Reducing, Recycling, and Reusing

Authors: Shira Kaplan and Katie Jankowski

Introduction: During this lesson plan students will learn about reducing, recycling, reusing, solid waste landfills, objects that are biodegradable, composting, and the definition of garbage (trash). The students taking part in this lesson can be anywhere from ages eight and up. The issues discussed in this lesson plan are issues that affect all people, no matter what their culture or background.

Science

Grade: 3^rd

Integrated disciplines: Social Studies and Technology.

State Standards:

Found at http://www.nde.state.ne.us/Issu/SCI/scienSTND.html

4.1.2 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop an understanding of evidence, models, and explanation.

Student demonstrations: Create a model, graph, or illustration that represents an object, living thing, or an event in the student’s environment.

4.4.3 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop an understanding of living things and environments.

 Student demonstrations: Describe how humans and other things cause   positive and negative changes in their environment.

4.7.4 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop an understanding of how science and technology helps communities resolve problems.

Objectives:

            * Define the word garbage and list ways you can reduce, reuse, and recycle.

* Demonstrate an understanding of solid waste landfills, composting, and what it means if an object is biodegradable.

* Summarize what they have learned by making a poster, newspaper, television, or radio add.

Materials/Technologies:

* Teacher:

-         www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/huntrecyclinmr2.html 

* Student:

          - Poster board

          - Markers, Crayons, or colored pencils

- A printed copy of the questions to the treasure hunt “Trash Bashing”

- Paper

- Scissors

- And anything else that the students could use to make props out of (pop cans, plastic, paper bags…)

Procedures:

      Vocabulary:

* Garbage: the stuff we do not need anymore, and the junk we think is useless. It comes from out homes, businesses, government agencies, schools and hospitals.

* Precycling: preventing recycling by taking a little action before we recycle.

* Reduce: decrease the number of non-recyclable products you buy or use.

* Reuse: use non-recyclable containers again for another purpose.

* Recycle: to pass again through a cycle in order to regain materials for human use.

* Biodegradable: the ability to breakdown safely, and relatively quickly by biological means, into the raw materials of nature and disappear into the environment.

* Compost: is a natural process that breaks down kitchen, lawn, and garden materials into a dark, earthy soil like material.

* Solid waste landfills: a landfill for safe disposal of regular household garbage.

Anticipatory set: Hold up a regular brown paper sac and ask the students if they can name three ways they could reuse it.     Have students raise their hands as they think of answers. As students are giving answers make a class list somewhere that is visible for everyone (chalkboard, white board…)

Teacher: Direct students to the web site and have them read and follow the instructions contained on the Treasure Hunt. When students are finished with the Treasure Hunt, have them show what they learned by creating a poster, a television, radio or newspaper ad. Have students present their finished product to the class.

Students: Go to web site and complete the Treasure Hunt entitled “Trash Bashing”. Create a poster, a television, radio, or a newspaper ad from the information they have learned.  Have them present their final product to the class.

 Closure: If students created either a poster or a newspaper ad and have them hang their posters or ads around the school so that other classes can look at them. If the students created a radio or television ad they could either present them to another class, or they could perform their skits over the school intercom in the morning (if school has an intercom). The key thing is for the students to be able to share with other people, excluding the students in their class, what they have learned.

Extensions: Have students video tape all of their presentations and have them go to a community location (a school or a business) and share what they have learned with others. As a class, students can also create a power point that could be presented to others around the community or as a presentation for their entire school.

Assessment:

* Students defined the word garbage and were able to list ways you can reduce, reuse, and recycle.

* Students demonstrated an understanding of solid waste landfills, composting, and biodegradable objects through discussion.

* Students made either a poster, a radio, television, or newspaper ad to conclude what they had learned.

Explanation: The first thing that we did was choose a grade level. We decided on third grade because both Katie and I have had experience coaching and teaching third graders, and we really enjoyed our experiences with them. Then we looked at the Nebraska state standards to find a topic that interested both of us. After looking at the standards we went in search of treasure hunts, and found an excellent treasure hunt on reducing, recycling, and reusing called “Trash Bashers”. We thought that this topic would be beneficial for students learning because recycling is an important issue that is currently being stressed in our community. It also enables students to use their creativity and presenting skills. We decided to use a variety of structuring for our lesson plan. These structures included cooperative group work, making presentations, and answering questions on a worksheet.