Chapter 20: Global Economic Challenges "The Environmental Protection Agency"

Introduction
Students have already learned that pollution is the contamination of air, water, or soil by the discharge of poisonous or noxious substances. Pollution is a problem that most countries face today. Pollution does not occur on its own; it occurs because people and firms have an incentive to pollute. If that incentive can be removed, pollution will be less of a problem. In this activity, students will learn more about prevention of pollution and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Lesson Description
Students will use information from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Web site to find out more about pollution and protection of the environment.

Previous Knowledge Expected
Students should be familiar with the following term:
pollution: contamination of air, water, or soil by the discharge of a poisonous or noxious substance

Applied Content Standards (from the National Council on Economic Education)
Standard 2: Effective decision making requires comparing the additional costs of alternatives with the additional benefits. Most choices involve doing a little more or a little less of something; few choices are all-or-nothing decisions.
Standard 4: People respond predictably to positive and negative incentives.

Instructional Objectives
1. Students will restate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's mission statement.
2. Students will describe a current environmental issue.
3. Students will list sources of information related to environmental protection.
4. Students will research EPA-regulated facilities in their communities.

Student Web Activity Answers
1. The EPA's mission is "to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment--air, water, and land--upon which life depends.
2. Student answers will vary but should reflect one of the issues discusses on the main page.
3. The EPA Web site provides extensive lists to related Web sites on a variety of topics, such as conservation, ecosystems, and human health.
4. Student answers will vary.

Extending the Lesson
Encourage students to research further information about pollution prevention on the Internet. The EPA Web site for students has information related to waste and recycling, air, conservation, ecosystems, water, human health, local environmental issues, and environmental basics. The site also features projects and student activities.
Encourage students to learn more about the environment and alternative energy sources. Have students present their findings to local community or civic groups.

Student Web Activity