Where does environment fit in a community issue?

In order to see the interconnectedness of environmental issues to other issues follow the strategies of those developing problem based learning experiences – create a concept map.

1. List the 5 most popular topics that interest/motivate your students in order to create a concept map for each one.
2. Place a topic name in the center surrounded by various disciplines/factors (e.g., health, politics, economics, culture, environment, etc.).
3. Next fill in a few connecting circles describing information related to the topic for each discipline.

Questions to consider:

• How well do you understand the full set of dimensions related to each topic?
• What dimensions do you present?
• Who could you work with in your community to fill out your understanding and help translate it to others?

For more details on constructing problem based learning experiences and an example of a concept map visit the Illinois  Mathematics and Science Academy.