One particularly effective way to get students engaged in looking at issues is to have them conduct a survey to  help illuminate the level of knowledge in their community about certain topics or controversies.  Students can create their own surveys or use existing  ones.  Such surveys can generate much discussion and lead students' research into several environmental issues. Throughout the 1990's, the National Environmental Education Training Foundation (http://www.neetf.org/) commissioned Roper Starch to conduct a series of national surveys to track the level of Americans' environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, and to compile the results in an annual report known as the National Report Card on Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors .

To get a taste of this technique, try taking  the following sampler of ten knowledge questions from the 1998 Roper Starch Survey on Americans' Environmental Knowledge.

1. How is most electricity in the U.S. generated?
2. What is the most common form of pollution of steams, rivers and oceans?
3. What is the #1 environmental benefit of recycling?
4. What is the main cause of wildlife entanglement?
5. How are the used fuel rods at nuclear power plants disposed of?
6. What is the leading cause of childhood death worldwide?
7. What is the main source of oil in rivers, lakes and bays?
8. What is the current most prevalent source of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's)?
9. What is the greatest source of landfill material?
10. Define watershed.

Assignment #1:  What Do You Know?

On the discussion board, discuss how you might use this survey with your students.

Institute Discussion Board