Mount Everest: What Goes Up Should Come Down Unit Driving Question: How can we enjoy and explore unique natural areas while still protecting our environment?

Protecting Everest Lesson Driving Question: What actions can be taken to protect Everest and other natural areas?

• Engage students in an opening discussion to predict what it means to "leave no trace." Discussion questions include:
• In what ways has human activity changed Everest?
• Which of those changes are having the biggest impact on the mountain?
• There is an organization we'll explore today called "Leave No Trace." What do you think it would mean to Leave No Trace on Everest?
• Record student responses to the questions on the board or chart paper.
• Distribute a copy of Government's Responsibilities vs. Individuals' Responsibilities for Protecting Everest to each student.
• Share with students that Leave No Trace is an organization that focuses on supporting individuals in considering how they can reduce their impact on the environment.
• Have students read both the Leave No Trace: Seven Principles and Leave No Trace: Problems We Solve and add what they learn about individual responsibility and action to their organizer.
• After they read, lead a brief discussion.
• How could Leave No Trace impact the challenges facing Everest?
• What other protections does Everest need?

• Share with students that governments around the world also take action to protect the natural environments.
• Have students visit the National Park Service Timeline (Annotated) and identify protections provided to National Parks through United States regulations, such as the Antiquities Act of 1906 and the Wilderness Act of 1964. As they explore the timeline looking for regulations that have protected the environment, students should note: 1) the name of the regulation, 2) what is protected, and 3) the year it came into existence.
• Ask: Based on this timeline, what types of governmental protections has the United States put into place to protect our unique natural areas? (Possible answers: The Yellowstone National Park Act of 1872 claimed over two million acres of land previously open to settlement, occupancy, or sale, and dedicated it and set it apart as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. Also, the Wilderness Act of 1964 established a preservation system and provided legal protection for parks that were threatened by development.)
• Direct students to the Rules and Regulations of the Yellowstone National Park for further inspiration for their brainstorming. Point out a couple of the regulations, such as “The cutting or spoliation of timber within the Park is forbidden by law.” 

• Ask: How is this an example of the government taking responsibility for protecting unique natural environments in the United States?

• Ask: Based on reading you have done throughout this unit, what types of rules and regulations have we already learned about in regard to climbing Mount Everest? (Possible answer: Climbers must pay a fee.)

• Have students read at least one article from at least two of the categories below (Nepalese, Chinese, American or International) with a partner, and add examples of existing government regulations and additional proposed regulations for protecting Everest to the Government's Responsibilities vs. Individuals' Responsibilities for Protecting Everest. 
• Nepalese government websites:
• Nepal: People and Nature
• Awareness Programs and Cleanup Campaigns
• Mountaineering Royalty
• Chinese government website:
• Mt. Qomolangma Mired in 'Chaos,' Stricter Regulations Required
• United States websites about Everest Regulations:
• Amid Deadly Season on Everest, Nepal Has No Plans to Issue Fewer Permits
• Mount Everest Climber Numbers Face Major Cuts as China Starts Cleanup
• Waste Management in the Himalayas
• Saving Nepal and the Planet, One Lawsuit at a Time
• International websites:
• Sherpa Climbers Carried Out the Highest-Ever Spring Clean. This is What They Found
• China Shuts Everest Base Camp for Trash-Dropping Tourists

• Lead a full class discussion asking: 
• What actions can individuals take to best protect the natural environment of Everest?
• What government actions do you think would be most effective in protecting Everest?
• How can individuals best be incentivized to protect Everest?
• Are actions by individuals or actions by governments most important in protecting Everest?

Mount Everest: What Goes Up Should Come Down Unit Driving Question: How can we enjoy and explore unique natural areas while still protecting our environment?

Protecting Everest Lesson Driving Question: What actions can be taken to protect Everest and other natural areas?

• Facilitate a discussion to elicit prior knowledge on the Bill of Rights by asking: 
• How many of you have heard the phrase, "you have the right to remain silent?"
• How many of you have heard the phrase, "You have a right to free speech?"
• When you've heard these phrases, what did they mean? Why would someone say them?
• Share with students that these statements come from the Bill of Rights, the first 10 Amendments to the U.S. Consitution. Share that the purpose of these rights is to ensure everyone can know how they are protected from the actions of others.
• Show students the video of the news report Toledo Votes on Lake Erie Bill of Rights During Special Election and discuss:
•  What rights are mentioned in the video? (The right to live.)
• How would establishing the rights of nature protect the lake?
• What would these rights mean for government responsibilities?
• What would these rights mean for individual responsibilities?

• Divide the class into groups of four and have them look back at their notes from this unit.
• Prompt teams to brainstorm at least three rights that Everest needs to protect itself from people.
• Ask each team to share their rights with the class listing them on the board. Then lead the class in a discussion to combine similar rights and add to the list until they feel they have a complete list of rights.
• Save the student-generated list for later use.

3. Engage students in a writing activity to connect the Everest Bill of Rights to the Government's Responsibilities vs. Individuals' Responsibilities for Protecting Everest.

• Ask students to choose one of the rights from the class-created list an respond to the following questions in writing:
• What are two ways governments can protect this right?
• What are two ways individuals can protect this right?
• Whi is in the best position to protect this right, governments, or individuals? Why?

Mount Everest: What Goes Up Should Come Down Unit Driving Question: How can we enjoy and explore unique natural areas while still protecting our environment?

Protecting Everest Lesson Driving Question: What actions can be taken to protect Everest and other natural areas?

• Using the lesson image, lead students in a brief warm-up discussion about the power of images to convey information using the following questions:
• If you had the choice of learning through reading or learning through looking at images, which would you choose? Why?
• What makes an image a powerful learning tool?
• Set up a gallery walk of infographics suitable for your class. Infographic examples could include one of the following:
• Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids. infographic
• National Ocean Service infographics
• Take Care of Texas’ infographics collection      
• Distribute a copy of the Infographic Gallery Walk Reflection to each student and have students choose one of the infographics they viewed during the gallery walk to answer questions about.
• Lead a brief discussion to ensure students understand the key elements of infographics.

• Distribute the Rights of Mount Everest Infographic Reflection and Rubric and the Rights of Mount Everest Infographic Planner and review with students highlighting the descriptors for the exceeds expectations portion of the rubric. 
• Model how students should fill out the planner using either the provided teacher copy, a personal model, or by using students' suggestions.
• While modeling the planner, direct students to review products from previous activities such as their Mount Everest: Know and Need to Know Chart and Costs of the Climb worksheets to determine which information will be most valuable in developing the final product. Remind students that their information should demonstrate their understanding of the lesson driving question: What actions can be taken to protect Everest and other natural areas?

• Have students select one of the rights from the class-created Everest Bill of Rights list developed in Protecting Mount Everest: The Rights of the Mountain and have them complete their Rights of Mount Everest Infographic Planner on their selected right. Have students submit their completed planner for teacher approval prior to creating the infographic to allow an opportunity for any necessary guidance or redirection.

• Have students create an infographic on one of the rights of Everest. 
• When students have finished with their infographics, hang the infographics in the classroom or hallway and have students participate in a gallery walk. Prior to the walk, establish the purpose. Examples include:

• As you view each infographic, identify elements of each graphic that exemplifies visual appeal. Leave a compliment for the creator on a sticky note.
• As you view each infographic, identify which three most clearly present their ideas. You may place a sticker next to the three infographics you select.