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Ask students to consider types of pollution. Discuss human-made pollution that affects the natural environment, often far away from the source of pollution, such as acid rain, radiation poisoning, and chemicals in rivers. Ask: What causes these types of pollution? What effects does it have on human and animal populations? What can be done to reduce or eliminate it? Create a class chart outlining these points.

Explain to students that they will be researching Minamata disease. It will likely be a disease they have never heard of. Direct students to Mercury Rising: The Poisoning of Grassy Narrows on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site, and ask them to view and listen to Clips #1, 2, 3, 5, and 10. Have them read the information that accompanies the clips and then complete the chart on the download sheet Minamata Disease.

As a class, share the results of the worksheet. Ask students to compare what they know about common diseases with what they have found out about Minamata Disease. Ask: Would you agree that Minamata disease is a disease? Why or why not? Encourage the students to devise a plan for better protecting people from industrial poisoning in the future. Ask: Who will be responsible for providing safeguards? What are the responsibilities of the general public to protect themselves? If an industry is shown to be the cause of environmental pollution, to what extent should it be responsible for cleaning up the mess it has created, as well as stopping its polluting?

Have students look through local newspapers and newscasts to find other current instances of industrial pollution. Have them compare how these situations are addressed today compared with how they were dealt with in the 1970s. Ask: Are people better protected in today’s society?