Title: SOS: Save Our Shrimp Industry

Other Curriculum Objectives that can be addressed by this lesson plan

English Language Arts: 2.1, 2.3, 4.1; Social Studies: (Gr. 8) 1.3, 11.2; Mathematics: (Gr 8) 1.1, 1.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4; Science: (Gr. 8) 5.3, 5.5, 5.10; Computer Skills: (Gr. 6) 3.2

Grade: 8

Competency 3.2: Enter and edit data into a prepared spreadsheet to test "What if?" statements.

Measure 3.2.1: Given a prepared spreadsheet on the income from shrimping in North Carolina, test "What if" scenarios by entering possible amounts of pollutants dumped into the water, and observing the resulting effects on shrimp harvests.

Materials Needed: Transparencies of Shrimp Spreadsheet and Shrimp Spreadsheet Explanation blackline masters; overhead projector; computer with the SHRIMP spreadsheet file (one for the class or one for each group).

Time: Two class sessions.

Terms: Columns, Rows, Cells, Labels, Values, Formulas

Grade 8 Glossary

Pre-Activities:

1. Divide the class into groups of four or five students. Ask each group to think of and record three possible effects that water pollution might have on shrimping in North Carolina. Some possible answers are:

• Some shrimping companies might go out of business.
• If there are no other jobs, out-of-work shrimpers would start collecting welfare.
• Out-of-business shrimp companies would not pay taxes.
• Loss of local taxes would mean a cut-back in local services for schools, parks, roads, police, etc.
• With shrimpers out of work, other businesses would lose income.

2. Have a member of each group report to the class their responses.
3. Have each group think of and record three reasons why industries along a river would dump wastes into the river. Some possible answers are:

• It would cost money to buy land for a landfill.
• It would cost money to purchase and install equipment to process the waste.
• The money it would cost to deal with the waste would cut into profits.
• A loss of profits might cause the stock-holders to vote for firing the plant manager.
• The money it would cost to deal with the waste might cause the company to increase the price of their products, causing a loss in sales.
• The cost of dealing with the waste might cause the plant to have to layoff workers.

4. Have a member of each group report to the class their responses.
5. Discuss with the class how the North Carolina shrimping industry might have the grounds to sue plants up river that are polluting the shrimping waters and how they might determine the amount of the law suits.
6. Ask each group to come up with alternatives to suing polluting industries and report them to the rest of the class.
7. Discuss with the class the alternative that polluting industries might purchase and install waste processing machinery rather than pay the shrimpers directly through a law suit.
8. Ask each group to talk about how a computer spreadsheet might be used to determine the effects on shrimping of installing waste processing machinery up river and how it might be used to convince shrimpers that this would be a better alternative than suing.