What theses are debatable? Why?

1. Narrow the thesis

Limiting pollution requires wide-ranging activity

1. What type of claims do you know? Give examples.
2. What are evidences? What kind of evidences do you know?
3. Consider the following example of an effective presentation of an argument. How would you evaluate the claims and evidences?

Claim: Hybrid cars are an effective strategy to fight pollution.

Data1: Driving a private car is a typical citizen's most air polluting activity.

Warrant 1: Because cars are the largest source of private, as opposed to industry produced, air pollution switching to hybrid cars should have an impact on fighting pollution.

Data 2: Each vehicle produced is going to stay on the road for roughly 12 to 15 years.

Warrant 2: Cars generally have a long lifespan, meaning that a decision to switch to a hybrid car will make a long-term impact on pollution levels.

Data 3: Hybrid cars combine a gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor.

Warrant 3: This combination of technologies means that less pollution is produced. According to ineedtoknow.org "the hybrid engine of the Prius, made by Toyota, produces 90 percent fewer harmful emissions than a comparable gasoline engine."

Counterclaim: Instead of focusing on cars, which still encourages a culture of driving even if it cuts down on pollution, the nation should focus on building and encouraging use of mass transit systems.

Rebuttal: While mass transit is an environmentally sound idea that should be encouraged, it is not feasible in many rural and suburban areas, or for people who must commute to work; thus hybrid cars are a better solution for much of the nation's population.

1. Divide into three groups: claim supporters, opponents and independent audience. The supporters and opponents of the claim try to talk over the members of the independent group.
2. Divide into several groups. Each group prepares its own thesis (claim) and its presentation and tries to defend it

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EXAMS!

Problem based task

Environment and development of mankind

Introduction

Since ancient times Nature has served Man, being source of his life. For thousands of years people lived in harmony with environment and it seemed to them that natural riches were unlimited. But with the development of civilization man’s interference in nature began to increase. Industrial revolution which has become a great breakthrough in the development of science and technology and greatly increased the quality of people life at the same time has led to environment degradation threatening with complete devastation of our planet.

Task

On the basis of information obtained from the Internet consider and discuss the following issue:

What should mankind do: to continue the development of science and technology improving the living conditions or to stop any development and to save our planet?

Guidelines to the activity

1. Try to answer the following questions:

- What is the origin of the term “ecology”?

- Was there the problem of environmental pollution before human appearance on the planet?

- What was it caused by?

- Did the ancient people pollute the environment?

- What are the main factors of environmental degradation?

- How the achievements of science and technology influence the modern environment (give several examples of positive and negative influence)?

- How the achievements of science and technology help to improve the environmental conditions?

- What is natural resource management?

- Are there any ways to save our world without decreasing the pace of human development?

2. Discuss and divide the topics of the reports.

3. Prepare reports (written and electronic ones).

4. Present the reports at the conference.

5. Divide into three groups:

- Supporters of the technological development.

- Advocates of the environment

- Independent experts.

The first two groups should discuss the problem and the task of the third group is to listen to the representatives of both groups and to arrive at a verdict.

Skills to be evaluate:

1. Search for information in the Internet
2. Preparation and presentation of a report (written, electronic, and oral)
3. Holding a discussion.
4. Convincing somebody in the truth of one’s words
5. Team work

Evaluation:

All participants of the activity will get definite number of credits.

Appendix