What Counts as a Successful Cleanup?
English 10 course anthology
A complete paired arguments and source packet for close reading, discussion, and writing.
Source A — Committee report (fictional): Thirty-eight volunteers collected 23 bags of litter in three hours. Photographs show less visible litter after the event. The committee calls the event a success and requests funding for another cleanup. It did not weigh bags or test water quality.
Source B — Resident statement (fictional): Cleaner banks matter, but oil remained on the water. Celebratory photographs can suggest that all environmental problems have been solved. The next report should state what was removed and what still needs professional investigation. I support volunteering and a separate referral for water testing.
Source C — Municipal memo (fictional): The town can provide $900 for supplies and $1,500 for a preliminary water investigation. These funds serve different purposes. A preliminary test can identify whether further testing is warranted; it does not, by itself, establish the source or full extent of contamination. Permission and qualified professionals are required.
Original teaching text written for this course. People, organizations, quotations, and data in this selection are fictional unless explicitly identified as historical. Reuse with the course materials.