What is the true cost of your cell phone?  

A WTL (Write to Learn) Activity

 

•  Start by watching the Story of Electronics and summarize what its message is.
•  Describe Texting and driving laws and specifically the ones for Illinois.  Click here for the link.

• You have been told by commercials and media that you need a cell phone. Here is a little information about Foxconn.  Watch the first and write a reaction to it and summarize the article.

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/24ekd8/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-fear-factory - Video

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/02/ff_joelinchina/all/1 - Article

 

• The Congo -  Using the below resources answer the questions below in a flow chart. 

                 Is your new mobile phone made with conflict minerals?

1. Name all the minerals that go into the cell phones and their uses?
2. Describe what is meant by a conflict mineral?
3. Where is the Congo and why is it so important to our electronic needs?
4. Discuss how the use of cell phones is affecting the Congolese people.
5. How is Hilary Clinton involved in this conflict?
6. What is the US and Obama doing about this issue?

• What do cell phones and gorillas have in common?  Describe how you can save gorillas by recycling your cell phones using a comic strip of 6 boxes.

           Cell phones and Gorillas

 

• Where does e-waste go to die?  Read this article organizing the statistics into a table.  Make a mini poster that educates about the issues with e-waste. Find 2 websites that could be a resource for recycling e-waste.  Describe each of them in your poster.  These will be hung around the school.

             Where do cell phones go to die?

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In summation describe what the true costs of cell phones are and whether this technology is worth it?  Make sure you discuss what you have learned to support your writing.