paper. All these notes are placed in a bag. They are then turned out and sorted by topic, and then counted. The issue that appears on most of the notes, determines the subject to be discussed.

Step 3

Find all the reports that cover the particular subject. Depending on the number of articles and reports on the subject, the learners are divided into groups and each group is given two or more articles and reports if possible.

Step 4

Read the articles and reports carefully and then complete the questionnaire below:

• What kind of threat to the environment is referred to?

• Who is the “guilty” party in this case?

• Who is suffering the greatest disadvantage?

• How long has the problem existed?

• Is the problem causing any secondary threat or pollution?

• Has there been any attempt on behalf of the “guilty” party to solve the problem?

• Is anyone (a group or an individual) attempting to deal with the matter?

• How is this group or person demonstrating dissatisfaction?

Groups provide feedback on all the questions through the group leader.

Step 6

Together with the teacher, the groups discuss the matter and further discuss possible ways in which they, as a grade 9 class, can contribute positively towards improving or solving the situation, or at least towards bringing it to the attention of other people. One can consider active, physical involvement, such as cleaning a polluted river, writing a letter to a newspaper, sending a petition to the town council or municipality, or organising a fund-raising event in order to have all the stray dogs vaccinated against rabies. The class can act in more ways than one in order to handle the problem.

Assessment