Books, e-Books, and Archive Issues. Parents and Educactors have access to our books, e-books and archives at-cost. Please email blackhorizonsjournal@gmail.com for prices, and to order.
Special Editions, Research Projects. Black Horizons will work with your family or class to put together a special edition issue or project. Guided assignments and reflective critical thinking appropriate for all ages. Please email blackhorizonsjournal@gmail.com for more information.
Citizen Science
These Citizen Science Projects are current or ongoing, and contribute to a better understanding of our world while empowering students to take action to improve it. They appear in our issues, and are tied to particular stories to provide more in depth learning opportunities.
When you live in a house with your family, sometimes you have to clean up messes that other people made. Cleaning the house is a nice way to show your family you love them and make your home a nicer place to be. It also shows you are thankful for the things you use by throwing them away or recycling them properly. Cleaning up outside is just like that too.
Litter and pollution are big problems. But there are ways to fix them. Science helps us understand the problem and find solutions. That's where you come in.
We need you to clean up your street and write down the kinds of trash you find. When everyone shares what they find, we can understand how to fix the litter problem. Here's what to do:
Here is what you will need:
Trash bags, gloves, and note paper, e-mail or note app
Here is what to do:
Pick up the trash on your street, or in your local park or other favorite outdoor place for at least 15 minutes.
Write down the approximate start and ending location of clean up.
Before putting it into a trash bag, write down whether ithe trash is made of
Plastic - hard (like bottles)
Plastic - soft (like bags or packaging)
Glass
Metal
Styrofoam
Other - write down what material it is made of
What kind of trash is most common? Why do you think this is? Where do you think it comes from? Strategize how you can help protect your street from more of this kind of litter. Then e-Mail your data, reflections to critical thinking questions, and ideas for how to fix the litter problem: blackhorizonsjournal@gmail.com
* Be safe! Do not pick up needles, broken glass or other hazardous things! But do write down that you saw them!
* Consider sorting the trash so that what can be recycled may be brought to your local recycling center, if you're able
Critical Thinking Questions / Reflections
Can you think of any way plastics have been used to help the environment? Do you notice animals littering? In what ways does litter hurt the environment, and people? What did you feel before, during and after picking up the trash?