1

Tragedy of the Commons and its’ Socioeconomic Effect on the Environment by Vickie Mills and Larry Collins, Altavista Combined School

I . Abstract A. This is a collaborative activity which comes at the end of a lesson on the tragedy of the commons from the economics’ perspective and the socioeconomic effect on the environment from the environmental science perspective. Each teacher taught the basic concepts to their own classes and then traded classrooms to teach the other teacher’s students. After teaching both economic and science concepts to all students, three projects were completed by all students. This lesson takes two weeks to complete.

Project One: Students participated in a town wide cleanup day as the kick start to this lesson. Every

student who participated received extra credit for the nine week grading period. (One should check with their principal to make sure this is acceptable procedure.) All students must write a one page report entitled: Why does Altavista Need a Town Wide Cleanup Day?

Project Two: In teams of two or three, students researched and created a public awareness

campaign which could be presented to the town Mayor. This campaign must be centered on one segment of how the tragedy of the commons affects the town of Altavista and how it can be corrected. The top two from each class receives a prize of candy. The top two from all classes will be presented to the town Mayor and the Town Council. The winning campaign will be featured in the local paper and the team will receive gift cards from Wal-Mart.

Project Three: Students will create a brochure on environmental laws and the student’s civic

responsibilities concerning these laws. B. This activity covers all of the forms of learning associated with Neil Fleming's VAK/VARK model which states that there are basically three types of learners: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. We also used the KUD model (appendix E) for our lesson plan. By combining our efforts, skills sets, and knowledge bases, we were able to collaboratively expose our students to a more expansive learning environment. We used local examples of environmental problems and solutions to those problems. The students were able to see how one area of learning overlaps into another.

2

III. Economic Content and Key Concepts A. CT28: Examine Community issues related to an industry/organization

• Impact of the organization on the community (e.g., provision of jobs, tax revenue, and goods/services; involvement in community programs/activities; environmental impact)

• Impact of the community on the organization (e.g., employee base; local taxes and regulations; local government services such as roads, schools, utilities; other local services)

CT29: Examine health, safety, and environmental issues related to an industry/organization.

EPF1d: The student will demonstrate knowledge of basic economics concepts and structures by:

d) identifying factors of production. EPF.2a The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of producers and consumers

in a market economy by: a) describing how consumers, producers, workers, savers, investors, and citizens

respond to incentives. EPF.8a The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of government in a market

economy by: a) identifying goods and services provided by government to benefit society.

EPF.9e The student will demonstrate knowledge of the global economy by: e) describing the costs and benefits of trade barriers. Environmental Science Content and Key Concepts SOL ES 6CThe student will understand and investigate the differences between renewable and

nonrenewable resources. Key concepts include: resources found in Virginia. SOL ES 6DThe student will understand and investigate the differences between renewable and

nonrenewable resources. B. The CT Standards, the EPF Standards, and the SOL Standards are all 9-12 grade appropriate. C. Terms:

Ms. Mills will introduce terminology needed for understanding of the impact of the Tragedy of the Commons on the environment.

• Conservation-prevention of injury, decay, waste, or loss; preservation: • Natural Resources- Materials or substances such as minerals, forests, water, and fertile

land that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain. • Positive Externalities- A positive externality is a benefit that is enjoyed by an unintended

‘third party' as a result of an economic transaction. • Negative Externalities- A negative externality is a cost that is suffered by an unintended

‘third party' as a result of an economic transaction. • Tragedy of the Commons- Is an economics theory by Garrett Hardin, according to which

individuals, acting independently and rationally according to each one's self-interest,

3

behave contrary to the whole group's long-term best interests by depleting some common resource.

• Brochure-a small book or magazine containing pictures and information about a product or service.

• Proposal- the act of offering or suggesting something for acceptance, adoption, or performance.

• OSHA- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal organization (part of the Department of Labor) that ensures safe and healthy working conditions for Americans by enforcing standards and providing workplace safety training.

• EPA- The Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the United States federal government whose mission is to protect human and environmental health.

• Clean Water Act of 1972- This Clean Water Act is the primary legislation concerning water pollution and its regulation.

• Clean Air Act of 1972- The Clean Air Act was first enacted in 1970 and authorized the establishment of federal and state regulations that limit emissions stationary and mobile sources of air pollutants.

Mr. Collins will introduce terminology needed for understanding of the environmental laws and conservation of natural resources. • Renewable Resource-a resource that can be replaced relatively quickly by natural

processes • Nonrenewable Resource-a resource that forms at a much slower rate than the rate at

which it is consumed • Natural Resource-any natural material that is used by humans • Environmental costs and benefits-the pros and cons of how ones daily actions affect the

environment • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act-it ensures that the EPA will monitor a cradle to

grave approach to hazardous waste management • National Environmental Policy Act-Encourages a constructive and harmonious

relationship between humans and their environment • Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act-requires registration of pesticides • Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act-Prohibits ocean dumping of wastes

except with a permit at sites designated by the EPA • Safe Drinking Water Act-Requires the EPA to set limits for maximum allowable level of

contaminates in public drinking water systems • Endangered Species Act-Prohibits federal action that jeopardizes the habitat of species

in danger of extinction and prohibits the taking of such species by any person • Toxic substances Control Act-Mandate the EPa to review more than 50,000 existing

chemicals and approximately 1000 new chemicals each year to identify and, as necessary to regulate their manufacture, sale, sue, and disposal to prevent “unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment”.

D. Up to this point, students have read the chapters, listened to lecture, had class discussion, wrote a one page opinion paper, watched a YouTube clip on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, completed a worksheet, created brochures, and created a Public Awareness Campaign proposal for the Mayor. Using a variety of teaching strategies helps reach all students and reinforces the lesson’s concepts.

4

IV. Economic Standards and Student Learning Outcomes A. Objectives Upon completion of this chapter, students will be able to:

• Know: o The government’s role in preserving natural resources and how to conserve them. o Positive and negative externalities. o Methods of how they can conserve natural resources.

• Understand: o The importance of conservation and its’ impacts on natural resources o How positive and negative externalities affect their environmental behaviors o The environmental laws associated with natural resources and their civic

responsibilities • Be Able To Do

o Compare and contrast privately owned parks and publicly owned parks o Assess the pros and cons of the government’s role in conservation o Students will create a conservation plan of improvement for the local community.

IV. Economic Standards and Student Learning Outcomes a. Students will understand the importance of conservation and its’ impacts on natural resources. b. Students will understand how positive and negative externalities affect their environmental behaviors. c. Students will understand the environmental laws associated with natural resources and their civic

responsibilities. d. Students should know the government’s role in preserving natural resources and how to conserve them. e. Student should understand positive and negative externalities and how they relate to the environment. f. Students should know methods of how they can conserve natural resources.

B. All of the CT’s, the EPF’s, and the SOL’s were covered by one or more of the activities.

V. Instructional Process

1. Our “introductory hook” was the annual Town Cleanup Day. Any student participating received extra credit, which was approved by our principal. If your town does not have a formal cleanup day, you could organize one for a few hours on a Saturday. By making this an extra credit assignment, no student would be penalized for not participating.

2. All students must write a one page opinion paper on why a town cleanup is important to Altavista based upon environmental problems. These are to be collected as a quiz grade.

3. Ms. Mills’ students will read the section 11.4 “How should government Address Externalities and Public Goods?”, Econ Alive! The Power to Choose, TCI, 2010. Ms. Mills will lecture on this topic followed by class discussion.

4. Mr. Collins’ students will do an environmental time-line activity where students researched eight laws that are concerned with connecting their civic responsibilities with the environment. (Earth Day Network, www.earthday.net/education ) They then arranged these in chronological order and created a poster. (See Appendix A for an example)

5. Ms. Mills will teach Mr. Collins students and Mr. Collins will teach Ms. Mills students. a. Ms. Mills will do the “Farmer and cows” activity and the “Music” activity. (see appendix B and C) b. Mr. Collins will show the YouTube clip, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, demonstrating why no one has

accepted responsibility for this problem www.youtube.com/greatpacificgarbagepatch

5

c. “The Laws” activity. Students were divided into five groups where they each examined a case study involving environmental laws and their application to real life scenarios. (see appendix D)

d. Case studies (appendix F) e. Students will construct brochures explaining the various environmental laws (see appendix H-Rubric Making

a Brochure: Environmental Laws Assignment) 6. Students will create a conservation plan of improvement for their local community.

a. Students will use Microsoft Word’s template Business Proposal Letter to create a plan to be presented to the Mayor. (see appendix G-Rubric Creating an Environmental Plan)

b. The top proposal from each class will get a reward of candy c. The top two proposals from all classes will be presented to the Mayor who will select the top proposal with

the idea of implementation. d. The top proposal will receive a twenty-five dollar gift card from Wal-Mart.

VI. Evaluation of Student Learning The students will be evaluated by observation during class activities, quiz grades for the opinion papers and brochures, and test grade for the proposal.

6

Appendix A

Environmental Time-line Activity Poster

7

Appendix B

Farmer and Cow Activity Tragedy of the Commons

Materials: Several squares of colored paper, “grass” 4 by 4 3 straw hats (optional) 2 white boards or black boards

Activity: • Write on one board “Common Area” • Write on another board “Private Area” • Place colored squares on the floor in front of the Common Area side and fewer squares in front of the Private

Area side • Ask for 3 volunteers-these are your farmers, pass out hats • Have the farmers in front of the “Common Area” side. Tell them that this is free land and grass. They can

put as many cows on the property as they want but remember each cow eats two squares of “grass” a day. • The rest of the students are “cows” • The farmers go and pick their cows to eat the grass • Each farmer gets to pick cows • By the time the activity is over (every time for me) the grass was gone (if it isn’t gone, you could ask each

farmer if they want more cows. • Have cows and farmers sit • Pick one farmer who will buy a plot of ground • Each cow still eats two squares a day • Ask the farmer how many cows he will put on his land • They always choose fewer • When asked why they chose fewer cows the answer was always, “because it’s my land and I don’t want to

use up all the grass”. *The students liked this activity and many really acted out the part. See photo.

8

Appendix C Music Activity

Positive and Negative Externalities Materials: Radio or CD player 3 or 4 very different types of music Activity: Tell students you are going to play some music. If they like the music they are to go to the right side of the room and if they don’t like the music they are to go to the left side of the room. Ask the students if they had any control over the music. Explain that hearing the music was just something extra, a spillover because you were playing the music for yourself. Explain this is an externality. If they liked the music it was a positive externality. If they did not like the music it was a negative externality. *They liked this activity; some danced or groaned. See Photo.

9

Appendix D The Laws

Environmental Laws

Materials: Copy of The Laws worksheet for each student. 4 signs titled: Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Natural Resources, Occupational, Pesticides; and Marine Law

Activity: Set up 4 stations with the signs and the laws that accompany the sign. Have the students work in teams at each station. Students go from station to station until they have completed their worksheets. *They liked using a team approach and moving from location to location. See photo.

10

Appendix E Differentiated Lesson Plan

KUD Method

DIFFERENTIATED LESSON PLAN

DIFFERENTIATED

WHY? (Assessment data) Students can understand the importance of conservation and demonstrate their understanding of conservation through their project-based assessment.

WHAT? Content: Tragedy of the Commons and its’ relationship to environmental problems.

Process: See below.

Name: Collins/Mills Grade: 9-12 Date: 3/20/14

Topic: Tragedy of the Commons and its’ socioeconomic effect on the environment.

KNOW • Students should know the

government’s role in preserving natural resources and how to conserve them.

• Students should know positive and negative externalities.

• Students should know methods of how they can conserve natural resources.

BE ABLE TO DO • Students will be able to compare and

contrast privately owned parks with publicly owned parks.

• Students will be able to assess the pros and cons of the government’s role in conservation.

• Students will create a conservation plan of improvement for the local community.

UNDERSTAND • Students will understand the importance of

conservation and its’ impacts on natural resources.

• Students will understand how positive and negative externalities affect their environmental behaviors.

• Students will understand the environmental laws associated with natural resources and their civic responsibilities..

HOW? Readiness: Students will be introduced to essential vocabulary for Tragedy of the Commons. Interest: Students’ interest will be hooked when they complete the town cleanup on March 15th or the YouTube clip on the Great Pacific Garbage

What students will……..

Essential Questions: How does the government play a role in preserving and conserving natural resources?

What positive and negative externalities are associated with conservation? What methods and/or approaches can you take to conserve natural ?

11

Appendix E, continued

Differentiated Lesson Plan KUD Method

BODY OF LESSON: (Introduction/”Hook”, Process, Closure – continue on back if needed)

• Introductory Hook: Town Cleanup on 3/15/14 (Voluntary community service) • Process: Write a one page/2 paragraph opinion paper of why town cleanup is

important to Altavista based upon environmental problems. • Begin with a YouTube clip illustrating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and why no

one has accepted responsibility for this problem. • Introduce terminology needed for understanding of impact of the Tragedy of the

Commons on the environment. • Introduce terminology needed for understanding of environmental laws and

conservation of natural resources. • Closure: Students will answer the question of how can I improve the common

environment around me as an exit slip.

HOW YOU ASSESS:

KNOWLEDGE: Revisit the one page opinion paper on why town cleanup is important to Altavista and allow students to reevaluate their opinion based upon current environmental problems.

UNDERSTANDING: Students will design a brochure that will evaluate their understanding of environmental laws concerning natural resources and their civic responsibilities.

SKILLS: Students will design a conservation plan of improvement for their local

© pending Kay Brimijoin 2005

12

Appendix F Environmental Laws Case Studies

AIR POLLUTION CASE STUDY

1948 Donora Smog

•�Donora, Pennsylvania is a mill town 24 miles southeast of Pittsburgh on the Monongahela River. •�The Donora Smog was an air inversion which trapped industrial pollutants in the air for 6 days

•�An inversion occurs when the ground air is cooler than the air above it (reversed conditions in the atmosphere) and when this happens man made pollutants are trapped in the air, causing smog. •�It killed 20 people and permanently damaged the lungs of 7,000and the event raised public awareness that air pollution can be lethal and cause serious damage to one’s health.

•�The source of the pollution was from the U.S. Steel smelting plants and Donora Zinc Works plant

1. Based upon reading the above and your knowledge of environmental law, how do you believe this problem could have been avoided?

2. Who should be blamed for this problem? Why?

3. Which environmental laws that we talked about could have assisted in avoiding this problem if they had been already enacted? Support your answer!

13

WATER POLLUTION/STANLEY, VIRGINIA

The Town of Stanley, Virginia (population 1,293) is located in the Shenandoah Valley, approximately 90 miles from Washington, D.C. Agriculture is the dominant land use in the community, with some residential, commercial and industrial uses throughout the region. Stanley depends on ground water wells for its drinking water supply. Due to the region's karst hydrogeology,(caves and sinkholes) there are examples of surface and ground water interaction where surface streams disappear underground and large springs serve as the headwaters of surface stream flow. Lately, this area has been experiencing cases of groundwater contamination due to acidic groundwater that has been reacting with limestone in caves.

4. Based upon reading the above and your knowledge of environmental law, how do you believe this problem could have been avoided?

5. Who should be blamed for this problem? Why?

6. Which environmental laws that we talked about could have assisted in avoiding this problem if they had been already enacted? Support your answer!

14

Hazardous Waste/The Love Canal Tragedy Quite simply, Love Canal is one of the most appalling environmental tragedies in American history. But that's not the most disturbing fact. It is a cruel irony that Love Canal was originally meant to be a dream community. That vision belonged to the man for whom the three-block tract of land on the eastern edge of Niagara Falls, New York, was named--William T. Love. Love felt that by digging a short canal between the upper and lower Niagara Rivers, power could be generated cheaply to fuel the industry and homes of his would-be model city. But despite considerable backing, Love's project was unable to endure the one-two punch of fluctuations in the economy and Nikola Tesla's discovery of how to economically transmit electricity over great distances by means of an alternating current. By 1910, the dream was shattered. All that was left to commemorate Love's hope was a partial ditch where construction of the canal had begun. In the 1920s the seeds of a genuine nightmare were planted. The canal was turned into a municipal and industrial chemical dumpsite. Landfills can of course be an environmentally acceptable method of hazardous waste disposal, assuming they are properly sited, managed, and regulated. Love Canal will always remain a perfect historical example of how not to run such an operation. In 1953, the Hooker Chemical Company, then the owners and operators of the property, covered the canal with earth and sold it to the city for one dollar. It was a bad buy. In the late '50s, about 100 homes and a school were built at the site. Perhaps it wasn't William T. Love's model city, but it was a solid, working-class community. For a while. On the first day of August, 1978, the lead paragraph of a front-page story in the New York Times read:

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y.--Twenty five years after the Hooker Chemical Company stopped using the Love Canal here as an industrial dump, 82 different compounds, 11 of them suspected carcinogens, have been percolating upward through the soil, their drum containers rotting and leaching their contents into the backyards and basements of 100 homes and a public school built on the banks of the canal.

15

7. Based upon reading the above and your knowledge of environmental law, how do you believe this problem could have been avoided?

8. Who should be blamed for this problem? Why?

9. Which environmental laws that we talked about could have assisted in avoiding this problem if they had been already enacted? Support your answer!

16

Marine Pollution

10. Based upon reading the above and your knowledge of environmental law, how do you believe this problem could have been avoided?

11. Who should be blamed for this problem? Why?

12. Which environmental laws that we talked about could have assisted in avoiding this problem if they had been already enacted? Support your answer!

17

NATURAL RESOURCES/OCCUPATIONAL, AND PESTICIDES

At the dawn of the “environmental movement”, pesticides were commonly used to kill pests on crops. However, we did not always think things through…consider the following paragraph.

On the 25th anniversary of the banning of the pesticide DDT on June 14, the nation's symbol the bald eagle has seen a ten-fold increase in numbers, according to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) -- and other formerly imperiled species have recorded similar gains. EDF, which filed the original lawsuit that led to the nationwide DDT ban signed June 14, 1972, reported that many birds that were nearly wiped out by the use of DDT 25 years ago, such as the osprey, peregrine falcon, and brown pelican, are rebounding. The DDT ban is viewed as the first major success of the modern environmental movement.

13. Based upon reading the above and your knowledge of environmental law, how do you believe this problem could have been avoided?

14. Who should be blamed for this problem? Why?

15. Which environmental laws that we talked about could have assisted in avoiding this problem if they had been already enacted? Support your answer!

18

Appendix G Brochure Rubric

RubiStar

Public Awareness Campaign: Tragedy of the Commons and its socioeconomic effect on the environment.

Teacher’s Names: Vickie Mills & Larry Collins Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Brainstorming - Solutions

Students identify more than 4 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.

Students identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.

Students identify at least 3 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.

Students identify fewer than 3 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.

Research/Statistical Data

Students include 4 or more high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign.

Students include at least 3 high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign.

Students include at least 2 high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign.

Students include fewer than 2 high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign.

Campaign/Product Students create an original, accurate and interesting product that adequately addresses the issue.

Students create an accurate product that adequately addresses the issue.

Students create an accurate product but it does not adequately address the issue.

The product is not accurate.

Sources-Citation Information in all source citations is correct and in the format assigned.

Information in all source citations is correct but there are minor errors in formatting.

Information in almost all source citations is correct AND there are minor errors in formatting.

The information is often incorrect OR there are major errors in formatting.

All work is grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

All work is grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

Most work is grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

Some work is grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

Little work is grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

On time submission

Submitted on time for full credit

Submitted one day late.

Submitted two days late.

Submitted three days late.

19

Appendix H

Rubic Brochure

Making A Brochure : Environmental Laws Assignment

Teacher Name: Larry Collins/Vickie Mills Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Environmental Laws

The student has fully described at least 4 environmental laws and how they are concerned with conserving our natural resources.

The student has fully described at least 3 environmental laws and how they are concerned with conserving our natural resources.

The student has fully described at least 2 environmental laws and how they are concerned with conserving our natural resources.

The student has fully described at least 1 or none of the environmental laws and how they are concerned with conserving our natural resources.

Civic Responsibilities

The student fully described at least 4 of their own civic responsibilities in their brochure.

The student fully described at least 3 of their own civic responsibilities in their brochure.

The student fully described at least 2 of their own civic responsibilities in their brochure.

The student did not describe any of their civic responsibilities in their brochure.

All work is grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

All work is grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

Most work is grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

Some work is grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

Little work is grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

On time submission

Submitted on time for full credit.

Submitted one day late.

Submitted two days late.

Submitted three days late.

Creativity The student used pictures with color to illustrate each of the 4 environmental laws presented in his or her brochure.

The student used pictures with no color to illustrate each of the 4 environmental laws presented in his or her brochure.

The students did not use pictures to illustrate each of the 4 environmental laws.

The student did not use any color pictures to illustrate the environmental laws.

20

Here is a picture with the Mayor of Altavista when he came to pick up the proposals. Mayor Mike Mattox with Mr. Collins and student representatives.

Student, Blake Harrison (left) receiving award from the Altavista Mayor, Mike Mattox. Teachers, Vickie Mills and Larry Collins pictured in center.