CONTEST DETAILS Read the Official Rules.
Review the Challenge Planner (PDF)
Preview the Action Plan (PDF)
ENTRY DETAILS Registration Opens: September 10, 2007
Deadline: October 5, 2007
Submission format: online Action Plan
Supporting materials (extra credit): digital photos

HOW TO ENTER
Step 1: Teacher Advisors: Register your team online at www.scholastic.com/lexus. You will receive an administrative User ID and Password to use during the application process. You will also receive a team User ID and Password.

Step 2: Teams: Using the team User ID/Password, which was E-mailed to your teacher advisor, review the online Action Plan to get prepared.

Step 3: Teams: Complete parts one and two of the Action Plan. Start by choosing one of the following topics, and identify an issue within this topic that affects your local community:

• Waste management and recycling
• Deforestation
• Endangered animals

Step 4: Teams: Work with the teacher advisor to begin the environmental challenge, implement your plan, and complete the Action Plan. This step will require the most amount of time!

Step 5: Teacher Advisors: Using the administrative User ID and Password, review your team's Action Plan. You must approve of the Action Plan before your team can submit their final entry.

Step 6: Teams: Click the "Submit" button to submit your final Action Plan online. (No entries will be accepted in the mail.)

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JUDGING CRITERIA
Entries will be judged on the following criteria:
1. Action Plan (50 points)

• Have all questions been answered? Do the responses clearly and accurately answer the questions?
• Does the Action Plan show the team's full understanding of the environmental issue?
• Does the Action Plan clearly describe the preliminary plan?
• Does the Action Plan clearly show the team's actions in the implementation phase?
• Does the Action Plan clearly describe the results?
• Does the plan help to raise community awareness? Has the team used the provided press release template and/or organized a school event to raise awareness of the issue?

2. Overall Team Effort (30 points)

• Does the Action Plan communicate team effort?
• Does the Action Plan indicate each team member's actions in the project?

3. Quality of Writing (20 points)

• Are the responses well organized? Do they communicate ideas clearly?
• Do the responses communicate a persuasive argument?
• Are the paragraphs well structured with clear transitions?
• Do the responses reflect proper spelling, capitalization, and use of punctuation (e.g., commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, dashes)?
• Have students carefully checked their work before submitting it, or are there mistakes?

4. Supporting Materials (EXTRA CREDIT)

• Has the team included supporting materials as part of their entry?
• Do the supporting materials provide evidence of the team in action preparing and/or implementing their plan?

Thanks to all teams who participated in the Land Challenge! This challenge is now CLOSED, but you can still do your part to help the environment. Register to compete in the Water Challenge! Action Plans for the Water Challenge are due by 11/5/07.

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