Acid Rain   

Languages available: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Bulgarian.                

Topic update

There are two ways of working on this topic. The more up-to-date way is to use the on-line version. This has links to web sites to help you to research the issues before completing the Exchange form.

If you prefer you can download files from links at the bottom of this page. There are versions in seven languages. You print out the version you have donwloaded. Then you complete the activities and fill in the Exchange form.

Aims

Working through this topic will help you to:

• understand the acid rain as an issue in science and technology and its effects on our society and our environment;
• appreciate the impact of acid rain locally, nationally and globally;
• distinguish between matters of principle and matters of fact;
• become more aware of the perspectives of people from different countries;
• grow in confidence in using a variety of languages and in the use of ICT.

Overview

The first of the Student Pages gives an summary of the topic. The issues raised by the topic and the Exchange Form are all very much as in the printed version of the Acid Rain topic published in 1999. This version allows for the fact that the technical developments and the political response to the issues change fast. So instead of providing the information in the Student Pages we have suggested web sites as up-to-date sources of information. Also new in this version is the cartoon activity in Part 2.

Exchanging information

Exchanging information with other schools is what makes working through a Science Across the World topic rewarding. So you need a copy of the Exchange Form from the start.

Note that the Exchange Form for this internet version of the topic is similar enough to the older versions of Acid Rain for Exchanges to be possible between groups using the old and the new versions. The cartoon activity in Part 2 is new and there is no mention of cartoons on the older versions of the form.

It is well worth contacting schools before you start work on a topic to make sure that the teachers are definitely interested in collaborating with you.

Searching the Schools Database allows you to find other teachers with classes interested in exchanging information at about the same time as you will be studying the topic. The exchanges will be more interesting if you pick schools from a range of geographical areas and cultures.

The Teachers Notes explain the exchange process in more detail.

Sometimes it turns out that the response from other schools is rather limited. This is why we will include an Exchange Form Library as a back up. The examples in the library also help to show some of the benefits of taking part in this programme.